For Made in Italy Day, Italian Ambassador Mariangela Zappia hosted the event “Italian Contemporary Design at Villa Firenze” at Villa Firenze, an opportunity to celebrate Italian excellence in the world in connection with the museum of Italy’s Association for Industrial Design (ADI) and the Salone del Mobile (Furniture Fair) in Milan.
Ambassador Mariangela Zappia mentioned in her opening remarks: “The National Day of Made in Italy testifies to our commitment to promoting the productive excellence and cultural heritage of our country. Here in the United States, Made in Italy is a symbol of quality, innovation, and tradition, uniquely intertwined in the fabric of our entrepreneurial and cultural landscape.”
Following the Ambassador’s opening remarks, greetings were given by Nicole Elkon, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Professional and Cultural Exchanges at the U.S. Department of State, and by the Vice President of the ADI, Antonella Andriani.
The conversation involved Alessandro Melis, IDC Foundation Endowed Chair Professor at the New York Institute of Technology, Stefano Schiavon, President of Salviati Venezia 1859, and Franco Caimi, ADI Companies Department Coordinator. They discussed creativity and democracy, excellence and innovation, and how design practices can provide new tools for understanding the world and articulating problems more effectively. All this took place just hours before the opening of the sixty-second Salone del Mobile Milano (Milan Furniture Fair).
Salviati is exhibiting at Villa Firenze the “Ferai Codega” lamps, made of Murano glass and designed by Alberto Lago. The lamps combine tradition, style, and innovation: Lago studied the ancient techniques of glass masters but also experimented with his artisanal products, creating a fusion of modernity and history.
For the guests of the event, there was a tour of “Villa Firenze Contemporanea,” a project of cultural diplomacy that gathers 50 works of art and objects of design by the most important contemporary Italian artists and designers, including a work by Gaetano Pesce, known for his surreal creations and pioneering use of plastic materials.
Also present were representatives from the food sector with Franciacorta prosecco and the automotive sector with a vintage Lancia in collaboration with 1000miglia.
