The “First Italian Design Day in the World” will open tomorrow at 4 p.m. at the Farnesina. The event is organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism and the Triennale di Milano, in partnership with the Salone del Mobile, the Association of Industrial Design (ADI) and the Agency for the Internationalisation and Promotion of Italian Companies Abroad. The ceremony, at the attendance of the press and the Diplomatic Corps accredited to Italy, will be open by Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, who will be followed by the Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism, Dorina Bianchi. Other speakers will include the President of the Associazione Priorità Cultura, Francesco Rutelli, the Vice President of the Triennale di Milano, Clarice Pecori Giraldi, Italian architect and designer, Antonio Citterio, the President of the Salone del Mobile, Roberto Snaidero, the President of the Fondazione Compasso d’Oro and of ADI, Luciano Galimberti and the President of Agency for the Internationalisation and Promotion of Italian Companies Abroad (ICE), Michele Scannavini. The event will be moderated by the Foreign Ministry’s Director General for Cultural and Economic Promotion and Innovation, Vincenzo De Luca.
“The initiative is the result of great teamwork between Institutions,” recalled the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Angelino Alfano. He went on: “It involves the major public and private players representing Italian high-quality design, the world of business and training sectors.” He added: “It is a project that represents and absolute premiere, featuring over 100 events in as many cities in the world, through the important mobilisation of the network of Embassies, Consulates and Italian Cultural Institutes.”
The “First Italian Design Day in the World” adds a meaningful piece to the integrated promotional strategy of Brand Italy promoted by the Foreign Ministry. Minister Alfano concluded: “Italian design speaks to the world of the excellence of our tradition. It is an extraordinary bridge over which to establish dialogue with other Countries. But we also think of design as a flywheel for Italian economy: our companies play a leadership role, representing more than 1/3 of the sector’s global turnover, which amounts to 100 billion euros.”
In the Farnesina Palace and on the space in front of it, ADI-Fondazione Compasso D’Oro will display more than 30 design objects that have won the prestigious “Compasso D’Oro” prize during the last few decades, including a Ferrari F12 berlinetta, an iconic Fiat 500 of 1959, a Fiat 500 of 2011 and a Vespa Piaggio GS 150 that is exhibited at the MOMA in New York. The ceremony also envisages the inauguration of a new Meeting Hall conceived on the basis of a pro bono design by ADI which will host renowned design objects and interior decorations.
