The world’s largest furniture show – the Salone del Mobile – is returning to Milan this year from 18-23 April 2023.
Taking place at the Fiera Milano Rho, a space consisting of 200,000 square metres, the 61st edition of the influential event will focus on themes of environmental, economic, and societal responsibility. This year’s trade fair will play host to over 2000 national and international exhibitors from various sectors, including furniture, bathroom design, kitchens, lighting, and more.
Promising a huge range of new products, cultural events, furniture design exhibitions, and fascinating talks – here’s an overview of what you can expect at the Salone del Mobile 2023.
How to attend Salone del Mobile 2023
The opening days of this year’s event are reserved exclusively for industry professionals. It will be open to the general public on the 22nd and 23rd of April. Students can also visit the fair on the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd of the month.
Access is ticketed, so you’ll need to ensure you have the correct ticket to enter the venue. You can purchase tickets from Salone del Mobile’s digital platform and you must register as a visitor on the website.
You can easily reach the Salone del Mobile, which takes place at the Fiera Milano Rho, via public transport from Milan’s major airports and train stations.
What’s new at the Salone del Mobile 2023?
This year’s event offers plenty to look forward to.
The huge range of content at the Salone del Mobile 2023 includes everything from architecture and art exhibitions to talks, workshops, and site-specific installations that will leave visitors in awe.
Here are some highlights that’ll set this year’s show apart from the rest.
The cultural programme
This year’s cultural programme has been curated by Beppe Finessi, design professor and critic, who has extensive knowledge of organising and orchestrating multimedia content pertaining to interpretations of specific themes.
Therefore, the event is structured to offer glimpses into different themes, including technical and artistic aspects, through a series of exhibitions within the exhibition.
The biennial Euroluce with the theme “The City of Lights”
Taking place in pavilions 9-11 and 13-15, the return of the biennial Euroluce exhibition will offer a new people-centric layout designed by studio Lombardini22 layout built around the theme “The City of Lights”.
This theme will be the common thread of the entire event, guiding its cultural program, inspiring talks, exhibitions, and immersive experiences.
Salone del Mobile president Maria Porro commented on the rethink of Euroluce 2023:
“We have been focusing on lighting as an object, on its shape. But light is increasingly connected to technology, to the way it reacts to human beings, how it influences how we experience a space.”
Alongside company stands will be site-specific cultural moments, which have been called “constellations”, that will feature works by creatives from around the world, including names like Sarah Illenberger and Patrick Tuttofuoco.
Modular pavilions, made from paper and wood to reflect the theme of sustainability woven through the event, will feature in the Euroluce pavilions to provide moments of immersive pause throughout the fair.
Curated talks
Additionally, Euroluce will feature Aurore, an arena hosting a talk programme curated by Annalisa Rosso. These talks will focus on topics concerning lighting, technology, and sustainability, providing visitors with fascinating conversations and debates held by brilliant figures in the lighting industry.
Guests will be invited to consider and reflect on urgent contemporary matters that affect us all and how to improve our future lives.
Some names that have so far been announced include Shigeru Ban, Nao Tamura, Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, and Marius Myking of Snøhetta, and Andrea D’Antrassi of MAD.
SaloneSatellite
Another highlight to expect at this year’s Salone del Mobile is SaloneSatellite which is dedicated to the new visions that young talent can bring to the design landscape. Hosted in pavilions 13-15 of the fair will be the SaloneSatellite, which will bring 550 exhibitors from 27 Schools and Universities of Design from around the world.
Their installations and exhibitions will present unique solutions to the question: “Design: Where are you going?”, which addresses the future of the design world and answers how we can navigate future challenges in the coming years.
Sustainability Commitment
Salone del Mobile 2023 offers a unique sustainability commitment that builds on past editions.
Event organisers continue to showcase the event’s dedication to sustainability and economic and social responsibility, by ensuring sustainable construction materials from suppliers of recycled, recyclable, or reusable materials.
Check out all the recent design and architecture events from DDN here.
