Scan Magazine, Issue 127, August 2019 by Scan Client Publishing

AUGUST 2019 ISSUE 127 PROMOTING BRAND SCANDINAVIA

EVA WEEL SKRAM â&#x20AC;&#x201C; SINGING HER TRUTH TRAVEL SPECIAL: AN UNFORGETTABLE AUTUMN IN SWEDEN A TASTE OF SCANDINAVIA: FOOD AND DRINK NORDIC DESIGN SPECIAL

Contents

COVER FEATURE 38

Eva Weel Skram: Singing Her Truth Ending in sixth place in Idol might not sound like the most incredible achievement, but for Eva Weel Skram it was little short of a life-saver. It meant she was allowed to join the Idol summer tour, where she met her now-husband, the other half of Eva & The Heartmaker. Scan Magazine spoke to the Norwegian singer about pain, finding love, and singing your truth.

Whether you like performing arts or fancy yourself as a bit of a guitar music enthusiast, you will find something to do in Sweden this autumn. The same goes if you are more into books and philosophical ideas, or if you think that no trip to Sweden is complete without a good dose of ABBA. Look no further than this guide to an unforgettable autumn in Sweden.

Green Fashion and Covetable Designs Modular watches, designs for man’s best friend, and delicate ceramics – this month’s design section features Scandinavian brands for all tastes, as well as a fashion diary of all things green.

SPECIAL FEATURES 32

Living with a Scandinavian If you are planning to move in with a Scandinavian, read our top-ten guide first, to make sure to be prepared when their peculiarities start to show. If you change your mind, head for our featured hotel in Norway instead, or mend your buddy’s broken heart with a feast of clean-conscience meat from Denmark.

Visit Denmark: Culture Special Denmark boasts a fascinating history, and we set out to discover the many different ways in which to explore it. Whether you want art history, a Viking adventure or to learn more about the stunning Danish nature, our culture special will help you plan your trip.

DESIGN 8

Best of Sweden: Unforgettable Autumn Experiences

BUSINESS 80

All About Trees This month’s business section is picking up on the green theme, with a brand revolutionising the forest industry and another helping you to make the most of your garden space. Keynote columnist Steve Flinders, meanwhile, takes on another form of sustainability: that of your risk-taking habits.

CULTURE SPECIAL THEMES

A Taste of Scandinavia Award-winning gastro pubs, a Finnish vegan venture, and world-class whisky from Denmark – this and more you’ll find in our culinary special, featuring mostly Finnish favourites with a touch of Norwegian and Danish deliciousness.

100 Norwegian Culture Spotlight From an old artist villa to Norway’s boat-building craft, we have a bigger-than-usual culture section this month. As always, if you just want to know where the cultural buzz is at in terms of gigs and shows this month, head straight for the culture calendar.

REGULARS & COLUMNS 8 90 94

Scan Magazine | Editor’s Note

Dear Reader, Between heat waves, political turmoil, and a chat with Eva Weel Skram that completely floored me, all I’ve had the energy for in the last few weeks has been reading, spending time with family, and the odd long evening walk. I think this is the time of year when we really allow for that lull to properly set in; it doesn’t mean it needs to be all about the hammock, but it certainly demands a focus on the good life. And that’s exactly what this issue of Scan Magazine is all about.

tumn diary is packed full of music festivals, book fairs, ‘hygge’ immersion and an oyster feast? For now, I hope you are busy soaking up the last bit of warmth, lake swims, fresh salads and mental space, and if you need reading material for that hammock, I know just the thing…

Linnea Dunne, Editor

Inspired by our resident design editor Ingrid Opstad’s lush picks, we allowed ourselves to dream big and made the design section a big one this month: think atmospheric paintings, delicate ceramics, meaningful jewellery and more. And then we listened intently to the gourmands inside, because a worldclass whisky just complements a summer evening with a book on the porch so well – and planning the restaurant visits on that next trip to Finland works a treat for the comfort levels, too.

SCAN

Producing the Danish travel theme and autumn guide to Sweden served as solace when the summer felt that bit too short – a reassurance of sorts, promising that the next season brings cosiness and comfort too, wherever in Scandinavia it takes you. Who can mourn the loss of summer when the au-

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6 | Issue 127 | August 2019

Scan Magazine | Design | Fashion Diary

Fashion Diary… Green can be found everywhere in the fashion world right now, and it’s a colour that’s really growing on us. Here, we present some inspiration on how to add different shades of this year’s it-colour into your wardrobe, via a Scandinavian, minimal style. By Ingrid Opstad | Press photos

When the weather starts to get more chilly again, a great way to keep getting use out of your summer sandals or heels is to add a pair of trendy socks. These thin shimmer socks from Pico Copenhagen are perfect for adding a dash of green to your outfit in an elegant way. Pico Copenhagen, thin shimmer socks, green, £6 www.picocopenhagen.com

By mixing different shades of green, you can create a vibrant and fun look that will make you stand out from the crowd. These soft and flowy trousers from Monki are both sporty and classy with their slanted front pockets and elastic waist. Combine with a plain tank top and cool sandals for a comfy everyday outfit. Monki, super soft trousers, deep forest green, £25 Monki, fitted tank top, pistachio green, £8 Monki, ‘Buffalo Eisla’ sandals, beige green, £65 www.monki.com

We love the subtle minty green colour of this Selected Femme knitted pullover jumper. It is made from an organic cotton blend and is cropped for a trendy fit. Throw it over any outfit to get cosy. Selected Femme, knitted pullover, green / spray, £55 www.selected.com

The Oval Cocktail Tsavorite is a bold, exclusive ring in 925 sterling silver with handset stones of Green Tsavorite. Inspired by Scandinavian functionalism, the Norwegian lifestyle brand Tom Wood creates contemporary classics you will love for years to come. Tom Wood, oval cocktail ‘Tsavorite’ ring, £1,249 www.tomwoodproject.com

Scan Magazine | Design | Fashion Diary

The crown shorts are NN07’s signature shorts, the one summer item every man needs. They are easy to wear and go with basically everything – essential during the warmer months of the year. The stretch fabric, available in a wide range of green shades, ensures extreme comfort. NN07, crown shorts ‘1004’, light pine, approx £89 www.nn07.com

Moss green is a natural shade that brings to mind forests and Nordic scenery. Crafted from a smooth twill weave, this overshirt from Arket is made of organic cotton and has been washed for a soft feel. Team up with this colourful scarf, which mixes yellow with dark khaki green, and you are right on trend. Arket, cotton twill overshirt, £69 Arket, printed scarf, £29 Arket, trousers, £69 www.arket.com

If you are on the look-out for a new tie, this knitted silk tie with a zig-zag texture is a versatile item that works well with both casual outfits and suits. It is handmade in Italy for Berg&Berg, a brand creating products based on the foundations of classic style from a modern, Nordic point of view. Berg&Berg, zig-zag knitted tie, bottle green, £71 www.bergbergstore.com

With a collapsible, slouchy construction, this holdall is made from a smooth, technical fabric with a contrasting, adjustable webbing strap. It has a hidden inside pocket, great for keeping your belongings safe while on travels or in your everyday life. COS, collapsed technical holdall bag, khaki green, £55 www.cosstores.com

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 9

Scan Magazine | Design | We Love This

We love this… A few carefully selected items can really make a difference when you want to update a room in your home. This month, we look at the bathroom and how you can make it a luxurious haven. Think timeless and minimal – we think you’ll love these Scandinavian design touches. By Ingrid Opstad | Press photos

Perfect for displaying everything from your beauty essentials and favourite perfumes to small decorations, this shelf from ferm LIVING is a natural fit for a contemporary bathroom. It is hung on a wall with the wooden hook, which beautifully hides the mounting. Add a matching towel hanger and wall box for additional storage space. ferm LIVING, bathroom shelf, £55 ferm LIVING, towel hanger, £29 ferm LIVING, wall box, £49 www.fermliving.com

Add a touch of Scandinavian minimalism with a few new decorative items. Ume is the Japanese word for plum tree and a symbol of elegance, patience and strength. The series by Zone Denmark is inspired by the letter ‘U’, giving it both a modern and classical personality with exquisite and functional details. Available in five colours: black, grey, white, nude and this season’s deep maroon red. Zone Denmark, ‘Singles’ tray, black, £39.95 Zone Denmark, ‘Singles’ tray, mud, £49.95 Zone Denmark, ‘Ume’ soap dispenser, £34.95 Zone Denmark, ‘Ume’ toothbrush mug, £17.95 www.zonedenmark.net

The pedal bin from Vipp was not created in the strictly traditional sense, but got its visual expression in response to a series of functional criteria – one being a pedal for hands-free operation. Designed by Dane Holger Nielsen in 1939, this bin has become an international design icon. Vipp, 13 pedal bin (4L), £189 Vipp, 11 toilet brush, £149 www.vipp.com

A new soap bottle can work wonders, not only via its look but also with the lovely smell it can give the bathroom. TGC106 tulip is a perfumed, organic soap crafted with pure vegetable oils. Imagine, if you will, the freshly harvested bouquet: still cool from outdoors, with close-fitting petals and watery stalks that make a slight squeaking sound when handled. Now, who doesn’t want their bathroom to feel like that? Tangent GC, ‘TGC106’ tulip organic soap, £18.50 www.tangentgc.com

The Brick towel series, by Danish brand Mette Ditmer, has a graphic herringbone pattern woven into the fabric structure, so the pattern becomes a relief detail on the surface. The style and colours create a beautifully integrated and serene look in your bathroom. Mette Ditmer, ‘Brick’ guest towel (35x55cm), two pack, approx. £16 Mette Ditmer, ‘Brick’ standard towel (50x95cm), approx. £14 Mette Ditmer, ‘Brick’ bath towel (70x133cm), approx. £28 www.metteditmer.com

10 | Issue 127 | August 2019

Unique Swedish innovation helps social snorers Are you disturbed by snoring? Perhaps you are a snorer yourself, or know someone who snores? Well, there is now help at hand. The pioneering Eezyflow sleep collar reduces snoring and also works as a travel collar – so you can get better sleep, and a better quality of life. By Malin Norman | Photos: Eezyflow

Eezyflow sleep collar is a top-of-therange medical device for snorers, made of high-quality materials including pure polyurethane foam, known as memory foam, and is designed to reduce or eliminate snoring. Its founder, AnnChristine Krook, explains the idea behind the sleep collar: “I have lived with snorers since I was ten years old. 30 12 | Issue 127 | August 2019

years of frustration and a great many sleepless nights helped me see a pattern,” she says. “The snoring stopped in a certain sleep position, on the side with the head slightly tilted back and the mouth closed.” Krook devoted herself to finding a solution and studied medical data, attended sleep

congresses and conferences, and met with a number of doctors and researchers in order to learn about snoring, its causes and risks. She discovered that the sleep position she was trying to attain could be compared to the so-called recovery position, in which an unconscious but breathing person can be placed as part of first aid treatment.

