After last year's debut, the second edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano Shanghai has been inaugurated today, at the SEC -Shanghai Exhibition Center. 109 Italian brands participate, showing their interest for the potentials of the Chinese market.
The three-day exhibit is divided into three categories: Classic (16 brands, + 24% vs. 2016), which includes evergreen products reflecting the value of Italian craftsmanship; Design (58 brands, + 54% vs. 2016), with products based on innovation and contemporary aesthetic; xLux (35 brands, + 92% vs. 2016), combining classic elegance and contemporary design.
Even this year, there will be the key appointment with the Master Classes, consisting in three cultural moments of listening and debate: three internationally renowned Italian architects - Mario Bellini, Piero Lissoni, Giancarlo Tintori - chat with likewise talented Chinese designers - Di Zhang, Kuang Ming (Ray) Chou, Jamy Yang - to analyses points of view and thoughts that are different but at the same time synergic for what concerns the development of design industry in China and around the world.
The photographic exhibition “Italian Interiors from 1925 to the Present Day” integrates the cultural offer. It is curated by the architect Alessandro Colombo, Studio Cerri, and is based on “Stanze. Altre Filosofie dell’Abitare” (organized by the Salone del Mobile, in 2016, by Beppe Finessi), which consists on a series of higly emotional pictures that portray the projects of the most important 20th century designers. The aim is to prove how the spaces we inhabit reflect the evolution of the contemporary way of living and taste.
Great expectations and under 35 talents are at the basis of the space SaloneSatellite Shanghai. Chinese young designers, university students and design schools, for a total of 50, present projects characterized by an innovative design approach and an aesthetics and the pioneering use of the new technologies. Everyone answers the question Design is …? and the top three, selected by a jury of professionals, will be awarded tomorrow (November 24th), in the SaloneSatellite Shanghai Award. They will be then invited to the SaloneSatellite 2018 (from April 17 to 22), which is part of the Salone del Mobile.Milano.
“The Salone del Mobile.Milano Shanghai is a fundamental international exhibition for the world of design that supports the brand of our event” - Claudio Luti, president of the Salone del Mobile, comments. “This second edition confirms the importance of Salone del Mobile.Milano Shanghai as a reference point in China for Italian design companies. We wish to strengthen the strategic role of this event to make known our projects to the Chinese public that cannot be always present at the Salone del Mobile di Milano”.
“A year after the appearance of the Salone del Mobile.Milano on the Shanghai market, the Italian furniture, design and lighting companies have further strengthened their position on a market that registered a growth of over 37%, in the first six months of 2017”, Emanuele Orsini, president of Federlegno Arredo Eventi, adds. “Today, China is among the top ten markets for Italian exports. Our success has been not easy nor obvious, but the result of a skilful combination of creativity, innovation, professionalism and a strategic vision that has opened our products the doors to China”.