The 51st edition of the Milan Saloni will be taking place at the city’s Fairgrounds and around Milan from 17 to 22 April. Some 2,500 Italian and international exhibitors will fill the 209,000 sq m of the main exhibition space with the latest furniture designs.
As tradition has it, the main show – Salone Internazionale del Mobile – will be accompanied by other trade shows, which this year are Eurocucina – the International Kitchen Furniture Exhibition – the International Bathroom Exhibition, and SaloneSatellite – an exhibition where talented young designers are given the opportunity to display their work. The main exhibition space for Salone Internazionale del Mobile will, as usual, be divided between pavilions devoted to design, modern and classic.
Organised by Cosmit, Salone del Mobile was established in 1961 as a purely Italian furniture show but soon grew to be an internationally recognised event, and its first international edition was presented in 1967. Today, the event is a must-attend in the design calendar, not only because of the abundance of exhibitors but also for the accompanying events that take place throughout the city during the week-long show. The tag line for this year’s edition, most would agree, is spot on: ‘Milan, where else?’ as more than 300,000 visitors are expected in the city especially for the event. However, different to previous years, this time the show is also open to the public on the Saturday as well as on the Sunday, previously the only public day.
The showcase for young designers, SaloneSatellite celebrates its 15th birthday this year and provides a chance for young and talented designers to display their work and make connections within the industry. This year it will be looking into the future of design with the theme Design<->Technology and will see 18 design schools participating, alongside independent young designers.
Saloni has long ceased being just a trade show event, and will take over the whole city with various events, exhibitions and product launches outside of the main exhibition area. One exciting project is Design Dance by Michela Marelli and Francesca Molteni. Performed at the Teatro dell’Arte in the Triennale di Milano Design Museum, it will be depicting the story of design and paying homage to the forefathers of design through prose, acting and dancing.
London’s Royal College of Art will also be running an exhibition as part of the Saloni week in celebration of its own 175th anniversary. Titled Paradise, the exhibition is organised by RCA’s design products programme with the theme of ‘desire for change’.