Social snoring and sleep apnea Snoring can affect both men and women, and as recognised by Krook, snoring has been a global social problem for decades. The definition of social snoring is to snore without breathing pauses or with less

Scan Magazine | Design | Eezyflow

About Eezyflow: • CE-marked medical device. • Manufactured in Sweden and Denmark. • Cast in specially made molding tool. • Collar made of soft memory foam. • Height adjustable. • Fabrics, certified 100 per cent organic cotton. • Weighs only 180 grammes. Easy to carry as hand luggage. • Can be combined with other anti-snoring products.

than five pauses per hour of sleep. It can have a negative effect on health, memory and mood, and disturb sex life, family relationships and working life. It might eventually lead to sleep apnea syndrome, which is classified as a disease that needs to be treated. The ground-breaking Eezyflow sleep collar has been tested by medical experts in cases of social snoring. It can also be used in combination with other anti-snoring measures, such as a snoring rail or nasal dilator, and works perfectly as a travel collar when travelling. The physiologically designed Eezyflow sleep collar is soft, relieves pressure, and is adjustable in height. The purpose is to free the airways by holding the head slightly tilted back, the jaw slightly advanced, and the mouth closed. While Eezyflow cannot provide relief for everyone, it can certainly help many people get a reduction or elimination in snoring and obtain a better night’s sleep – and thus, a better quality of life.

What is snoring? Snoring is the vibration of respiratory structures and the resulting sound due to obstructed air movement during breathing while sleeping. In some cases, the sound may be very soft, almost silent, but in most cases, it can be loud and unpleasant. Snoring during sleep may be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Research shows that snoring is one of the factors of sleep deprivation. The severity of obstructive sleep apnea is classified as follows*: • Normal sleep (social snoring): less than five events per hour of sleep. • Mild sleep apnea: five to 14 events per hour of sleep. • Moderate sleep apnea: 15 to 29 events per hour of sleep. • Severe sleep apnea: 30 or more events per hour of sleep. *Information from www.sleephealth.org

Web: www.eezyflow.com Facebook: Eezyflow Instagram: @eezyflowsovkrage

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 13

Tick, tock, boom — Swedish watches, designed by you Take an ancient invention, add full design customisation, and sprinkle with topclass customer service. What you get is a watch brand that makes your heart go boom. Scan Magazine spoke to Niklas Dahlgren, the man behind the brand that’s making watches unique and enjoyable again.

different elements to create one holistic design, and it just didn’t make sense to me that the customer wouldn’t get to choose how to do it.”

By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Elin Straat

The market wasn’t quite ready yet for Dahlgren’s industry-changing concept, but over the years, he fine-tuned the idea – creating prototype upon prototype until he had solved the challenges of insisting on a fully customisable watch,

"I’m passionate about developing products from a consumer perspective. I'm not even really a watch fanatic – I just want to offer an amazing product that exceeds the customers' expectations," says Niklas Dahlgren, founder and CEO of BOOM Watches. And perhaps that’s exactly why he ended up starting the business he did: one that lets the customer choose – in a real way. He was based in London, working as a bartender, when he came across the watch manufacturer STORM and went on to become the exclusive distributor 14 | Issue 127 | August 2019

of the brand’s products for the Nordic region. More than two decades later, he had built up an impressive CV with professional experience from not just STORM, but also brands such as SKAGEN, Camel Active and Gant Time. “It struck me when I was working with STORM that the whole industry was quite static,” Dahlgren reflects. “People would get a new watch every five, maybe seven years – it was quite dull. That’s actually when I had the original idea for BOOM Watches; I understood how the production worked, how we put together

Scan Magazine | Design | BOOM Watches

including not just the strap, but also the outer case, the bezel and the inner casing. And then, in 2017, the new brand was officially launched with a big boom, as it were.

A brand of open minds The name, BOOM, stands for Brand of Open Minds, the founder explains. “We’re challenging the conventional watch, which can be quite boring and traditional,” he says. “Plus, in my opinion, to say that something is booming is very positive; it means it’s going in the right direction.” A BOOM watch comes with a standard two-year warranty, going up to three years if you register online – that’s unmatched by anyone in the fashion watch industry. Should any part turn out to be faulty, you’re guaranteed an instant instore replacement, which makes a lot of environmental sense: replacing parts as required, rather than replacing the whole watch. And sure enough, BOOM has a loyal base of customers who keep returning to buy new, additional parts for their watches. Ordering a BOOM watch is incredibly easy, as should be expected from a brand that puts the customer and usability first. But it’s enjoyable too; as you choose from the different colours and design elements, you watch your unique watch take shape on the screen in front of you in real time. There are no compromises, and it’s quick – as is the delivery,

with your own, unique watch arriving in a neat box the following day. “You have to remember that we’re not a trend item,” stresses Dahlgren. “Trends peak and then disappear. We have a broad clientele with 14-year-olds as well as 75-year-olds buying our watches, and everyone can find a quality watch that suits their style. We’ve also got gift boxes that allow you to keep a kit at home to mix and match with, so you can match tan straps with your tan shoes, for instance.”

Modern and modular It’s an interesting proposition, the customisable watch. You might think that watches would be a thing of the past, considering everyone has the time on their smartphone in their pocket. But while a whole new segment of smart watches and fitness gadgets is growing at an impressive speed, Dahlgren sees another development for the old timepiece. “Many people feel rushed all the time already – they don’t want more things trying to grab their attention. There’s something nice about being able to check the time without getting your phone out,” he says. BOOM Watches offers that possibility, along with the customisation we’ve come to expect from more and more brands these days. “Consumers nowadays want to be unique, and we offer them that option. Music is the same: we want playlists, not static CDs,”

says Dahlgren. “But no other watch brand in the world offers what we do: you go to our site, design your own watch in mere seconds, and get it in the post the next day.” A people-pleaser by nature, Dahlgren naturally refuses to compromise on quality. Affordable luxury, is what he calls his brand. “The older generation usually refers to us as the IKEA watch, and the younger crowd calls it the Minecraft watch – the modular aspect is the common denominator,” he says, adding that, in the near future, some additional technical functionalities will also be available. “Happy customers are what make me smile every morning when I wake up. My motto is all about developing watches from the customers’ perspective – to give them what they really want.”

Web: www.boomwatches.com Facebook: Boomwatches Instagram: @boomwatches

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 15

4 Seasons collection.

Jewellery with a personal touch Growing up, Heléne Wetterskog spent lots of time with her dad in his workshop, laying the foundation to her lifelong love for craft and design. After some twists and turns in the IT management business, she finally found her way back to where she began, by starting her own jewellery company – Truly Me Jewelry Design. This year, she is celebrating ten years, and is excitedly sharing her plans for the future.

both national and global team leader roles. Her dream to create something on her own was always there, but was being put on hold in exchange for success in the IT business.

By Nina Bressler | Photos: Truly Me Jewelry Design

Taking the leap

Wetterskog grew up in a small village in Dalarna, a county in the middle of Sweden famous for its archetypical Swedish craft and traditions. Her father was a very handy man, and he eagerly passed on the traditions and his craft to Heléne and her four siblings. By spending a lot of time in her father’s workshop as a child, she got a sense very early on 16 | Issue 127 | August 2019

that this was what she wanted to pursue as a profession when she grew up. After graduation, she decided to move to Stockholm, where she was hired as a marketing assistant at a major IT company and continued on that path for the next 25 years, leading to successful management roles and promotions in

“During my time as marketing manager for various IT companies, I always had free rein to create my own campaigns, and I could use that as an outlet for my creative side. I learnt so much and had a great time while doing it, but I always had this desire to create something of my own – going back to my roots and working with form and design,” Wetterskog says.

Scan Magazine | Design | Truly Me

In 2008, she took the first step towards realising her dream, establishing her company Truly Me Jewelry Design, launching her own collection in 2009. “The name Truly Me has double meaning: it represents my own journey – having closed the circle and come back to my core, to who I truly am – but it’s also a reflection of the responses I receive from my customers. When they try on my jewellery, they often comment on how it is so fitting to their own personality,” she explains.

Unique design with personal stories Wetterskog only works with silver and selected gemstones, and the design is deeply intertwined with her own history, personality and thoughts. The design is completely her own, and each collection comes with a story: Penny Lane was created with inspiration from her time in London; Let’s Go Crazy bears inspiration from Prince and his music; and The Rose is inspired by the music of Bette Midler and Elton John. Every detail bears the seal of Wetterskog’s personality and is acting as a reflection of her past, present and the future. The designer works closely with her manufacturer in Bangkok, to whom she makes regular visits to ensure that her vision and high quality standards are being followed

through. “My jewellery is made to last and to withstand the wear and tear from everyday use – something that is highly appreciated by my clients,” she says.

