Summer Indoors: The Milan Furniture Fair

     Famed by artists, firms and houses as the epicenter of design; Milan’s salient image has been somewhat dormant this year. Sure, there were the notorious fashion weeks in February, but these are never friendly to travelers fluttering around the city. No need to fret, however.  Just in time to start the spring season, and with all the grace the city’s reputation so eloquently commands, The Milan Furniture Fair begins on April 16^th and continues until the 21^st.
    The fair centers around Rho Fiera (last stop on the red Metro line), a massive building where the focal exhibition takes place.  The building is divided into themes from geographical to seasonal, but all would agree that the most interesting part is the young talent portion.  Here, design students, and people new to the industry are allowed to showcase their work to the public.  Their pieces are often the most fascinating, as they tend to disregard market forces and common trends, and instead hub on the creativity and imagination of the artists themselves.
    The excitement does not just end here. The fundamental idea behind the event is to provide an opportunity for the different elements of the furniture industry to broadcast and witness the new material of this year. Therefore the fair extends beyond Rho Fiera, to reach the smallest factors of the sector. For instance, even specialized stores on via Tortona host cocktails and open doors in name of the fair. This further ignites interest from the public and becomes one of the most charming factors of the week.
    Other institutes and associations also participate in the fair. For instance, the Cervantes Institute (Via Dante, 12) is screening The New Generation of Spanish Design, an exhibition that aims at changing our vision and use of different objects. This is done in an interactive and humoristic fashion that warmly embraces the public.  Furthermore, the designers will be present throughout the event in order to participate in the viewer’s experience of their work.
    Another great feature of the fair is the Posti di Vista 08, a conglomerate of 13 events hosted by the Associazione Laboratori Fabbrica del Vapore (Via Procaccini, 4).  This is done experimenting with various avenues of art that involve design, photography, video, contemporary art and performance. The purpose of the display is to illustrate the fundamental conflict the artists experience between their artistic development and the professional world.
    The Salone Internazionale del Mobile as the event is locally known, perfectly inaugurates the spring and summer seasons and promises to consume the viewers with excitement and joy.  It invites spectators to not just enjoy the good weather outside, but also in their homes. The fair certainly testifies to Milan’s reputation as the world’s capital of design, and is absolutely worth experiencing.

by Emilio X. Bonilla