DESIGN IS A DISTINGUISHING MARK OF ITALIAN EXCELLENCE, A BRIDGE AMONG DIFFERENT CULTURES, A BUSINESS DRIVER,” SAID THE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS & INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, ANGELINO ALFANO, AT THE OPENING OF THE PROJECT – AN ABSOLUTE FIRST – WITH 100 EVENTS IN 100 OTHER CITIES AROUND THE WORLD.
The opening was held on 2 March 2017, at the Italian Foreign Ministry in the Farnesina Palace in Rome, of the first “ITALIAN DESIGN DAY” (“Prima giornata del Design Italiano nel mondo”), organised by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, the Ministry for Cultural Heritage & Tourism and the Triennale in Milan, in cooperation with the Salone del Mobile, the Industrial Design Association, and the agency for foreign promotion and international expansion of Italian business.
The ceremony, attended by the press and the accredited diplomatic corps in Italy, was opened by the Minister for Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, Angelino Alfano, who said: “The initiative is the result of important team work among the institutions and involves the main public- and private-sector players who represent high-quality Italian design, the business community and education and training.” The project is an absolute first, with the organisation of more than 100 events in 100 other cities around the world, thanks to the mobilisation of the network of Italian embassies, consulates and cultural institutes. For the occasion, at around 100 of the locations, “ambassadors” of Italian culture (designers, entrepreneurs, journalists, critics, teachers, etc.) presented projects of excellence, mixed with exhibitions and events.
THE CITIES AND “AMBASSADORS” OF ITALIAN DESIGN DAY 2017.
“Design is a distinguishing mark of Italian excellence, a bridge among different cultures, a significant driver for our economy,” observed the Foreign Minister. At the Farnesina Palace, which hosted the opening ceremony, and in the surrounding area, more than 30 design objects were displayed (the exhibit was organised by ADI-Fondazione Compasso D’Oro): one of the stars was the newly arrived (VESPA 946) RED.
It is worth noting here that last year the Vespa 946 received an “Honourable Mention” from the international jury of the prestigious Compasso d’Oro ADI Award (Associazione per il Disegno Industriale, Industrial Design Association),in the “Design for Mobility” category, with the following citation: “Vespa propose a modern version of the lines that made it famous and popular, without neglecting the need for sustainability and low environmental impact”.
In its more than 70-year history, the Vespa has received countless international accolades as a superlative example of industrial design. Among the many acknowledgments: a Vespa GS 150 from 1955 (regarded as the best-looking scooter in the world) is included in the permanent collection of the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York.
The Vespa is also one of the 23 best design objects from the past 100 years, according to a 2013 survey of leading international experts organised by CNN. So the Vespa has a place in the industrial design Olympus, as one of the most popular objects that have changed the world.