From the present into the future Wetterskog’s jewellery is exclusively sold in her shop at Odengatan in Stockholm, as well as in her web shop. With extensive IT knowledge in her baggage, she has built a wide and committed following on social media, which she uses as her main platform for communication and announcements of new collections. She rarely releases a whole collection at once, instead creating one piece at a time, which often creates excitement among her customers, who might have purchased one item and are eagerly awaiting the next. Wetterskog also does regular tours throughout Sweden, where she sets up events in various locations – widely appreciated by her customers, with hundreds showing up to view her creations in person. Her main market is currently Sweden and the rest of the Nordics. When asked about the future, she speaks with enthusiasm of expansion to new markets such as Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, as well as the US. “The interest in Swedish design is always huge, and the market for jewellery is far from fulfilled,” she says.

Heléne Wetterskog.

Her most imminent project, however, is her upcoming ten-year anniversary collection – an elegant and sophisticated collection in celebration of her first ten successful years in the jewellery business. In talking about her jump from the IT business into entrepreneurship, she says: “The fear of regretting not trying is greater for me than the fear of failure.” And ten years on from taking the leap, it is safe to say that her bravery has paid off. Web: www.trulyme.se Facebook: Truly Me - Jewelry Design Instagram: @trulymejewelrydesign

Bluebell collection.

Ribbon collection.

Hedgehog collection.

Let's Go Crazy collection.

Daisy collection.

The Rose collection.

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 17

In pursuit of veracity It is the honest and unvarnished side of humans that Anna Bülow seeks to uncover in her drawings. With a love for the simplicity of a pencil line, she digs deep into the core of human nature. By Lisa Maria Berg | Photos: Tor Erik Sagvolden

It is with the woman at the centre that Anna Bülow tells her stories: her own story, tales of people she meets and often, something else – something deeper, a feeling more than a thought. “I often sit down with something almost unrecognisable inside of me that needs to come out – a sensation, a feeling or a memory that starts to take shape. It’s like my drawings begin as a state inside 18 | Issue 127 | August 2019

of me and then end up as shapes on the canvas,” explains Bülow. The Swedish artist, residing in the rural, lush and secluded outskirts of Oslo, has always had a love for the pen and paper. “I was very young when I realised I loved drawing. For me, there was a sense of freedom connected to making art. It was liberating and empowering to make a

choice of sticking to a path which one is often told might not be the easiest to follow,” she continues. Today, her path has grown wide and the Swede’s honest and sometimes heartaching art is found on walls all over the world.

Scan Magazine | Design | Anna Bülow

The truth in our flaws Bülow’s palette is natural, earthly and organic. The colouration awakens something universal at the core of us. “The human body is definitely a strong inspiration. Hair, skin and nails. I think there is something in me always returning to the human itself – both its inner life and also its very feel, touch and being. It fascinates me,” says Bülow. Her humans are refreshingly real compared to those we often see portrayed in photos, art and social media today. The varnished, edited, cropped and altered female body we are being told to live up to every day is heavily contrasted in Bülow’s drawings. Flaws are shouted off the rooftops in celebration of the female who can be more than just one shape and style. “I don’t want to hide the flaws and the imperfections in us, I’d rather bring them into the spotlight. We are all imperfect in our very own fabulous way, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. We all feel sad, insufficient, disappointed and down sometimes; why should we hide that? There’s beauty in our shortcomings – they interest me and intrigue me,” she explains.

The tales of humans It is almost as if Bülow has a relationship to the pencil. A complicité – a meeting of fellow thinkers. But it is not only her own inner life that brings her art together; the

Apart.

very world around her becomes her inspiration. “I’m fascinated by inter-human relationships, how we communicate, how we interact with each other. How a single look can entail so much. It is a fascinating thing, how human beings are able to say so much without even uttering a word,” Bülow says.

down with an idea until I’m sat in front of a finished drawing. A lot takes place in that initial meeting with the paper. Anything can happen. It’s there, with nothing but the pencil, that shapes start to take form. It takes time – hours pass when I’m with this tool, so genius in its simplicity,” Bülow goes on.

The journey from an observation to a finished drawing is also a journey of change. It is with the simplicity of the pencil that Bülow finds movement and life. “A lot happens from when I first sit

A meditation

InsideOut-Blush.

The journey of Bülow’s drawings is also a journey of techniques. Starting with the pencil, she often combines it with layers of print before the different el-

Frida.

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 19

Scan Magazine | Design | Anna Bülow

20 | Issue 127 | August 2019

Scan Magazine | Design | Anna Bülow

Untold stories.

ements meet in a digital world. “The voyage from start to finish is almost a meditation, especially the initial phases. There is something in trying to capture a face, an expression or a look that can become almost all consuming. It sometimes verges on therapeutic, but resembles more of a meditative state. One cannot be anywhere else when one is drawing eyes, it’s absolutely impossible," Bülow explains. The Bülow canvas is a place for exploration, her very own laboratory of lines, shades and shapes – a desire to seek answers and explore the deep nature of the

Glade.

people one might know so deeply or those one only comes into contact with in passing. “There is definitely a darkness in my paintings, but I think the darkness comes from a place of truth, a desire to utterly and absolutely tell the truth,” she insists.

More than just a line That same truthfulness makes Bülow tell stories from her own life. “I take inspiration from the ups and downs I experience myself. I think that’s good, it brings life into my art – it means I own them. Being a feminist, having that ownership means liberation, it means sticking to the path, defending the choice,” Bülow explains.

Helene.

The feminist presence in Bülow’s paintings is like a shade underneath each brush stroke – an extra layer of importance, stance and depth, a reason to have her on the wall, looking down at you and knowing that she’s on your side. She explains: “In our fast-paced world, a piece of art makes for a lovely constant in a person’s life. Because the painting doesn’t change, you're allowed to live your life alongside it and rather see how you regard it differently over time as you go through the ever-changing voyage that living really is.” Anna Bülow will be showing limited edition art prints at: Formex, Sweden: 20-23 Aug Oslo Design fair, Norway: 28-30 Aug Her new exclusive series of art will be part of the line-up for Bohus Norge, released in autumn 2019. A solo exhibition showing original artwork can be found in Oslo in December 2019.

Contact: Wholesale enquiries / Collaborations: post@annabulow.com Shop and find your retailer: www.artbylove.no www.annabulow.com Instagram: @annabylove

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 21

Scan Magazine | Design | Eva Brandt

Eva Brandt.

Unique ceramics inspired by nature and the Native Americans Eva Brandt creates one-of-a-kind ceramics. Inspired by powerful geological processes, the ocean, and plants, all her ceramics have an earthiness and simplicity to them that you will not find anywhere else – almost as if they are tiny pieces of Mother Earth. By Heidi Kokborg | Photos: Eva Brandt

Tucked away on Bornholm, you can find Eva Brandt’s studio, shop and home. Her shop might just be the smallest on Bornholm, but you will be pleasantly surprised by her beautiful ceramics, her lovely garden, and a friendly, loving vibe. It is like entering a different world. “I am inspired by nature – plants, sea life, geological processes, volcanoes, the wind. The Earth is constantly evolving. Nothing is permanent. When I make ceramics, I feel like a part of that process. I work with materials from Earth and expose them to water and extremely high heat – just like the inside of Earth itself,” she says. When you see Eva Brandt’s ceramics, you might get a sudden urge to touch 22 | Issue 127 | August 2019

them. They almost appear to be alive, which is exactly the intention. “I try to achieve a sense of inner life radiating from my ceramics, using simple and stringent shapes with small irregularities, combined with rough surface textures, chalk-like matte slips, dark graphic patterns, and sometimes a shiny glaze,” Brandt explains. “It is very important to me that there is life in what I create. I do not want my products to just be dead things. I want them to have a soul.”

Native American techniques This, along with her love for nature, goes perfectly with her connection to the Native Americans. In 1996, on a trip to New Mexico, Brandt was lucky enough to

be taught the traditional Native American coiling technique. Until that trip, Brandt had never been coiling; today, it is a huge part of her exhibitions. “I feel like a Native American inside. I love their ceramics. I love the way they move in nature – they see everything from the stones to the plants as being living beings. They don’t abuse nature, but instead work with her,” Brandt explains. She is also inspired by and feels connected to old Japanese, Chinese and Islamic ceramics, which is evident in her work. Her pieces have a simplicity, an everlastingness and aesthetic beauty to them that you will also see in old Chinese, Japanese and Islamic ceramics. You can buy her work at her shop in Rønne, at Reflax in Svaneke, and at Flow Gallery in London. Web: www.evabrandt.dk Facebook: evabrandt.ceramics

Scan Magazine | Design | WAUW Design

Left: The Crystal series is WAUW Design’s signature vase, characterised by its running glaze, which forms detailed crystals during the firing. Right: The Sustainable vases are made with leftover materials, and no two vases are the same. Photo: WAUW Design

The many faces and phases of ceramics, all under one roof It is hard to work out what is more impressive: the poetic colour combinations, soft shapes, and tactile textures; the ever-changing glaze wall; or the fact that all vases, tableware, lamps and pots are created by hand within the four walls of the petite ceramics shop. But it is easy to get lost in the fascinating world of ceramics when you visit WAUW Design, located on Østerbro in Copenhagen.

waste materials. I use leftover materials, mostly porcelain and glazes, from the production of other pieces to create the Sustainable vases, resulting in close to zero waste and some very unique vases – no two are the same.”

