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A celebration of Italy's loyalty to design and culture
Italy still has a major influence on urban designs, industrial designs and fashion designs worldwide.
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Iconic: The Atollo table lamp by legendary Italian designer Vico Magistretti in 1977 for Italian design company Oluce is displayed during the exhibition of Vico Magistretti at Italian Cultural Institute (IIC) in Central Jakarta on Sept. 8, 2016. (JP/Donny Fernando)
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talians have always been among the frontrunners in producing, developing and introducing innovative designs. Since the ancient times of the Roman Empire, the region now known as Italy has received worldwide recognition as a trendsetter and leader in the design world.
Italy still has a major influence on urban designs, industrial designs and fashion designs worldwide.
To celebrate the legacy of Italian design, the Embassy of Italy in Jakarta, the Italian Trade Agency and the Italian Cultural Institute (IIC) collaborated with home decoration and furniture store LAFLO to present the first edition of Italian Design Day.
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The initiative for Italian Design Day came from Italian foreign affairs minister Paolo Gentiloni last year following several Italian design-related events, such as the XXI International Exhibition of Milan Triennale, the 55th Salone del Mobile and the 15th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice.
Italian Design Day aims to promote the “Made in Italy” phrase and all Italian excellences in the field of design around the world.
In Jakarta, Italian Design Day started with a seminar with the theme of “Italian Design: Between Tradition and Innovation.”
Taking place at the IIC on Jl. Tjokroaminoto, Central Jakarta, on March 2, the seminar featured Indonesian architect Cosmas Gozali and Italian architect and product designer Raffaella Mangiarotti as speakers.
Cosmas said that Italian designs had evolved for thousands of years, but they never lost their touch with tradition as seen in the Milano D’Uomo gothic church in Milan, which was built in 1386. The church features very distinct traditional Italian designs with its tall and pointy pillars. To date, the concept is still influential for modern church designs in Italy.
“That is why, Italian designs are so easily recognized and identified because regardless of their modern look, they always embed something from their traditional roots,” Cosmas said.
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Indonesian designers, he said, should learn from their Italian counterparts on how to embrace modernity while at the same time remain loyal to tradition roots so the designs have their own identity.
“Lots of my students show a lack of interest when I ask them to design something using Indonesia’s traditional materials, such as rattan or teak wood. They say those materials make their designs look old and are only suitable for their grandparents,” Cosmas said.
Cosmas then pointed to a reference in his previous work at the IIC in which he installed a replicated installation of legendary Italian architect and product designer Vico Magistretti’s office.
“I adopted several Indonesian traditional elements into the replication. You can sense that it is Vico’s office, yet at the same time, there are Indonesian elements in it,” he said.
Mangiarotti said when Italians were in the process of creating, they do their best to maintain the quality and genuine spirit of original designs.
Other than the seminar, Italian Design Day in Jakarta also featured a photo competition with the theme of My Italian Design.
The third and final event of Italian Design Day is an interior design exhibition called Living Italian Design, which will open at LAFLO in Senayan on March 16. Curated by Cosmas, the exhibition will showcase how Italian lifestyles have influenced Indonesian people.
