Korea, Italy strengthen ties through sustainable design

Participants of the fifth Italian Design Day webinar in Seoul, themed “Project and Materials: new challenges for the sustainable recovery of the Made in Italy,” are seen in the screens. / Courtesy of Italian Embassy in Korea

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Italian designer Giulio Cappellini unveiled the design trends for the post-coronavirus pandemic world during the fifth Italian Design Day events in Seoul on July 21 and 22, centering on new materials and projects that integrate the concept of beauty with the values of sustainability and the environment.

Italian Design Day, established in 2017 by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, promotes Italian expertise in this sector, creating connections with the design scenes of the selected countries involved, including Korea.

The Embassy of Italy in Korea worked with the Italian Cultural Institute and the Italian Trade Agency to organize the two-day event, which was held in as a webinar due to the pandemic. Over 400 participants took part in the two-day event themed “Project and Materials: new challenges for the sustainable recovery of the Made in Italy,” reflecting the interest in Italy's design and innovation in Korea.

Cappellini, who serves as the 2021 Italian Design Day ambassador, is a renowned furniture designer who has expanded the horizons of Italian design with iconic products such as the Bong and Gong Tables and Luxor cabinet units. His company Cappellini is known for bringing in design talents from outside Italy, including Shiro Kuramata of the famous Progetti Compiuti chest of drawers series.

"He has a passion for cultivating young designers, and in the past he has in fact discovered new talent; after Italian Design Day this might concern Korean designers as well," the Italian embassy said in a statement.

In the first webinar Wednesday, Cappellini introduced the history of Italian design from the 1950s until today, revealing the recent “green wave” that has swept over Italian design. Cappellini stressed the need for change in the concept of public space, especially in future cities of the post-pandemic era. According to him, design must meet the needs of “digital nomads,” who work from anywhere as long as they have an internet connection.

Kookmin University professor Choi Kyung-ran and Korea Craft and Design Foundation artistic director Kang Jae-young joined Cappellini as panelists.

In the second webinar, the members of Keener, a community of young Korean designers and architects who studied in Italy, shared their experiences of bringing together Italian and Korean know-how and style.

The arts collective underlined the high quality of Italian universities and other institutes that offer courses in English for foreign students in the fields of design, fashion, architecture and art, including Istituto Marangoni, Politecnico di Milano, Domus Academy and Nuova Accademia delle Belle Arti.

According to the embassy, design is one of the sectors showing signs of strengthening in the Italy-Korea relationship. Italy is Korea's third-largest supplier of furniture and from the beginning of 2020 to the first half of 2021, Korean imports of Italian furniture grew by almost 50 percent, which is a notable jump from the 0.63 percent growth rate from the previous year, considering the slowdown in international trade due to the pandemic.

"This figure shows a high demand for this type of product by one of the most influential countries in Asia for design, style and innovation," the embassy noted.