By Camilla Pedersen | Photos: Tine Marie Soelberg

“I’ve been making ceramics for many years now, but I’m always very excited to see the products come out after a few days in the kiln. I never know how they will turn out, because the glazing has its own life,” says Sussi Krull, owner of WAUW Design. The unpredictability is also what makes the process of creating ceramics – from initial idea to finished product – so enjoyable. The big glaze wall demonstrates her passion for experimenting with the glazing. “The glazes are individually developed for

each product line. That’s what makes my products so unique. The wall is like a work of art that keeps changing with each new recipe and method I create.” Guided by a strong commitment to good design, craftsmanship and quality, Krull makes all the products herself. All phases of production sit under the same roof as the shop, and they are carried out as sustainably as possible. “My Sustainable vase series was born out of a desire to work more sustainably and reduce

Nature is present in all WAUW Design products: the meeting of land and sea, layered landscapes, and the colour palette of each season. “I grew up in South Funen and spent most summers on a boat, sailing in the South Funen Archipelago. The nature and beautiful landscapes play a big role in my life and my work. I also like that the clay and raw materials for my products are taken from my biggest source of inspiration: nature. That makes the circle complete when new products come out of the kiln,” says Krull. Sussi Krull established WAUW Design in 2006, after she finished her master’s at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design.

Sussi Krull makes all products by hand.

Web: www.wauw-design.dk Facebook: wauwdesign Instagram: @wauwdesign

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 23

Scan Magazine | Design | DogGossip / Line Rønnest Ceramics

Stylish accessories for your best buddy If you are one of many who own a furry little companion, you might be well aware of the scarce selection of leashes and dog collars available on the Swedish market. Three friends decided to do something about it and founded DogGossip in 2018, selling collars and leashes designed to suit both you and your dog. By Nina Bressler | Photos: DogGossip

“Sweden is quite far behind in comparison to other countries with regards to dog accessories. We were missing that little extra on the market and wanted to create something that would match our own lifestyle and taste,” Helén Löfgren says. She and her two co-founders, Helene Boman-Scheer and

Annika Larsson, are avid dog owners, and after some thorough research, they found a manufacturer in India that fulfilled their high demands on quality and sustainability. The products are created by experienced saddlers using buffalo leather, without harmful chemicals and with certified conditions for all

workers involved in the process. The leashes and collars fall into the ‘bohemian chic’ bracket, and the designers take inspiration from their own lifestyle and fashion, where quality as well as delivering great value for money are key. “Our leashes are made to last, and because of our manufacturing processes and materials, they will only look better with time,” Löfgren explains. Currently, all the collections are available in the DogGossip web shop as well as in various lifestyle and pet shops around Sweden, and they are eagerly looking to expand with new partnerships as well as new collections. With a mission to make the pet accessory market more fun and exciting, DogGossip’s next collection will include accessories for the owner as well as the dog – to keep the two in fashionable sync with each other.

Web: www.doggossip.se Facebook: DogGossip Instagram: @doggossip DogGossip wanted to create a more varied selection of dog accessories for the Swedish market.

Beautiful, timeless and functional ceramics Line Rønnest has her own studio right by Frederiksberg Gardens in Copenhagen, where she creates and sells her ceramics and hosts workshops where you can make your own. Inspired by colours, food and interiors, she designs products that are functional: made to be used for years to come. By Heidi Kokborg | Photos: Line Rønnest

When Line Rønnest graduated from the School of Design in 2005, she founded her own business, Line Rønnest Ceramics. For the past eight years, she has had her own studio in one of the most idyllic parts of Copenhagen, by Frederiksberg Gardens. “I create everything from cups and plates to bowls and egg cups. It is important that my ceramics are functional and can be used every day, and my hope is that people keep my products for a long time. My designs are timeless without being boring; I am inspired by furniture, all the colours in food and interiors magazines,” says Rønnest. If you have always dreamed of creating your own ceramics, you now have the chance at Line Rønnest Ceramics. She 24 | Issue 127 | August 2019

offers workshops for groups at her studio in Copenhagen, where you can make your own creations. “You can either use my moulds or design your own. I always colour the clay instead of the glaze, which people also learn how to do at my workshops,” reveals Rønnest.

Line Rønnest.

Rønnest has room for up to ten people. It is perfect for a bachelorette party, a family event, a children’s birthday, a Christmas lunch – anything, really. You can buy Line Rønnest Ceramics products at her shop in Copenhagen, online from her web shop, in a few selected boutiques and, sometimes, at events such as FindersKeepers.

Web: www.lineroennest.dk and www.keramik-kursus.dk Facebook: Line Rønnest Ceramics Instagram: @lineroennest_ceramics

Scan Magazine | Design | ko-ko-no

ko-ko-no’s Save the Bumble Bee - Honey BEE the change! in collaboration with The Perfect World Foundation. Photo: Amanda Calvin Elmander.

Inside-out beauty Jewellery from Swedish brand ko-ko-no offers more than what first meets the eye. Caroline Crafoord designs the beautiful pieces and charms with the intention to create something meaningful, unaffected by trends and time. Some charms are sold for the benefit of charity, which makes them even more special for those wearing them. By Kristine Olofsson | Photos: Karl Lind-Val

“The main idea is for the jewellery to be beautiful, both on the inside and the outside,” explains Crafoord. The name ko-ko-no means ‘individual’ in Japanese, something that is reflected in the charm system, where your favourite pieces can be mixed and matched together for an individual style and hung on a leather or velvet band or a chain. “Jewellery is just like shoes. It can take an average outfit to a whole new level,” Crafoord says.

Jewellery for a cause “I love being outdoors, close to animals, and I find inspiration in shapes and visuals in nature,” says Crafoord. With many of her designs involving animals, it was a natural step to start a cooperation with The Perfect World Foundation for some of the charms, where 100 SEK (around 8.50 GBP) per piece sold goes to the charity.

Focus in previous years has been on saving the elephants, the ocean, big cats and polar bears. These detailed charms painted in colourful enamel are still very popular, and this year’s spotlight is on the bumble bee. “Pollinators are going through a rough time due to environmental challenges and other factors,” Crafoord says. ko-ko-no also creates the pin Ride Against Cancer, where all generated revenue this year goes directly to the Swedish Cancer Rehabilitation Fund. These handmade, painted pins and charms make perfect gifts for yourself or loved ones.

butterflies, Japanese lanterns and beetle bugs. The brand also has a vintage section with a bronzed finish as well as a silver collection, all with a deeper meaning. “I want my jewellery to symbolise a journey, outer as well as inner. The seed capsule is one example, where the symbolic meaning lies in the seeds and the future they hold,” Crafoord explains. “You could say that receiving a piece of jewellery from ko-ko-no is like receiving three gifts in one: beautiful jewellery, the symbolism behind it and, in some cases, a contribution to a good cause.”

Above left, top to bottom: By purchasing this pendant, you support The Perfect World Foundation’s project Save the Elephants; the seeds of firm conviction contain flowers and fruits of happiness; ko-ko-no’s hand-painted pins in support for the organisation RideAgainstCancer; one of ko-ko-no’s favourites: the Shark for Save The Ocean.

Thoughtful design Other popular items designed by ko-ko-no include the air, fire, earth and water signatures, including pieces such as the precious rosebuds, tree cones,

Web: www.ko-ko-no.se Facebook: kokonosthlm Instagram: @kokonosthlm

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 25

Scan Magazine | Design | Keltainen keinutuoli Virpi Mäkinen

Virpi Mäkinen.

Something coarse, something delicate Painted with exquisite roughness and an impeccable eye for abstract, Nordic style, Finnish artist Virpi Mäkinen creates paintings that leave a lasting impression on any space. By Maria Pirkkalainen | Photos: Riitta Kellosaari, Keltainen keinutuoli

“It’s easy to see and feel the structure of my paintings,” artist Virpi Mäkinen says about her style. “They are coarse, yet at the same time delicate.” Operating through her company Keltainen keinutuoli (which translates as ‘Yellow Rocking Chair’), she creates paintings on commission by customers all around the world, as well as products ranging from calendars to greeting cards, sold through her online shop.

adds a relaxing, comforting feel to it,” Mäkinen explains.

Dealing with Keltainen keinutuoli is easy, and the customer service Mäkinen offers is excellent. “At first, I take a look at photos of the client’s home or the public space they want the painting in. Then I start working to create something that

Made from Finnish materials

26 | Issue 127 | August 2019

While the paintings would look impressive anywhere, Mäkinen takes pride in how her works are unique. “My paintings always have a soul, and I include little details that only the client understands,” she says. “It’s important for me that I do something that’s recognised as my own.”

Inspired by Finnish nature, the works are created in Seinäjoki in western Finland, where the artist lives with her family in the middle of a beautiful forest. The abstract style and light colours

of the paintings aren’t the only manifestations of their Nordicness either; the paintings are painted on a canvas made from the natural Finnish material of peat moss, which also acts as an acoustic panel. If preferred, the paintings are also available on a traditional canvas. You might wonder what the story behind the name of the company is. “The first thing I ever bought was a yellow rocking chair,” the artist explains. “It’s a symbol for something relaxing to me, and the chair sometimes even acts as my own humble studio.” For something unique that will last for decades to come, why not take a look at what Keltainen keinutuoli can add to your home?

Web: keltainenkeinutuoli.fi Facebook: keltainenkeinutuoli Instagram: @keltainenkeinutuoli

Scan Magazine | Design | Nomart

Whatever your interior design needs, the Nomart showroom is sure to inspire.

