The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held on March 8 in the lobby of Building A at the National Gallery, which was greeted with opening remarks by the Italian Ambassador Benedetto Latteri and Dr. H. Muhammad Adlin Sila, M.A., Ph.D., Expert Staff to the Institutional Relation and Society Minister, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, with the presence of the director of Italian Cultural Institute, Maria Battaglia, as well as the curator of the exhibition, Odo Fioravanti.

For each iteration, Italian Design Day comes with a distinct theme, and this year's theme is: The quality that lights up: The energy of design for the people and the environment. Italian Design Day is an initiative made by the Foreign Ministry and International Cooperation of the Republic of Italy. Started in 2017, Italian Design Day has been held all over the world via Italian embassies, Italian cultural institutes and Italian consulate generals. This idea is meant to strengthen the image of Italian design as a strong component of the Italian identity and to maintain opportunities for entry and/or expansion to the international markets for operators of this sector.

Every year, Italian Design Day is held with a variety of activities involving a range of top local universities and the students, well-known local designers and architects and famous artists from all around Indonesia. The event also involves cultural institutions, design centers of Italian brands and even government institutions. Activities integrated into this event include the aforementioned exhibition, seminars, talks, workshops and webinars.

The auxiliary events, the seminar and talks, in particular, prominently highlighted the overarching theme of Italian Design Day 2023. The seminar was held on March 9 in The National Gallery’s Seminar Room and it utilized the main theme. It also brought along artist, designer and testimonial writer for Italian Design Day 2023, Assia Karaguiozova; curator for this year’s exhibit, Odo Fioravanti; and artist, Patricia Untario, as keynote speakers, with Budi Pradono acting as moderator.The talk, on the other hand, which was led by Assia Karaguiozova, used the theme Light: Essence of Light and it was held on March 10 at Bina Nusantara University.

Acting head of Museums and Cultural Heritage, Ahmad Mahendra, is ecstatic with the showing of this product design exhibition, commenting, “Despite looking different, art and product design share a lot of similarities, like imagination, creativity and the ability to evoke emotions when visitors appreciate the work.”

He also noted this exhibition was imperative for The National Gallery of Indonesia because it served as a form of education that introduces people to the world of product design, and was a way to strengthen the bond between Indonesia and Italy.

Created in Italy: An aptitude for the impossible is an exploration of the modern industries in Italy. The exhibition is meant to showcase the great stories of Italian creators who have honed their craft and can create quality work ingrained with the Italian DNA, highlighting the attention to detail and the spirit they hold for creating, which has been recognized by the world. Aside from that, this exhibition also shows the experimentation that many Italian companies have done because of how their environment limits their access to materials, and how their country has very unique terrain that provides them with both high mountains fit for skiing and also beautiful coasts fit for scuba diving. Involving over 15 regions out of the 20 present in Italy, and showcasing 31 individual products, this exhibition is a holistic representation of the many creative minds that make up the industries of Italy.

When asked about what he hopes is the main takeaway from the exhibition for visitors, Odo Fioravanti, the curator of the exhibition, said, “We hope to showcase the attitude Italians have when they create, whether that be in art or product design. Because of Italy’s unique physical environment, we have such a wealth of variety in the types of product-makers that exist in Italy. Italy is so much more than the things we are currently synonymous with, like the Renaissance era or high-end supercars, or espresso machines; even though all of that is great, we want to shed light on the diversity of products we have too.”

Created in Italy: An aptitude for the impossible is an exhibition featuring the landscape of Italian industry, under the auspices of the Board of Cultural and Economic Promotion and Innovation, an idea by the Cultural Promotion Office, Foreign Ministry and International Cooperation, Italy.

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