Indonesia is rich with natural resources that inspire its talented artisans to craft furniture and various other goods. Earlier this year, 24 local contemporary brands were promoted to the international market at Salone del Mobile.Milano 2024, the world’s biggest furniture exhibition, with strong support from the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf).
STORY BY Vira Tanka | PHOTOS BY Kemenparekraf
“The duty of Kemenparekraf ’s Directorate of Creative Economy Marketing is to facilitate the promotion of creative economy entities at the national and international levels. We believe that joining Salone del Mobile is a good way to pave the way for our local artisans and manufacturers,” explained Erwita Dianti, the marketing director of creative economy, on the objective of joining the exhibition brimming with innovative products, materials and opportunities.
Diana Nazir, a prominent figure in the Indonesian design scene and the design director of PT ARTURA Insanindo, curated the brands exhibited at Kemenparekraf’s “Wonderful Indonesia” booth. The curatorial values focused on innovative design, sustainability, the use of local materials, and creations by local designers and artisans. Moreover, the brands needed to have a qualified production capacity for the potential market, given the global scale of the exhibition.
The 24 brands that made the cut were Cocoon Asia, Djalin, East Colonial, Eugenio Hendro, Haradeco, Indo Risakti, Triconville, Kayou, Sorajati, Lilue, Mohoi, Saniharto, Seken Living, Sheo Home Living, Siji Lifestyle, MM Galleri, Collection by VIVERE, Threadapeutic, Pable, Conture Concrete Lab, MYCL, Robries, Bell Living Lab, and Bana. The products were displayed in a 120 sqm booth designed by Kemenparekraf ’s in-house team in collaboration with the curator.
The Marketing Directorate of Creative Economy’s annual target is to increase the transaction values of the creative economy. The results of the participation in this exhibition are monitored periodically. “We observed that the visitors of our booth were most enthusiastic about products with marble materials, outdoor furniture, and the diversity of upcycled, recycled, and natural materials.”
In 2018, the Creative Economy Agency (BEKRAF) participated in Salone del Mobile. This year marked the first participation since the agency merged into Kemenparekraf. When asked about future plans, Erwita said, “In the coming years, we will try our best to participate in Salone del Mobile again to maintain the consistency of the Indonesian Pavilion. The exhibition has existed for more than sixty years and is highly regarded by people from the design industry worldwide. Furthermore, it is held as part of Milan Design Week, which provides a significant opportunity for designers to network with the global creative industry.”