Milan (AFP)

After a forced two-year break due to the coronavirus pandemic, design enthusiasts were finally able to find the Furniture Fair in Milan, which opened on Sunday, a sign of recovery of an entire sector.

For its 59th edition, the show is taking place in a reduced format, with a presence limited to 425 exhibitors, including 66 from abroad, but has promised to be particularly "innovative" and rich in novelties.

This special edition called "Supersalone", which takes place until Friday, is "unique because it marks the restart" of the industry, Maria Porro, new president of "Salone del Mobile", told AFP.

"Innovation, attention to environmental impact, creativity, cultural exchanges and digital experiences" will be the watchwords of this show, she sums up.

This internationally renowned design meeting is the first major trade fair organized in Italy since the outbreak of the pandemic in February 2020. The holding of such events has been authorized again since July 1.

A work by the artist Dejana Kabiljo during the "Fuorisalone" at Palazzo Litta in Milan, September 4, 2021 MARCO BERTORELLO AFP

"Buying a sofa, a kitchen, is a sensory experience. It's time to get back to it, looking at and touching the products", commented to AFP the president of the association of the Italian sector of the furnishing (Federlegno Arredo), Claudio Feltrin.

After a difficult year 2020, which saw the turnover of the furniture and lighting sector decline by 8.9% to 21.2 billion euros, the indicators have returned to green.

During the first five months of 2021, exports jumped 43.2%, to 5.4 billion euros, compared to the same period of 2020 and are up 5.7% compared to 2019.

France, with an increase of 53.7% to 988.5 million euros, remains by far the leading foreign market for Italian furniture, followed by the United States (+ 73.7%) and Germany (+ 32.8%).

"The outlook for 2021 is good, despite all the uncertainties related to the evolution of the pandemic," Feltrin said.

Asked about the international success of Italian design, he spoke of "great craftsmanship" and "innovative materials".

The Furniture Fair, "the most important design showcase in the world", he said contributed to this success.

Unlike previous editions, the general public will have access to the show throughout its duration, like professionals.

A work by the artist Kenji Kawabatais exhibited as part of the "Fuorisalone" at the Triennale museum in Milan, September 4, 2021 MARCO BERTORELLO AFP

Like every year, the event also has its "off" side: more than 500 events are organized this week across Milan as part of the "Fuorisalone" (the Hors Salon), with exhibitions, happenings and cocktails around design and fashion.

© 2021 AFP