Paolo Sorrentino will take part in Salone del Mobile in Milan

On Tuesday, the new edition of the Salone del Mobile was presented at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan. This marks the sixty-third edition of the flagship event in the world of interior design and furniture, which will take place from April 8 to 13 at Rho Fiera Milano. This year, numerous exhibitors are expected—over two thousand from as many as 37 countries. An incentive for cinephiles and others to visit the Salone this year will be a site-specific installation by Oscar-winning director Paolo Sorrentino, which will open the visitor experience. The work is titled La dolce attesa and explores the feeling of waiting and the places that symbolize it, such as airports, stations, and medical offices, which ultimately become akin to non-places. «The idea that came to me was to dismantle the typical elements of classic waiting and create a space where waiting is alleviated—a room that does not force us to sit still in a chair but rather lets us travel, with a central totem that, through a play of lights, makes us forget why we are there and distracts us,» explained the director in an audio recording played during the Salone's press conference. The installation, created in collaboration with set designer Margherita Palli, will welcome visitors at the entrance of pavilions 22, 23, and 24.

This is not the first time that the Salone del Mobile collaborates with the world of cinema. In 2016, Matteo Garrone presented Before Design: Classic, an exhibition space accompanied by a short film. Part of this is due to the management of Maria Porro, president of the Salone since 2021, who has a background in scenography and has taken the event’s liaison with the world of cinema to a higher level. Just consider that David Lynch presented one of his last projects at last year’s Salone, titled Interiors by David Lynch. A Thinking Room. The project conceived by the director and his team was both a narration and a reflection on the creation of interiors.

One of the key themes of this year’s Salone del Mobile will be the greatness of emotions, along with the importance of artistic heritage. In addition to Sorrentino’s installation, another exploration of these themes will be presented by interior architect Pierre-Yves Rochon, who will unveil Villa Héritage—a classic home, a place of relaxation where light, texture, and sound merge to generate emotion. There is also great anticipation for the work of American director Robert Wilson, titled Mother, which, by blending lights, sounds, and images, aims to offer a unique reinterpretation of the Pietà Rondanini. The emphasis surrounding Sorrentino’s installation, along with the contributions of other big names, serves to highlight how this event is not just a business opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises in the sector but also a true cultural experience. It is a key event for the city of Milan, which, thanks to the appeal of design, continues to establish itself as a must-visit destination in global tourism, as evidenced by its inclusion in the New York Times list of cities to visit in 2025.