A modern and timeless design destination The Nomart showroom provides an eclectic mix of Nordic, British and Italian design. Their 700-square-metre space in Helsinki offers plenty of inspiration for both professional and residential projects. By Hanna Heiskanen | Photos: Krista Keltanen

Nomart, located a few steps from the heart of Helsinki, the Esplanade park, is a must-visit shopping destination for anyone who appreciates Nordic design. Established in 1987, the company works with furnishing public and residential spaces, but also serves an increasing number of international customers thanks to a new central location, where it moved 18 months ago. The ethos of Nomart is simple: modern and timeless design. “We like to think that design from 60 years ago can still be modern, but also a new design can already be a timeless classic,” managing director Anna Kärnä says of the logic behind the expression. The core of Nomart’s collection consists of Danish and Swedish high-quality design furniture and lighting. To mix things up, you can also spot products by, for instance, Tom Dixon and MissoniHome, among over 30 other brands. Feel the need for some exceptional plastic design? The Italian

Kartell has its flagship store in Finland within the same premises. With a strong emphasis on Scandinavian design mixed with a selection of top brands from Italy, Spain, the UK and Germany, Nomart wants to first and foremost provide an inspiring boutique and showroom for all types of customers to browse in. “High quality connects all our brands,” Kärnä says. “Layering different kinds of design and finishes means that the end result will be one of a kind, and not something out of a sales catalogue. Whichever brand you go for, you can feel confident that the products will fit the space you are working with.” The experienced staff of Nomart are accustomed to responding to various types of design needs and challenges. From walking into the shop and hand-picking a piece of furniture for your home to ordering furnishings for an office interior, you’ll find proficient advice. “If you find an

item you love but would like to change the upholstery, customising isn’t a problem,” Kärnä says. Nomart is also happy to deliver abroad – even if you live a little further out. “We’ve shipped furniture to fans of Nordic design all the way to Australia and New Zealand.” As more and more shops go exclusively online, Nomart is keen to provide the chance to see and experience design items in person, not just in their webshop. The shop interiors are constantly evolving and will soon also feature kitchen and bathroom furnishings from the Danish brand Vipp. “Our greatest reward is a satisfied customer,” Kärnä concludes. Address: Kasarmikatu 21, 00130 Helsinki, Finland Phone: +358 9 661 477 Mon-Fri: 10am to 6pm; Sat: 11am to 4pm

Web: nomart.fi Facebook: NomartScandinavianDesign Instagram: @nomart_scandinaviandesign

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 27

Scan Magazine | Design | Katri Parikka Design / LuKLabel

Something to always remember Using recycled materials to create something incredibly touching, Finnish textile artist and illustrator Katri Parikka’s style has become synonymous with harmonious innovation. Scan Magazine spoke to the acclaimed artist about what drives her. By Maria Pirkkalainen | Photos: Jenna-Maaria Photography

When textile artist Katri Parikka creates, there’s nothing that can stop her. Sitting on the floor in her studio in a beautiful wooden house in Joensuu, Finland, she starts by looking at the objects that will become part of her next piece. “I might cry, I might laugh – creating art is emotional for me,” the artist describes, of her creation process. What makes Parikka’s designs so unique is that she works with recycled materials to

Katri Parikka.

create art with a calming, harmonious effect. This can be seen in the book covers she illustrates; the products she designs, from notebooks to kitchen trays; and the commissioned work she does. “I call them memory paintings, as my commissioned pieces are made from items that the client chooses. It’s a great way to hold something that’s dear to you close in a new way,” Parikka explains. Her products can be found both online on Etsy and in boutiques across Finland. In the end, what truly drives Parikka is the aim for her pieces to give people a chance to reflect, and to stop for a moment. “My art has often been said to have a meditative quality, a sort of conscious presence,” she says. With dedication like this, the result is always something truly unforgettable.

Web: www.katriparikka.com Etsy: KatriParikkaDesign Facebook: parikka.design Instagram: @parikkadesign

Timeless design — accomplished together with its customers LuKLabel originated from the idea of boldly doing something different. The stylish paper, plywood and textile products have become somewhat of a phenomenon in less than three years. What is also special about LukLabel products, however, is that they have been designed by the customers themselves. By Mari Koskinen | Photos: LukLabel

“Our goal is to make products that truly speak to our customers, so it was obvious to us to involve them in the design process right from the start,” explains Tiia Hakala, founder of the label. “Today, the LukLabel design team is a group of 40 enthusiastic and passionate people. There, everyone is free to boldly express their thoughts and opinions. “The design team helps us to search for ideas for products that are missing from their lives. They also test the prototypes to ensure that we find the ideal design, which truly lasts a long time and fulfils a purpose. Not one product has been produced 28 | Issue 127 | August 2019

without the involvement of the customers.” Renowned LukLabel products include, among others, the Kauno mirror and the Kajon shelf. “We believe in being loyal to our own vision and customers’ wishes, instead of following short-term trends,” Hakala says. The products are mainly sold in the online shop, and the brand has a range of distributors all over Finland. “The next big event for us is Finland’s largest design show, Habitare. Our focus is also on growing and going international,” concludes Hakala. LukLabel has certainly proven to be true to its motto: #madeinfearless.

The Kauno mirror is available in two colours: nature and black.

Web: www.luklabel.fi Facebook: LukLabel Instagram: @luklabelofficial

Scan Magazine | Design | På Stell

På Stell makes natural and organic soaps that work effectively to remove stains.

Stain removal, the Norwegian way Recognised as one of Norway’s go-to cleaning brands, På Stell’s range of products based on lemon and essential oils not only deliver tangible cleaning results, but are curated with a great dose of environmental thoughtfulness. Playing with the Norwegian expression ‘to get things in order’, there’s no doubt that På Stell lives up to its name. By Emma Rödin | Photos: På Stell

A solid lemon soap, the brand’s firstever product, was originally sold as a side product to a children’s clothing brand. “The soap became popular with families because it’s a great stain remover, but they also valued the organic and biodegradable formula – not to mention the lack of additives, palm oil, enzymes and colourings,” explains Thomas Welin-Larsen, marketing manager at På Stell. The soap proved so successful, it led to the launch of På Stell as a separate brand in 2016. Since then, three additional products have been launched, all of which work wonders on tough stains such as red wine and grease. These include a concentrated spray version of the original soap, which works like a dry-clean for things that don’t need regular washing; a liquid soap to clean items made of wool, cashmere and silk; and a smaller version of

the original soap, ideal for bringing along when out and about. The brand’s audience now includes families with small children as well as interior boutiques, hardware stores and fashion brands. A lot of conventional cleaning products only have one purpose, unlike På Stell, whose range can multitask to treat a variety of stains. “All of our products are versatile, and what’s more is that the essential oils make a great treatment for your hands, and even your wooden surfaces!” says Welin-Larsen. The brand is also conscious with regards to its packaging. “It’s a continuous job for us to make our packaging as environmentally friendly as possible,” Welin-Larsen adds. “It’s something we never stop working on.” Additionally, the brand’s range has been certified by the NCP (Natural Care

Product), which guarantees that no harm to animals or the environment has been done. This also means that the whole range is certified natural, with no animal testing, petrochemicals or microplastics in sight. Moreover, På Stell is a member of Grønt Punkt, a Norwegian recycling community. After receiving praise in its native country, På Stell is now ready to conquer the Danish and Swedish markets, as well. With a good-for-all brand and hardworking products, På Stell is on its way to cleaning up Scandinavia!

Web: www.paastell.no Facebook: paastell Instagram: @paa_stell

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 29

Scan Magazine | Design | Fram Oslo

Haldar, designed by Andreas Bergsaker. Photo: Studio Dreyer Hensley, Fram Oslo

Bunad blanket designed by design studio Andreas Engesvik. Photo: Inger Marie Grini, Fram Oslo

Sunniva and Annette Hoff. Photo: Das Fotostudio

Norwegian design with a story to tell The two sisters Sunniva and Annette Hoff, who founded Fram Oslo, pay tribute to the Norwegian design heritage through their high-quality products. With a mission to bring Norwegian design into more homes, they are not taking any shortcuts. “We are proud to say that all products are produced in Norway,” the sisters say.

Norwegian Forest. “The contrast between the delicate pine needles carpeting the forest floor and the rough bark on the tall pine trees is interpreted in these unique organic patters,” Hoff explains.

By Sara Wenkel

“Our name, Fram Oslo, is evidence of our love for Norway,” explains Annette Hoff, co-founder of the company. “Fram means forward and is the name of history’s most famous polar ship. Like our great explorers moved the world forward, our mission is to bring Norwegian design into more homes around the world.”

Inspired by nature In comparison to their Scandinavian neighbours, Hoff believes that Norwegian designers might be less restricted in their artistic expression, and the design has a tendency to be wilder – just like Norwegian nature. “We love being outdoors; it is where we find peace and renewed energy. By decorating with our products, we hope we can help people recreate this peace in their homes,” says Hoff. 30 | Issue 127 | August 2019

Collection Fram Oslo is working on several new products, but today the collection consists of three product ranges. Haldar, designed by Andreas Bergsaker, is a wall hanger that is inspired by a traditional towel holder. This modern version, however, is stripped down to the bare minimum and has hidden hooks facing the wall, putting functionality at its core. The Bunad Blanket collection, designed by design studio Andreas Engesvik, is made by 100 per cent new wool and is inspired by the traditional Norwegian folk costume, the ‘bunad’. “Each blanket directly mirrors the colours of a corresponding bunad, and our newest bunad blanket, Trøndelag, was launched this May,” says Hoff. Design duo Vera & Kyte is behind the final product: a collection of tea towels named

Fram Oslo’s products can be found online and at retailers all over the world, including cities such as New York, Paris, London and Tokyo. “We also do many exciting collaborations. For example, The Ludlow Hotel in New York is home to our wonderful blankets,” Hoff concludes.

