Italy, home of many world-renowned designers, was the first to respond to Seoul's design initiative this year.
The Italian Embassy together with the Italian Cultural Center and the Korea Foundation last week opened an exhibition, "Italian Style - Dressing Home," a collection of Italian furniture, lighting equipment and kitchen utensils.
Nearly 200 objects came from Sartirana Art Foundation in Italy, a museum owned by Giorgio Forni, a medical doctor-turned private collector. He is the director of the museum as well.
His wide collection recounts the history of Italian furniture from the mid-20th century onward. The collection has traveled to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Armenia.
All the pieces were purchased by him, especially during the last five years.
He said collecting quality furniture has had a therapeutic effect.
"I think that in life, colors and joyful things give light to your day," he said.
Yet, he acknowledged the fact that such objects are often accessible to the rich and privileged.
"But the Italian lifestyle of enjoying daily life isn't reserved only for nobles or the upper class. It is diffused to all social categories, which renders this style and the way of living according to their possibilities."
Furniture is one of many items he collects. His museum is known to possess jewelry, clothing, paintings and sculptures that are made by Italians.
As opposed to the mass production of the modernization era, Italian producers still prefer small-scale production, which makes the Italian design story so successful, Forni said.
Italian Ambassador Massimo Andrea Leggeri, who came up with the idea for the exhibition said, "It is particularly meaningful that this exhibition opens at the beginning of 2010, when Seoul will be playing the role of the world's design capital."
An exhibition on Italian design isn't yet a completely new idea for Korea. Under the "Made-in-Italy" campaign, spearheaded by the Italian Foreign Ministry, the embassy regularly organizes exhibitions. An exhibition of Italian leather products opened last week in Seoul.
The furniture exhibition will run until Feb. 20. For more information, please visit the center's Web site (www.kfcenter.or.kr).