Indonesia Returns to Prestigious Milan Design Event, Boosting Creative Economy Exports
Indonesia’s creative industry is preparing to bolster its presence on the global stage through the participation of the Indonesia Design District (IDD) PIK2 in the world’s most prestigious international design exhibition, Salone del Mobile, in Milan, Italy. This largest global furniture exhibition will take place from 21 to 26 April 2026.
IDD PIK2 will present a collaborative booth titled IDD Pavilion with the theme House of Indonesia. This presence serves as a strategic step to introduce the integrated national design ecosystem, from creators and brands to local manufacturing, to a global audience.
CEO of IDD PIK2, Ipeng Widjojo, stated that this participation represents the private sector in introducing the richness of Indonesia’s creativity.
“The IDD Pavilion is our way of introducing Indonesia as an integrated and collaborative design ecosystem. Through Salone del Mobile, we hope that the works of Indonesian designers will become better known and connected with the global design industry,” said Ipeng in his statement on Thursday (9/4/2026).
The IDD Pavilion will feature a curation of selected products from designer Alvin Tjitrowirjo. Alvin emphasised that the works brought not only highlight aesthetics but also the strength of concepts and material quality capable of competing with world standards.
“We want to show that Indonesia has an ecosystem capable of thinking conceptually, designing strongly, and realising it in quality ready to compete on the global stage,” explained Alvin.
Meanwhile, the pavilion’s interior design is crafted by Santi Alaysius from Domisilium Studio. Santi presents an interpretation of space that reflects the dynamics of Indonesian design collaboration through a strong visual narrative.
Indonesia’s presence is also strengthened by the participation of young designers such as Studio Banda, Zulyo Kumara, and Cynthia Margaret in the SaloneSatellite category. To expand exposure, IDD is also facilitating the expedition process for the works of these young talents to Milan.
This creative diplomacy initiative receives full support from various ministries, including the Ministry of Creative Economy (EKRAF) and the Ministry of Trade. Director of Architecture and Design at Kemenekraf, Sabar Norma Megawati Pandjaitan, views this event as a golden opportunity to increase the value of creative economy exports.
“We support this activity so that our creative economy is seen by the world and can later be sold abroad. Of course, this will add to the income of industry players and enhance Indonesia’s name on the international stage,” said Sabar Norma.