Norwegian Forest tea towels by Vera & Kyte. Photo: Inger Marie Grini, Fram Oslo

Web: www.framoslo.com/en Facebook: framoslo Instagram: @framoslo

Photo: Ferhat Deniz Fors, Unsplash

Top ten things you need to know before you move in with a Scandinavian 1. No shoes If you’re squeamish about feet and grew up wearing your shoes all day every day until the second you crawled into bed at night, living with a Scandinavian will take some getting used to. Not only will you get to familiarise yourself with your friend’s likely stylish sock wardrobe and potentially watch them trim their toenails in front of Netflix, but you’ll be forced, military-style, to start taking your own shoes off the second you enter the house too. Time to bin all your socks with holes, mate. 32 | Issue 127 | August 2019

Photo: Shutterstock

Scan Magazine | Top Ten Feature | Things to know if moving in with a Scandinavian

Photo: Alexander Hall, imagebank.sweden.se

2. Slice it Provide a knife as the sole cheeseslicing tool and your new Nordic friend will die a little inside. We have cheese slicers, and they’re as crucial to the make-up of a functional home as shoehorns, shoe racks and windows that can be flipped and folded any number of ways for ease of cleaning. Once you invest in a cheese slicer (or, let’s be honest: once your friend digs his or hers out), remember to steer clear of the ski slope. Slice properly, from all sides. A Scandinavian person is likely to remember a cheese ski slope for a very long time – and not in a good way.

Photo: Shutterstock

3. Brew crew

Photo: Nathan Dumlao, Unsplash

Coffee is serious business in the Nordic countries. Britons may start to get the shakes after a third cup in a day, but Scandinavians are still keeping their cool six cups later. There’s the crucial breakfast mug, maybe two; then the ten o’clock coffee, the postlunch cup, the afternoon fika cup or two, and the late afternoon or after-work mug. Hardcore addicts have one after dinner, as well. The good news? That lovely scent of freshly brewed coffee will always linger in your home, and you’ll likely get to enjoy the fruits of a quality coffee machine too. Issue 127 | August 2019 | 33

Scan Magazine | Top Ten Feature | Things to know if moving in with a Scandinavian

4. No suds You might think that arguing over doing the dishes extends no further than to the issue of who and how often, but move in with a Swede and you’ll soon learn that there’s more to washing the dishes than simply taking your turn. If a Scandinavian person sees you put a plate on the drainer rack without rinsing the suds off first, they may well have a meltdown. Would you eat washing-up liquid? Didn’t think so. So get rid of it – end of.

Photo: Shutterstock

5. Nudity Nine times out of ten, Scandinavians are raised to view naked bodies as the most natural thing in the world. They don’t appear from the bathroom after a shower fully clothed; no, they’ll strut out with a towel wrapped around their waist, and they may stay that way for a while, including for the duration of that morning cup of coffee. Take it as an opportunity to grow up a little. After all, aren’t they right? Here’s to getting comfortable in your own skin.

Photo: Estonian Saunas, Unsplash

Photo: Pietra Schwarzler, Unsplash

6. Eurovision fever If coffee is serious business in the Nordics, the Eurovision Song Contest and its regional and national qualifiers are, well, serious fun, in an obsessive kind of way. Expect drinking games, jury duty on the night, impressive spreads of crisps and dips, and opinions that can make or break a friendship. It’s been said that ABBA are deified far more outside of Sweden than back home, but during Eurovision season, Swedes won’t hear a bad word. It’s not for nothing that Sweden boasts the world’s greatest export of pop music per capita. We suggest you start studying now. 34 | Issue 127 | August 2019

Photo: Pixabay

Scan Magazine | Top Ten Feature | Things to know if moving in with a Scandinavian

7. Time for a wee! This one’s hard to explain, but just take our word for it: Scandinavians have a tendency to be very literal in their announcements of bathroom time and just what exactly they are planning to do in there. ‘Jag måste kissa!’, a Swede will randomly exclaim and disappear for a moment, and you, well, you’ll just have to get used to it.

Photo: Thomas Rasmus Skaug, Visitnorway.com

8. Sun worship If you’re ever hanging out at home and suddenly the sun comes out, you’ll notice that the atmosphere changes and your Scandinavian friend starts getting agitated. This is in their blood: a cultural worshipping of the sun, which means that they can’t stay indoors when the sun shines. They’re likely to refuse to sit in the shade when dining al fresco, too. They can’t help it – it’s Scandi law. Just don’t even think about ever suggesting going for a drink in a dark pub on a sunny day. Trust us.

Photo: Elisabeth Edén, imagebank.sweden.se

9. Light up

Photo: Ulf Lundin, imagebank.sweden.se

We’ve all heard about ‘hygge’ by now, right? Well, the Danes are Europe’s biggest consumers of candles, closely followed by the other Nordic nations. Morning, noon and evening, everyday ‘fika’ or party night, no matter the season – candles are a Scandinavian’s best friend. This may well be one of the easiest habits to get used to – and the one you’ll miss the most, should you and your Scandinavian housemate ever go separate ways.

10. Forget small talk – embrace silence The Scandinavian languages are very literal, and so are Scandinavian people. Ask them if they’ve seen a film or read a book, and you’ll get a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ – no evaluation or further comment – since you asked a yes-or-no question. This refusal to talk for talking’s sake comes with an enviable ability to sit comfortably in silence. This can get weird if you’re not used to it. Perhaps have your smartphone handy for some mindless scrolling at the beginning, while you get used to the silence.

Photo: Kristin Lidel, imagebank.sweden.se

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 35

Scan Magazine | Farm Shop Profile | Syberg Highland Cattle

Lene and Peter Bisgaard Gommesen.

Authentic, delicious and high-quality meat North of Kerteminde on Funen, you will find Syberg Highland Cattle. Here, Lene and Peter Bisgaard Gommesen have about 100 highland cattle. The cattle live a happy, healthy life and are grass-fed. The meat is as authentic, honest and real as it gets, with the utmost respect for the animals. By Heidi Kokborg | Photos: Syberg Highland Cattle

A few years ago, Lene Bisgaard Gommesen got a cow for her birthday. The intention was that Gommesen and her husband would get a calf every year, which they could eat themselves. This, however, quickly turned into a successful business. “There is something special about knowing exactly where your food comes from. The customers know where the cattle come from, who took care of them and how they lived. It is crucial for us to produce meat in an authentic, honest and real way,” explains Gommesen. You can be positive that when you buy meat from Syberg Highland Cattle, the animal lived a good and happy life. The cattle have access to outside areas year36 | Issue 127 | August 2019

round, where they can move freely in their natural habitat. “The animal’s life, what it eats, how much it moves, how long it lives and how it is slaughtered all affect the quality of the meat. Cattle are born to eat grass and herbs and live on heathland, meadows and grasslands,” says Gommesen.

Animal welfare is at the forefront At Syberg, the cattle have plenty of fresh grass, herbs, bushes and plants. This, along with the animals being outside all year round, explains the high quality of the meat. “Meat from grass-fed cattle has healthy, essential fatty acids, a higher content of vitamins and minerals and less fat, cholesterol and unwanted bacteria,” Gommesen explains.

Furthermore, grass-fed cattle grow more slowly, meaning they are older when they are slaughtered, which affects the marbling in the meat. When it is time for the animal to be made into meat, it happens in the most humane and ethical way possible. “It happens with a rifle right here on the farm, with people they know and feel safe around. That way, we avoid stressing the animal, which is both more humane and prevents the release of stress hormones that impact negatively on the tenderness of the meat,” explains Gommesen. At Syberg Highland Cattle, they take animal welfare and quality seriously, meaning that you get the best of the best when you buy meat from them. You can buy it at the farm just north of Kerteminde, where the couple have a shop. Web: www.sybergkvaeg.dk Facebook: sybergkvaeg

Scan Magazine | Travel Feature | Fossli Hotel

Fossli Hotel is an excellent starting point for visitors to the famous Vøringsfossen waterfall and the surrounding nature.

Enjoy an exciting stay near Europe’s tallest waterfall The Hardanger district in Norway is famous for its stunningly beautiful nature, with the glimmering fjord, the lush, green forests, the hills and the mountains being the stuff of fairy-tales. The waterfall Vøringfossen is one of the highest in Europe, and Fossli Hotel is perfectly located for travellers wishing to experience the majestic sight. By Alyssa Nilsen | Photo: Erik Garen

Established in 1891 on top of Måbødalen in the western parts of Norway, the hotel was built by Ola Garen in an age well before modern technology made construction and transport of heavy items an easy task. The materials had to be carried on horseback up the Tymberløypet path, a tiny pathway up the Hardanger mountain, through the forest and across the river Bjoreia. To make the work easier, Garen broadened the path himself, as well as building a bridge across the river. Though the path is no longer there, Fossli Hotel still stands proudly above the waterfall, attracting visitors from near and far. The surrounding nature and breathtaking views from Fossli Hotel

have been a source of inspiration for artists throughout the ages. Norwegian composer Edward Grieg composed his Norwegian Folk Songs, Op. 66 during a stay in 1896, and the hotel still owns the Zimmerman piano used by the famous composer. Designed by architect Fredrik Konow Lund in the Art Nouveau style, the hotel accommodates 40 guests and the restaurant has capacity for 300 diners. For adventurous visitors wanting to experience the nature first hand, the Måbødalen path still leads up to the hotel, and if the nickname ‘the stairs in the mountain’ is anything to go by, hikers are in for quite the journey. For those who want even

more action, there are local companies that offer trips to the bottom of the waterfall, as well as rafting. Four generations on, the hotel is still in the Garen family and is currently run by Erik Garen. Guests can experience delicious local cuisine: smoked trout with creamy herb sauce, mountain trout, reindeer and homemade ice cream with strawberries are all on the menu.

