By Yi Whan-woo
An exhibition showcasing furniture, kitchenware and other products of contemporary Italian design is running through Jan. 3 in Seoul.
The Italian Embassy in Korea said last week it is organizing "Segno, 40 years of Italian design," an exhibition run jointly with Korea branches of the Italian Cultural Center and the Italian Trade Agency from Dec. 16 at High Street Italy./
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| The Italian Embassy in Korea is organizing "Segno, 40 years of Italian design" exhibition jointly with Korea branches of the Italian Cultural Center and the Italian Trade Agency from Dec. 16 to Jan. 3 at High Street Italy, a showroom run by the Italian government in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul. / Courtesy of Embassy of Italy in Korea |
Situated in the luxury shopping district of Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul, High Street Italy is a showroom run by the Italian government for commercial and cultural events.
The 19-day long exhibition involves 23 leading Italian furniture and kitchenware brands ― Alessi, Armani casa, Bitossi, Bosa, B&B Italia, Cappellini, Cassina, Driade, Falmec, Flexform, Flos, Foppapdretti, Gufram, Guzzini, Kartel, Living Divani, Memphis, Moroso, Poltrona Frau, Poltronova, Richard Ginori, Venini and Vespa.
Italian Ambassador to Korea Federico Failla expressed hope the exhibited items will offer the visitors "an opportunity to appreciate the ideal combination of utility, practicality and creativity."
"They are not just beautiful objects. They are used in everyday life to make our lives easier, simpler and more comfortable," he said in a congratulatory message.
He also said the exhibition underlines Italy's efforts to inform Korean consumers of "made in Italy" products despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
He noted the embassy, after having difficulty in bringing in items for exhibitions from back home due to the pandemic, managed to get them here with the support of Italian brands and importers operating in Korea.
"Despite the tough conditions and constraints of the coronavirus, we have organized the exhibition. The exhibits are the fruits of the passion, research spirit, and originality of Italian designers who combined state-of-the-art technology and art to create real masterpieces," he said.
Trade Commissioner Vincenzo Cali of Italian Trade Agency Seoul said the Italian design industry is backed by technology, research and investment all of which make creative products to be mass produced.
"And we're proud to remain a leading country in design amid growing competition," he said, adding "Such reputation always has been appreciated here in Korea."
Renza Fornaroli, the curator for the exhibition, thanked the embassy and other co-organizers, saying, "They made this possible despite obstacles caused by long geographical distance between the two countries and also the pandemic."
Meanwhile, High Street Italy opened in December 2019 with support of the Italian Ministry for Economic Development to better promote Italian goods.
Before the pandemic, Korea was Italy's third-largest market in Asia, with exports amounting to 5 billion euros ($6.1 billion).
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