They also created a physical space to foster these ideas. In 2019, they founded Riviera, a glass and concrete gallery carved out of the Lapalma furniture showroom. Here, they stage solo exhibitions of contemporary designers, book launches and group shows, often organized around a distinct theme. For a recent show, titled “Burrocrazia,” they asked 10 designers to reinterpret the humble butter dish.
Convey, at its core, is an amalgam of all these endeavors. It’s a physical space for seeing new work in person. It acts as an incubator for emerging companies, helping them navigate a notoriously difficult industry. And for the casual visitor, it offers the allure of a thoughtfully curated exhibition.
“There are very commercial events that sell well but are not very culturally significant, and on the other hand, there are interesting, cultural events that are less commercial,” said Mr. Crenna, who sees Convey as an intermediary point between the high-budget spectacle of the Salone del Mobile and the collectible design showcase Alcova. “Convey’s goal is to be both.”
But some longtime observers are weary of the attention Milan Design Week — the citywide festival also known as the Fuorisalone that is anchored by the Salone del Mobile — can bring to fragile local ecosystems.
“From the 2010s onward, the Fuorisalone was a force to drive people, even the Milanese, to discover new places and ideas,” said the design journalist and critic Laura Traldi. She pointed to the example of Lambrate, a postindustrial neighborhood in the city’s northeast periphery, which from 2010 to 2020 was the site of the Ventura Lambrate design district. “For a time, it was a good thing. Many new places opened,” Ms. Traldi said. “And that was thanks to the Fuorisalone.”
However, once local property owners became aware of the elevated prices they could charge visiting design brands for a single week of rent many of the neighborhood’s permanent creative spaces were soon priced out. In 2017, for example, the Swedish furniture giant IKEA rented out an entire warehouse in the area for all of design week.