The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) served as prestigious institutional set for the opening of the “ITALIA GENIALE” Exhibition, jointly promoted by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in collaboration with the Association of Industrial Design (ADI) and dedicated to enhancing Italian industrial design, trademarks and patents through the display of a series of products symbolic of Italian design.
The opening ceremony, organized in conjunction with the annual WIPO General Assembly, was attended by WIPO Director General Daren Tang, the Permanent Representative of Italy in Geneva, Amb. Vincenzo Grassi, and the curator of the exhibition, Arch. Carlo Martino, together with a large audience including delegates from the 193 Member States and Observers, representatives of the diplomatic community and other Geneva-based International Organizations, as well as Italian design lovers.
As Ambassador Grassi pointed out in his opening remarks, “the exhibition takes place at a particularly dynamic time for the protection and promotion of design in the multilateral domain: the Diplomatic Conference for the conclusion of an International Design Treaty will take place in Riyadh in November, and 2025 will see the centenary celebrations of the Hague Union on Industrial Design.” Recalling the historic role of the Venice Patent Code, Europe’s first intellectual property law, as the root of the international system of protection for patents, trademarks and designs, the Italian Permanent Representative emphasized how “all the products on display represent a precise trait of Italian culture and lifestyle: from the Vespa, a symbol of post-war Italy’s newfound freedom of movement, to the Moka coffee maker, an emblem of Italian conviviality; from cutting-edge medical devices, which express our concern for health and well-being, to toys and games, which embody our penchant for creativity and imagination. They also represent a perfect combination of tradition and innovation, a virtuous balance between original designs and technological progress.”
“ITALIA GENIALE” will be exhibited at the new WIPO building until July 19.