Michele Cavallaro | Director of the Italian Italian Cultural Institute Jakarta (IIC)
In line with its mission and vision, the Italian Cultural Institute in Jakarta has long fostered meaningful cultural relations between Italy and Indonesia, particularly in the fields of culture and education. As its Director, Michele Cavallaro plays a pivotal role in strengthening these ties through the Institute’s cultural initiatives and creative exchanges.
Launched in 2017 by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Italian Design Day is an annual global initiative promoting Italian design, architecture and the creative industries. Organised through Italy’s diplomatic and cultural network, including Italian Embassies, Italian Cultural Institutes and the Italian Trade Agency, it celebrates Italy’s distinguished design heritage while encouraging dialogue with local professionals. It also highlights innovation, cultural heritage and design’s important social impact.
This year’s theme, “RE-DESIGN. Regenerating Spaces, Objects, Ideas, Relations”, reflects design’s potential to inspire renewal and respond thoughtfully to a changing world. Indonesia welcomes Maria Porro, President of Salone del Mobile.Milano, alongside Marva Griffin Wilshire, who returns for a second consecutive year as Italian Design Day Ambassador to Indonesia.
Held in conjunction with Indonesia Design Week, the programme features an exhibition of the SaloneSatellite Permanent Collection at PIK2 from 18 September to 18 October 2026. The presentation offers Indonesian audiences a rare opportunity to discover influential works by emerging international designers.
For more than six decades, Salone del Mobile.Milano has been far more than a trade fair. Founded in 1961 to promote Italian furniture internationally, it has supported the evolution of “Made in Italy” by uniting industry, creativity, research, craftsmanship and innovation. Its close relationship with Milan has also inspired exhibitions, installations, meetings and conversations that transform the city into a global design capital each year.
The Salone’s cultural importance lies in its ability to transcend commerce, presenting Italian design not simply as a style, but as a method that brings together beauty and function, material culture and industry, craftsmanship and technology. It demonstrates how thoughtful design can enrich daily life while offering imaginative responses to contemporary challenges.
SaloneSatellite holds a special place within this history. Founded by Marva Griffin Wilshire in 1998, it introduced a visionary platform where young designers could meet companies, manufacturers and the international design community. It has since become a creative laboratory and international springboard, helping emerging talents turn ideas and prototypes into tangible products. Its influence was recognised in 2014 with the Compasso d’Oro alla Carriera, one of Italy’s most prestigious design honours.
Bringing this exhibition to Indonesia celebrates openness, collaboration and confidence in new generations. It creates a valuable bridge between Italy and Indonesia, inviting young designers, educational institutions and industry to embrace design as an international language capable of connecting cultures, advancing innovation and collectively imagining more thoughtful ways of living.