Monday 01 / July / 2024
Muscat: The National Museum, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Italian Republic to the Sultanate of Oman, hosted the ‘Italian Design Day’ in the world in its eighth edition.
A discussion was also held on the future of design under the theme ‘Manufacturing Value: Inclusiveness, Innovation and Sustainability’, with the aim of strengthening Omani-Italian cooperation and as a step towards supporting the promotion of design and the internationalisation of a strategic industrial sector for Italian exports.
Professor Alba Cappellieri, Ambassador of Design to the Sultanate of Oman and Department Head of Design at the Polytechnic University of Milan, participated in this event, in addition to Dr. Mona Ismail, Dean of the Scientific College of Design, Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Amri, Head of Sales at Onsor Technology, and Hazar Al Zadjali, Founder and CEO of Muscat Boutique, in the presence of more than 100 guests including fashion and design entrepreneurs, enthusiasts and members of the Omani and Italian community.
The panel discussion addressed the topic of the strategic role of design as a connector between the past and the future, artisan traditions and the progress of innovation, starting from the lessons of the masters of Italian design, in addition to how the Sultanate of Oman and the Italian Republic embrace an international identity yet remained steadfast in their roots and traditions.
Shedding light on the importance of the Italian Design Day event, Pierluigi D’Elia, Ambassador of the Italian Republic accredited to the Sultanate of Oman, said: “This event is a celebration of the quality of the Italian design and, at the same time, an opportunity to strengthen the Italian-Omani cooperation in the design sector and to boost exchanges, promote synergies and business opportunities for the mutual benefit of our creative industries and economies”.
In this regard, Professor Alba Cappellieri said: “The Italian Design Day is an event of great international importance as it allows us to spread and enhance the strategic role of Italian design as a driving force for innovation and as an interpreter of an idea of contemporaneity that starts from traditions, there can be no future without considering the past, not only in terms of materials and manufacturing but also of shapes and inspirations.”
She continued, “I am very happy to be in Muscat because in Oman there are valuable historical manufactures and a deep-rooted artisan culture, in addition Italian design can be a bearer of value and encourage the meeting between our cultures and our manufactures.”
It is worth noting that Professor Alba Cappellieri gave a lecture on the future of design, innovation and sustainability for design students at the Scientific College of Design in Muscat on the morning of Monday March 5, 2024.
