Events

The Sound Of Design – Italian Style Contract

The Sound of Design – Italian Style Contract is the title of this year’s collective exhibition at Cersaie, the international ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings show to be staged in Bologna from 24 to 28 September 2018. Held in Hall 30 of the Bologna exhibition centre, the exhibition celebrates its fifth edition this year while remaining faithful to its longstanding eclectic approach with a focus on the world of contract furnishing and the excellence of Italian Style. Music and design are both the result of a creative act, they stir emotions and break down barriers, explained the two curators Angelo Dall’Aglio and Davide Vercelli, who with The Sound of Design aim to demonstrate that while timeless in nature, music and design can equally well adapt to current trends and fashions and become a driver of new ideas.

The soundtrack accompanying visitors as they explore the exhibition will consist of a series of songs released between 1976 and 1983 which have established themselves over the years as timeless icons. That tumultuous period was marked by an unprecedented mix of diverse musical genres such as rock and disco, pop and heavy metal, electro, punk and reggae, ska and hip hop, an explosion of creativity that was not limited to music but also invaded the world of design. Just think of the role played by design in influencing the creation of musical instruments of the times or how music served as a model for avant-garde designers, shaping the conceptual and spatial development of their ideas.

The Sound of Design will be divided into a number of different sets, each of which will use Italian ceramic and bathroom furnishing products to create distinctive exhibition spaces. The musical soundtrack, together with images and videoclips from the period, will accompany visitors on an emotional journey exploring the flexibility and characteristics of the displayed products.  The music will further enhance the experience for visitors as they discover the quality, versatility and performance of the ceramic and bathroom furnishing products, ideal for a wide range of applications in the contract furnishing sector. A national radio channel will also play an important role in promoting the exhibition and organising one of the sets.

Following the success of the four previous events (CerSea in 2014, CerStile in 2015, CerSail Italian Style Concept in 2016, Milleluci in 2017), which attracted a total of 39,800 visitors and 243 participating companies, the collective exhibition of Cersaie 2018 brings together a selection of high-profile companies and an international public of buyers and professionals constantly in search of new creative ideas. Collaboration with the Bologna Design Week will continue this year, and in the city centre a portal publicising the exhibition will be installed in the Quadrivio (crossroads) in Galleria Cavour.