Salone del Mobile.Milano Brings Italian Design to Art Basel’s Collectors Lounge
- camilarosiaz
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Salone del Mobile.Milano has entered a three-year partnership with Art Basel, marking the first time Italian design is embedded directly into the fair’s VIP collecting spaces. The collaboration extends across Art Basel Miami Beach and Art Basel Hong Kong, placing Italy’s design culture inside one of the most influential environments for collectors, curators, gallerists, and cultural investors.
From left: Marco Sabetta, Marco Verna, Marva Griffin Wilshire, Maria Porro, Michele Mistrò, Vincenzo de Bellis
The partnership debuted on December 3 during the VIP preview of Art Basel Miami Beach 2025, where the newly designed Collectors Lounge was unveiled. The space, created by Lissoni & Partners, features furnishings and lighting from a broad roster of Italian manufacturers, including Arper, Artemide, Calligaris, Davide Groppi, Edra, Emu, Ethimo, Exteta, Foscarini, Gallotti&Radice, Gervasoni, Glas Italia, Living Divani, Molteni&C, Natuzzi Italia, Paola Lenti, Poltrona Frau, Porada, Porro, and Visionnaire. The result is a setting that merges aesthetic refinement with comfort and cultural identity, offering a quiet, elevated environment within the fair’s most exclusive zone.
Maria Porro, president of Salone del Mobile.Milano, described the initiative as part of the Salone’s broader effort to align Italian design with global cultural hubs. She noted that the project expands opportunities for Italian companies at a moment when design, art, and cultural investment increasingly intersect. The Miami installation also reconnects the Salone with artist and designer Es Devlin, whose large-scale work Library of Light shaped the 2024 edition in Milan. Devlin and Porro continued the conversation in Miami during a public talk at Faena Theater titled Portrait of the Artist as a Library.
The United States remains one of the strongest markets for Italian design, with 2024 exports surpassing €2.1 billion. Miami has emerged as a crucial entry point, ranking as the second-largest U.S. district for Italian furniture imports and reflecting the city’s growing role in cultural investment and luxury real estate. The Salone’s presence aims to support Italian companies as the American market becomes more competitive and diversified.
The partnership with Art Basel is one element of a larger global strategy supported by the ITA – Italian Trade Agency, focused on positioning Italian design within strategic international environments. Recent initiatives include presentations in Osaka, London, and Shanghai, as well as the launch of Salone Raritas, a project highlighting design icons and unique objects. The multi-year presence inside the Collectors Lounge in Miami and Hong Kong is intended to build continuity, offering previews of themes and ideas that will shape the next edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, scheduled for April 21–26, 2026.
More information about Art Basel’s global shows and digital platforms is available on its website and across its official Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook channels.