Salone del Mobile has revealed the manifesto for its 58th edition, which features new exhibition formats and a homage to Leonardo da Vinci. Taking place from 9-14 April at Rho Fiera Milano, the show will channel the term ‘ingenuity’ through the companies, brands and designers involved this year.

“At this particular time of great success for Milan, it is important to consolidate the Salone del Mobile’s powers of attraction, offering its visitors not just a wide range of products, but, especially, opportunities for international interface and for reflection on the relationship between creativity and business,” says Claudio Luti, President of the Salone del Mobile. “Looking again at the keywords of its manifesto, a statement intended to refocus on the values that have helped make the event the leading appointment for the design sector at international level, the Salone is introducing a new word. That word is ‘ingenuity’, in other words intelligence as the trigger of creativity, the meaning of talent, and the ingenious ability to create and think.

All gifts that our companies possess, that our designers develop and that stem from our roots, and a word that constitutes an invitation to keep looking forward, not to rest on our laurels, to believe that everything can always be reinvented and rediscovered with fresh eyes that look to the future. ‘Ingenuity’ also pays homage to Leonardo, in the year of the 500th anniversary of his death, the Master of all creatives, the forerunner of the relationship between creative and entrepreneur, a man of progress, of the future and of the present, who came to Milan for the very purpose of developing his relationship with the form of creating.”

As part of the new manifesto, Euroluce + Workplace3.0 will emphasise a range of lighting innovations and products with a focus on those that are human-centric. In a shift for 2019, Workplace3.0 will feature a new, crosscutting format geared to better illustrate the current evolution of the the work environment. With the office is now moving towards a hybrid of work and play, exhibiting companies will have a similar presence across the fairgrounds, as a faithful reflection of the transformation of the workspace into a flexible, dynamic place for both professional and personal interactions.

Also new to the agenda is S.Project, a new exhibit dedicated to design products and decorative and technical interior design solutions. S.Project will be a versatile space combining a diverse array of exhibitors, large and small, across design categories to create an integrated, multi-sectoral experience. The exhibition will deliver a 360-degree overview of interior architecture, responding to the latest market demands.

Returning for its 22nd edition, this year’s SaloneSatellite will see 550 young designers participate under the theme of Food as a Design Object. This prompt explores a global food revolution in which design, technology, and traditional artisan skills can come together to tackle the challenges of the future.

Meanwhile, De-signo will explore the art of Italian design before and after Leonardo da Vinci. Conceived by Davide Rampello and designed by architect Alessandro Colombo, the exhibit will celebrate da Vinci’s legacy to the art of design and craftsmanship as well as the indelible mark still felt on the city 500 years after his death.

Aqua will further honour da Vinci’s genius, with an evocative installation devoted to his studies of water. The exhibit will be staged in the heart of Milan at the Conca dell’Incoronata canal lock, and will be created by Marco Balich in partnership with Balich Worldwide Shows. Aqua will be on-site at the fairgrounds in Pavilion 24.

www.salonemilano.it