Salone Del Mobile, Milano Postponed Due To The Coronavirus Outbreak In Italy

Following the outbreak of the coronavirus in Italy,  Salone Del Mobile, Milano been postponed and will now take place from the 16th to the 21st of June. The showcase that has been shaping the global narrative of design for over half a century was set to return to Milan from the 21st to the 26th of April, 2020 at Fiera Milano, Rho. However, a sharp surge in cases of coronavirus in Italy necessitated a delay of fair. Organisers of the fair held an emergency meeting after which they released the following statement :

“Following an extraordinary meeting today of the Board of Federlegno Arredo Eventi, and in view of the ongoing public health emergency, the decision has been taken to postpone the upcoming edition of the Salone del Mobile. Confirmation of the change of date for the trade fair – strongly supported by the Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala – means that the manufacturers, in a major show of responsibility, will be able to present their finalised work to an international public that sees the annual appointment with the Salone del Mobile as a benchmark for creativity and design.”

Additionally, Salone Del Mobile relayed a message from Milan’s mayor Giuseppe Sala via a video on twitter. “I am calling on our colleagues in the furnishing sector and the Salone del Mobile to pull together to make sure Milan doesn’t grind to a halt. We need to work objectively to stop this virus spreading, but we must also take care not to spread the virus of distrust,” said Sala in the video. 

Earlier this month, Design Pataki attended the press conference for the 59th edition of the Salone del Mobile, and in doing so gained a keen insight into what’s in store for the fair’s 2020 edition. From the affirmation of the values of ethics and sustainability to the addition of the word ‘Beauty’ to the fair’s Manifesto, a number of significant announcements were made at the conference.

Despite the unprecedented delay, 2020 promises to be an edition packed with people and projects, with over 2,200 exhibitors. President of the Salone del Mobile, Claudio Luti’s rundown of the crucial factors for maintaining the fair’s leadership position included underpinning creativity, bolstering connections and networking. While Ingenuity was the key term for the fair’s manifesto in 2019, the word ‘Beauty’ forms the core of the 2020 manifesto. “Our sense of beauty is as old as the history of mankind and has driven us to search for it constantly and, especially, to produce it since time immemorial. Creating something beautiful, universally beautiful, has always been the goal of the entrepreneurs and creatives who breathe life into the world of design.” reads the manifesto.

Celebrating this idea of beauty as well as the other key principles of the manifesto, designer David Rampello is set to curate a monumental site-specific audio-visual installation in collaboration with the filmmaker Luca Lucini, titled The Magic Box: Ten Words for Ten Authors. From 21st April to 3rd May in the Sala delle Cariatidi at Palazzo Reale, 10 leading names in Italian filmmaking (Francesca Archibugi, Pappi Corsicato, Stefano Mordini, Wilma Labate, Bruno Bozzetto, Luca Lucini, Claudio Giovannesi, Gianni Canova, Donato Carrisi and Daniele Ciprì) will each depict a term from the Manifesto through film. 

Back for its 23rd edition, SaloneSatellite will once again promote budding talent – giving young creatives and students a platform to present their designs, prototypes and ideas. Under the theme “Designing For Our Future Selves”, the fair encourages emerging designers to focus on design that is adaptable and accessible to people of all ages. 600 young designers will be showcasing at SaloneSatellite, in this edition that stokes reflection on inclusive design.

Themes of sustainable and ethical design dominated the conversation at the conference. “The 2020 edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano will testify to the furniture companies’ ethical and virtuous strategies,” says Claudio Luti. “Salone” Additionally, the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, the International Furnishing Accessories Exhibition and Workplace3.0 will explore varied aesthetic avenues, featuring quality and well-researched mega customisable products, made increasingly possible by processes that are sustainable at every stage.

As always, the Salone del Mobile.Milano is set to inspire creativity, drive innovation and promote universality through design.