FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
75% of the visitors came from abroad: a 5% rise compared to last year. This fact – symbol of the 26th edition of Proposte – is proof of the Fair’s leadership at international level.
The first places are taken up by the usual exhibitors, UK, Germany and France, but other significant increases have been observed as well: +10% USA, +27% Poland and Japan which, despite being faraway, show a 4%
increase.
All 89 exhibitors stressed the excellent quality level of the buyers.
A 10% drop in Italian visitors was recorded, “Something we had expected” declared the President Mauro Cavelli “since it mirrors the trend in today’s Italian market”.
THE “TEXTURES MATTER” LECTURE by MARIO BELLINI
Mario Bellini, the world-famous architect and designer, captured the attention of his audience with anecdotes and stories.
In the 1980’s, Bellini designed the exhibition centre of Villa Erba. This is one of the reasons that triggered the collaboration with Proposte.
In the first part of the lecture the architect illustrated the architectural project of the pavilions, showing the original drawings, together with the setting up of the central pavilion conceived for Proposte 2018. He then continued with an excursus presenting a selection of upholstered artefacts designed during his career, concentrating on the pioneering use of materials and fabrics tested in the 1960’s and 1970’s. He then closed the lecture by stressing the importance of texture, seen as an external skin, in design and architecture projects, presenting by way example his recent project for the Louvre of Parigi, the new Department of Islamic Arts.
GALA EVENING
The customary Gala Evening was held on Thursday the 3rd, a party in a relaxed atmosphere where guests were able to enjoy their dinner while listening to live Jazz music. This was followed by a DJ set that livened the evening set against the wonderful backdrop of Villa Antica. The guests were also able to interact with a light installation designed specifically for the party’s entrance.
SPECIAL THANKS TO ITA
Special thanks go to the agency ITA that, once again, has made possible the participation of a large delegation of 12 foreign journalists from the United States of America, Ukraine, Turkey, Belgium, Germany, Russia, Spain, Arab
Emirates, Hungary, Japan and Mexico.