CIAO Asia! FIND – Design Fair Asia Gears Up for Inaugural Event in Singapore
New global partners announced and MOUs signed ahead of September event
(Singapore, 17 February 2022) FIND – Design Fair Asia (Furniture, Interiors and Design) continues to gather momentum as it welcomes onboard new partners as it prepares for its first annual event in Singapore. To be held Sept 22 – 24 2022 at Marina Bay Sands, under the auspices of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FIND will showcase a number of Italian brands as well as inspiring and emerging creators, bringing Italian design to Asia and solidifying a strong presence at FIND.
A Memorandum of Understanding between dmg events, Fiera Milano and the Italian Chamber of Commerce Singapore (pictured above) was signed to cement the partnership. Design scene tastemakers and key opinion leaders Tony Chambers, founder of creative agency TC & Friends and former editor-in-chief of Wallpaper*, and Yoko Choy, creative consultant and China Editor of Wallpaper* will curate FIND’s content and contribute to its positioning as the definitive platform for design in Asia. They’ll be joined by architect André Fu on FIND’s global advisory board and he will be a keynote speaker at the fair. Interni magazine editor Gilda Bojardi will also come onboard as a curator and collaborator of FIND.
Tony Chambers in London and Yoko Choy in Amsterdam spoke live to the meeting via zoom. Tony said the value of events such as FIND provides a platform to share ideas and inspirations and discuss major issues and challenges. What design can do is create a better built environment for the future.
“Asia, and Singapore in particular, is very close to my heart, so I was delighted to be invited to be Chair of Content for FIND – Design Fair Asia. This event will provide a much-needed platform for exchange and inspiration in the meeting of West and East. FIND will be an opportunity for designers worldwide, both established and new, to showcase their work and it will anchor Asia on the global design scene,” Mr Chambers added.
While FIND will inform and entertain Yoko pointed out that the best talent in the industry will be in Singapore in September. “Optimism and creativity are needed now more than ever in the world of design as we navigate today’s uncertainties to create the built environment of the future. In seeking the answers to those challenges, FIND – Design Fair Asia is bringing together some of the best practitioners in the furniture and interiors industry from Italy and beyond to Singapore to showcase possibilities and innovative propositions to both an Asian and a wider international audience. Together with Tony Chambers, we are going to initiate conversations with some of the world’s leading professionals to stir up public discussions about how we can construct better lives and we aim to provide memorable moments in celebration of design and togetherness.”
Tony Chambers and Yoko Choy will form the creativity and content pillar at FIND – Design Fair Asia, creating an opportunity for exchange and inspiration in the convergence of West and East and a platform for global designers to showcase their work. They will bring together a panel of global design opinion leaders who will contribute to the conversation of good living, design and architecture.
“Italy and Singapore share a deep commitment to trade and investment,” stated Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Manlio Di Stefano, “and the Italian government recognises that Singapore is a vital partner as it forges a new wave of partnerships and collaborations in Asia. We aim to continue working together to strengthen this collaboration that drives progress in sustainability in design, innovation and community. FIND – Design Fair Asia is the perfect annual meeting where the good work of our expanding global cooperation can be showcased and we expect to push the envelope with each edition of FIND.”
Visitors to the fair can look forward to discovering a capsule collection of the icons of Italian design put together by Andrea Cancellato, the Director of the Milan-based ADI Design Museum. ADI, the Italian Association of Industrial Design, known for hosting the highly prestigious and longest-running Compasso d'Oro ADI Awards – since 1954 – will be presenting the awards at FIND this year.
Mr. Mario Andrea Vattani, the Ambassador of Italy to Singapore noted: “Our ‘Made in Italy’ has always enjoyed its status as a mark of timeless, inimitable design and good quality, and we believe that today a strengthened partnership between Italy’s and Singapore’s more creative and innovative talents will prove to be more and more impactful, as we form a bridge between Italy, Europe and Asia. Singapore serves as the ideal hub for such a collaboration, with FIND – Design Fair Asia being the perfect catalyst for this new strategy, and a superb showcase for the whole region.”
“Italy is celebrated for good design across many realms and having the Italian government’s support to showcase Italian design certainly enriches the offerings of FIND – Design Fair Asia, the new design event on the global calendar where there will be an exchange of trade as well as ideas between the East and West. Working together with our tastemakers, we are confident we will co-create content that will result in an exciting launch for FIND in 2022,” says Mel Shah, Vice President Asia, dmg events.
"Fiera Milano is thrilled to bring excellent Italian design to the world. Being able to collaborate with dmg events as well as the Italian government and Ministry of Foreign Affairs allows us to continue the work we have done in broader and more accelerated ways. FIND – Design Fair Asia is a world class event that should be on the calendar of every design and architecture professional," says Luca Palermo, CEO of Fiera Milano.
“The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Singapore has a strong experience to support Italian design companies in Singapore and SE Asia. Thanks to the presence of over 150 architect firms and more than 2,000 architects in the city, Singapore is the hub of specifications for the SE Asia Region, and the best location for an event like FIND in the Region,” says Alberto Maria Martinelli, President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Singapore.
“Being a part of FIND excites us as we get to build a bridge between Asia and Europe. FIND – Design Fair Asia will have a presence at the FuoriSalone this year; we intend to create an Italian Design Futures Capsule which will promote a link between Singapore and Milan, meeting and exchange between the West and the East as well as between designers and entrepreneurs,” says Interni magazine editor Gilda Bojardi (photo below).
With Asia on the rise, DesignSingapore Council will bring together over 50 emerging creators from Asia to display their work at the EMERGE @ FIND pavilion. For this first edition in 2022, EMERGE @ FIND will present a dedicated Southeast Asian showcase that will shine the spotlight on design talent from this region.
“FIND – Design Fair Asia will be one of the anchor events for Singapore Design Week which will make a much-anticipated return in 2022 with a fresh and innovative concept. We are honoured to embark on this brave new chapter for Singapore design together with our esteemed partners from Italy, who are leaders in the world of design. As the first new design fair to emerge out of the neo-pandemic era, we are confident that FIND will present a forward-thinking design experience that also highlights the immense creativity and talent of Southeast Asia,” says Mark Wee, Executive Director of DesignSingapore Council.
The inaugural edition of FIND – Design Fair Asia (Furniture, Interiors and Design) will be held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore from 22nd to 24th September 2022. FIND will be a key highlight of the reimagined Singapore Design Week with the collective goal of creating a global design moment in September. FIND will bring together physical and virtual visitors and 500 of the leading brands in the industry for three action-packed, inspirational days.