Photo: Andre van Zwieten

Web: www.fossli-hotel.com

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Scan Magazine | Cover Feature | Eva Weel Skram

Eva Weel Skram — Singing Her Truth A performance at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is sure to be a significant point in anyone’s career, but when Eva Weel Skram sang at last year’s concert, it was perhaps that bit more poignant. In performing the song Kor Går Du, broadcast to thousands of viewers on national television, she not only reconnected with her roots in a very public way – the performance was also in many ways an emotional celebration of new beginnings. Scan Magazine spoke to the singer about not fitting in, singing your truth, and finding love – including for yourself. By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Stine Raastad

The firstborn daughter of two musicians, Weel Skram grew up surrounded by music in the naturally stunning Sogndal. From the age of four, her mother took her to a local ‘stabbur’ – a traditional, centuries-old farm house – where old folk songs were taught. “After a while, I got tired of the yodeling and joiking and decided to start learning the piano. I sought out more and more pop music, and my parents set me up with a guy who taught me chords,” she says. “I remember vividly the first song I learnt on the piano, Emilia’s Big, Big World, and I thought to myself, ‘hang on, I can write my own songs now’.” Music quickly became an escape for the young Norwegian, who, in her own words, “didn’t fit in” and was bullied a lot. “I guess a lot of people who seek out art and music do it as a way of working through emotions. I didn’t know where to put it all, so making music was my way of surviving.” It’s only in the last few years that the singer has started to talk honestly about her struggles back then, which led to a long

battle with bulimia. “Everyone has a story, but I didn’t want it to affect how people perceived me. But then, after four studio albums in English, my first Norwegian album came from that place in my life, that insecurity, and I felt like I should speak up about it,” she explains. So she spoke out about the bullying and how it led to an eating disorder, and now, she is regularly contacted by youngsters who are in the thick of it and want advice. “I can see now that, back then, I never knew what this was; still to this day, bulimia is like the bad-rap eating disorder – a lot of these girls and boys who struggle with it just look average, and you can’t tell that they’re sick. But the girls who write to me say that they find it inspiring to hear my story, and I’m really proud of that – that I can show that you can recover,” she says. “That’s what I write to these kids who contact me: sometimes you don’t know what’s going to motivate you, but you have to cling on to your hopes and dreams and believe that there are better things waiting for you, if you can just manage to work through this.”

Finding love For Weel Skram, it turned out that love would play a huge role in the motivation. After learning the piano and setting up a band back home, she knew that she wanted to pursue music. With most upper-secondary schools in her town focusing mainly on sports, she studied hard and auditioned for a music school in the middle of nowhere in the fjord – and got accepted and moved away from home aged 15. A few years later, things took off as she participated in Idol. “That’s when I was at my sickest with bulimia, so it was hard being on national television every Friday night. I’d come from being effectively on my own for three years, eating or not eating whatever I wanted, and I came there and they served a lot of food, and I gained weight. I loved being a part of it but felt so lonely at the same time.” For someone who chose to keep her struggles to herself for such a long time, Weel Skram shares her story with a surprising urgency, speaking fast and with great detail. Perhaps there is something in the fact that it is a story she has been carrying around for so long – one she had the need to tell long before she was able to. “I remember trying to connect with the staff at the hotel, and hanging out with the piano man in the lobby a lot,” she laughs, recalling her Idol days. “Then I found a piano that was gathering dust in a corridor, and five minutes later I’d written a song called Far From Here, quite a dark song about my Issue 127 | August 2019 | 39

Scan Magazine | Cover Feature | Eva Weel Skram

feelings back then. I often tell this story when I play that song now, about how things turned around and picked up so soon after.” Ending up in sixth place in the competition, Weel Skram just made the cut to join the summer tour – a very lucky thing, as the guitarist in the band was a certain Thomas Stenersen. “Everything just turned upsidedown, and we moved in together straight after that tour,” she explains, “and just a year later, our first album came out, with Far From Here being the last song on the album.”

A new chapter Together, Weel Skram and Stenersen not only found love almost immediately, but also a sound as the duo Eva & The Heartmaker. Across four studio albums over seven years, they journeyed through an initially mostly acoustic sound with poprock and minor electronic influences, to an eventually much edgier but undoubtedly dance-friendly sound. Moreover, and more importantly, in her relationship with her now-husband, Weel Skram found the moti40 | Issue 127 | August 2019

vation to get well. “Before I found Thomas, I didn’t really care – the idea that I might die didn’t feel like a big deal. Then, when we were getting married after postponing the wedding once, he suggested we postpone again for my health’s sake. I realised this thing had taken over my life for ten years, and I was going to lose out on getting married because of this shit,” she says. “So I said I’m done, this is it. On 1 February 2008, I just quit, and I never looked back.” Fast-forward to today, and the couple has settled down in what the singer describes as her dream home in an Oslo suburb, with stunning views across the Oslo fjord and a life-changing addition to the family: their son William. Weel Skram sounds amazingly at peace with herself and her life – something that has, she says, gone hand in hand with a new chapter in her music career. “I’ve always written in English. It’s just what you do – with personal stuff, you get some distance from it. I’ve also always been terrified of speaking on stage, but touring with a twoweek-old, it does something to you,” she reflects. “So I started talking more, telling

stories, and then someone in the audience asked me to sing Kor Går Du. So I did, and at first I was a little bit embarrassed, but then I felt just like that kid in the ‘stabbur’ – it all came full circle.” Standing on the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony stage last year – only months after releasing her first album under her own name, entitled Finne Heim after the Norwegian-language version of Far From Here – she performed the traditional song yet again, in her native language, owning her story. “It was such a powerful experience for me, looking at what the Peace Prize-winning doctors had been through in Congo and elsewhere,” she recalls. “Going from English to Norwegian, changing everything on Spotify – it’s been scary, but singing that song was a perfect restart. And now, I’m really, really glad that we made that decision.” For information on touring dates and new releases, keep an eye on evaweelskram.no

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 41

IA AV N I lT ND a i A ec SC Sp F O TE S TA e:

m he

Norger is Gastropub Nordic’s own hamburger. Photo: Sampo Pystynen

Cosy gastropub with top Nordic beers Gastropub Nordic in Tampere is proud of its large variety of fabulous Nordic beers as well as high-quality pub food that not just fills your stomach between the drinks, but also pampers your taste buds. The friendly and professional staff welcomes you open-heartedly.

room for parties and meetings, comfortably seating up to 20 people. The walls of the private dining room also function as an art exhibition space.

By Mari Koskinen | Photos: Gastropub Nordic

Nordic choices

The story of the entrepreneurdriven Gastropub Nordic started about 11 years ago. There are another two pubs in the same gastropub family in Tampere; all of them have their own themes and are managed separately. Gastropub Nordic’s three-member management team is fully involved in the daily running of the pub. “To me, it is not just my work place – it is also my living room,” co-owner and head bartender Antti Aro says. “We want the guests to feel that they can relax here and enjoy 42 | Issue 127 | August 2019

their time here, whether they come once on their travels, or weekly like many locals do.” Gastropub Nordic is situated in the heart of Tampere, within walking distance of the railway station, major hotels and shopping centres. There are about 80 seats indoors and another 30 outdoors on the spacious terrace in the summer. The terrace is located along a pedestrian street and has a pleasant courtyard feel to it. There is also a private dining

Gastropub Nordic is loyal to its name behind the bar and in the kitchen; the drinks and food menus both contain many Nordic specialities, served in the pub’s own style. “We specialise in Nordic drink and food culture. Our taps are packed with beers for all tastes, and if you don’t know where to start, we’ll always give you a sample. Our staff is there to help you, and they know our selection thoroughly, so just ask.” Beer is sold in many different sizes, starting from 100 millilitres, which ena-

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Taste of Scandinavia — Finland

bles you to taste many different flavours during your visit. The bar also offers a good selection of ciders, both on tap and in bottles, as well as wine and nonalcoholic drinks. All those lovely beers and ciders make you hungry, of course, which is not a problem at Gastropub Nordic. “Our kitchen delivers tasty dishes for both smaller and larger appetites every day until midnight,” Aro continues. “We aim to offer quality food – there are many familiar dishes with a special Nordic twist.” The menu has a good selection of tasty snacks and starters, as well as delicious salads for when you are not quite as hungry.

Co-owner and head bartender Antti Aro. Photo: Sampo Pystynen

Gastropub Nordic team. Photo: Tiina Salminen

The wonderful dining room is available for private hire. Photo: Tiina Salminen

The generous mains include specialities like the house hamburger, Norger, which gets its Nordic twist from tar mayo and the handmade house pickles. Other popular dishes include the Norger served with a pike pattie – it does not get more Nordic than that – and Ruisreino, which is oven-toasted, traditional Finnish rye bread, served with succulent toppings of the customer’s choice. Both the Norger and Ruisreino are available as vegetarian or vegan too. As many guests stay for the whole evening, there is a variety of board games at the pub. Both Finnish and English magazines are available for those who want to enjoy some quiet time on their own, and you can test your general knowledge at the weekly pub quiz on Wednesdays. “We believe in authentic, true customer service. We enjoy working here and meeting our guests, and we want to pass on that feeling to everyone and make every visit a special occasion,” Aro says, adding that the pub stays open until 2am every day. “Many guests come here for a quick visit but end up spending all evening with their friends or by themselves, just relaxing and enjoying their drinks and food.” Web: www.gastropubnordic.fi Facebook: nordictampere Instagram: @gastropubnordic

The weekly pub quiz takes place on Wednesdays. Photo: Sampo Pystynen

Finnish hash, a creamy hash of potato and game sausage, fried egg and assorted pickles. Photo: Sampo Pystynen

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Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Taste of Scandinavia — Finland

Friendly corner restaurant KuuKuu is a cosy restaurant with an inviting ambiance in Töölö, in the heart of Helsinki, just about a ten-minute walk from the Helsinki railway station. It is famous among both locals and visitors wanting to get a bite of either traditional Finnish flavours or modern Nordic dishes at a reasonable price.

their approach and responsible business strategy.” The same company also runs other restaurants in Helsinki, as well as a hotel and a wine import business.

By Mari Koskinen | Photos: Restaurant Kuukuu

The à la carte menu is updated five times a year, and about half of the dishes change every time. The old classics stay on the menu for longer, while the modern Nordic dishes change more often. “The four seasons are well represented on our menu. The upcoming autumn season brings, for example, game food to the menu, and also the famous Finnish berries. A great example of this is roasted duck with buckwheat and blackcurrant sauce.”

KuuKuu has been open since 1990 and celebrates its 30th anniversary next year. The restaurant caters for up to 80

guests, including the bar and the private dining rooms. The cosy street-side terrace provides seating for another 50 guests in the summer. The restaurant is open seven days a week. They serve lunch from Monday to Friday and an à la carte menu is available all day. “We offer classic Finnish dishes as well as modern Scandinavian cuisine. We use lots of local, highquality ingredients and also organic produce in our food. Our wine list offers a good selection of our own imported wines to complement our dishes,” says CEO Anders Löfman. “KuuKuu belongs to a family-owned company that concentrates on long-term goals rather than quarterly figures,” he continues. “I have been with the company for four years now, and I appreciate

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While Kuukuu is famous for its classic dishes, it also keeps up to date with modern dietary wishes. “We also have vegetarian options and one of our set menus is always suitable for vegans,” promises Löfman. Web: www.kuukuu.fi Facebook: kuukuuravintola Instagram: @kuukuuravintola

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Taste of Scandinavia — Finland

Restaurant Aino serves pure Finnish food such as reindeer fillet.

Restaurant Aino is full of light and beautiful Scandinavian décor.

Fine dining in the best spot in the city Praised for its warm atmosphere and friendly service, Restaurant Aino has established itself as one of the top restaurants in Helsinki. Serving the finest Finnish food using seasonal ingredients is at the heart of the restaurant’s culinary philosophy. By Mari Koskinen | Photos: Restaurant Aino

The restaurant is situated along the popular Esplanade Park, a lively, green promenade in Helsinki city centre. “It is a great spot – we are near all the famous sights and major shopping centres,” explains restaurant manager Pia Moilanen. “You can also see the sea sparkling behind the market square from our tables by the window.” The restaurant is open seven days a week, all year round.

Guests can also choose to dine al fresco during the summer months. “In the front, there is a covered terrace, where you can enjoy watching the lively city in action,” says Moilanen. “Alternatively, you can sit on the cosy and calm inner court terrace out the back, where you can dine outdoors even in September with the help of gas heaters.”

There are 50 seats on the main floor and four charming private rooms downstairs. “They are popular places for birthday parties and other private functions,” Moilanen explains. “The smallest room is actually our wine cellar, and it always leaves a great impression on our guests. We don’t charge rent for the private rooms, just a moderate minimum spend applies.”

“Our food is based on pure Finnish ingredients,” says the restaurant manager. “The à la carte menu changes three times per year. In addition to the à la carte menu, there are seasonal dishes: for instance, asparagus in the spring and game in the autumn.”

Pure Finnish flavours on the plate

Restaurant Aino’s exquisite wine list was built together with Essi Avellan,

Finland’s renowned master of wine. The dishes come with both wine and beer recommendations. “We offer beer from top Finnish craft breweries. Our signature summer ale is brewed by the brewery Bryggeri, situated literally just around the corner, so it doesn’t get more local,” Moilanen laughs. “We also have fantastic Finnish dessert wines from the award-winning Ainoa Winery, including bilberry and cloudberry dessert wines. Restaurant Aino’s guests know what they want. “Some arrive here with photos from TripAdvisor showing what they want to eat,” says Moilanen. No wonder many guests keep coming back: they know they get top-level service and food, guaranteed every time.

Web: www.ravintolaaino.fi Facebook: Ravintola Aino TripAdvisor: Ravintola Aino

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 45

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Taste of Scandinavia — Finland

An unforgettable culinary experience by the sea For 30 years now, Faros Restaurant Ship & Terrace has charmed both visitors and locals, offering seaside views, great drinks, delicious food and ice cream in the city of Vaasa, Finland. Scan Magazine spoke to owner Michael Ekman about what makes the restaurant a hotspot to visit again and again. By Maria Pirkkalainen | Photos: Nadia Boussir

When you arrive in the coastal city of Vaasa by ferry, one of the first things you see is the eye-catching Faros Restaurant Ship & Terrace. Operating in an authentic lightship that was built in the late 19th-century and underwent an extensive renovation only a few years ago, Faros also has a popular sun deck and a new extension: restaurant FYR, with impressive, high ceilings and beautiful, panoramic views of the sea. Open every year from Easter until Christmas, Faros is a oneof-a-kind experience that lets you enjoy the best of its beautiful hometown. “Our aim is for Faros to be a great experience for everyone,” says owner Michael 46 | Issue 127 | August 2019

Ekman. “A good example is our beach terrace, which is enjoyed by customers of all ages.” The new restaurant, FYR, is also easily accessible, and dog lovers are welcome to bring their furry friends with them for a day by the sea. Located only a stone’s throw away from the city centre and its hotels, Faros is easy to get to no matter your choice of transport. FYR is also a popular location for private events.

Tasty treats, from burgers to ice cream Faros’ menu is versatile and offers delicious options for everyone. “At the mo-

ment, our most popular dishes are the Faros burger and our crab sandwich. Fish dishes get more and more popular every day,” Ekman says. There are also plenty of options for vegans, including a three-course menu for groups. And what would a day by the sea be without some delicious ice cream? Make sure to pop by Faros’ artisan gelato shop, selling tasty ice cream made in Finland and honouring Italian traditions. Grab a bite and a drink on the lovely sun deck and finish a day of relaxation with a sweet ice cream, all while taking in the gorgeous seaside view of one of the most beautiful cities in Finland: it’s all waiting for you here. Web: www.faros.fi/en Facebook: rsfaros Instagram: @farosrestaurantship

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Taste of Scandinavia — Finland The spacious café is full of light, and all products are 100 per cent plant-based.

100 per cent plant-based values and flavours Lifelong friends Milla Aarnio and Henna Jaatinen wanted to make an impact on the Finnish culinary scene and change people’s ideas around veganism. They believe that you don’t have to give up any of your favourite dishes when changing to a plant-based diet. This quickly led to the setting up of their own business, Beans&more, which is a café, restaurant and shop concentrating on 100 per cent plant-based products.

“Our signature coffee drinks are made from locally roasted, organic coffee beans,” Aarnio adds. The café also offers all-day breakfast and Sunday brunches, the latter of which is next planned for 8 September 2019.

By Mari Koskinen | Photos: Jani Salonen

The shop in the basement sells plantbased cooking products, sweets, household products and cosmetics. “We also import some brands to make sure we stock the best available products,” Aarnio says. Next year’s plans include bringing vegan alcoholic beverages to the menu. The passionate women are also dreaming of publishing a recipe book, expanding their brand to other cities, and starting plant-based meal production for the retail market. With these exciting plans, they are sure to be writing another chapter of their success story soon.

“We want to pass on a positive vibe and break down barriers regarding plantbased food – and give anyone interested an easy and especially tasty way to try it,” explains Milla Aarnio, co-founder of Beans&more. “Our menu offers versatile, hearty soul food that leaves no one hungry.” Their idea is to show that veganism includes all kinds of food, from green juices and salads to filling meals and comfort food. Within six months of making the decision to start the business, Aarnio and Jaatinen opened the doors to the newly renovated café and restaurant. “We were really happy to find this place; we love the five-metre-high vaulted ceiling, which lets light come in to the bright and

beautiful space,” Aarnio explains. There is seating for 25 people indoors, and there are also a few tables outdoors on the pedestrian street.

Versatile veganism Beans&more’s menu consists of versatile vegan snacks, sandwiches, bakery items and bigger meals. “We offer a good variety of handmade baked goods and raw cakes. For example, our own carrot cake has become very popular,” says Aarnio. All of the products are also available for take-away and the à la carte menu changes twice a year. Aarnio does not want to reveal too much about the next menu yet, but promises that their much sought-after handmade seitan will be back on the menu in October.

Web: www.beansandmore.fi Facebook: beansandmore Instagram: @beansandmore

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Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Taste of Scandinavia — Finland

Restaurant Bacchus and Svenska Klubben are situated in a beautiful, historic building.

The cellar restaurant Bacchus is open in the evenings for à la carte dining.

The beautiful decor of the room gives every event a luxurious feel.

Fantastic food in fine, historic settings This exquisite, historic building, situated right on the sea front in central Vaasa, offers excellent Nordic cuisine both at lunchtime and in the evenings. By Mari Koskinen | Photos: Niklas Frank, Restaurant Bacchus and Svenska Klubben

Restaurant Bacchus and Svenska Klubben consist of two separate sections: the beautiful main floor is home to Svenska Klubben, and Restaurant Bacchus is situated downstairs in the basement. The building dates back to 1863 and was originally a home, transformed into a restaurant some decades later. The establishment has been operated by the Gunell family since 2014. Father Ralf Gunell is CEO of the company, and his two sons, Patrik and Tom Gunell, are responsible for the culinary expertise. The light and spacious Svenska Klubben serves lunch from 10.30am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, all year round. “These past five years have been good to us. The business started well right from the beginning. The lunch is very popular – we have between 200 and 48 | Issue 127 | August 2019

400 guests every day,” Ralf Gunell explains. There are about 160 seats and three meeting rooms for private events seating another 90 guests. “Svenska Klubben is also a popular place for big events like weddings, birthday parties and other major celebrations,” Gunell continues. This comes as no surprise, as the beautiful details of the decorated walls and ceiling give any event a luxurious feel. “We also offer catering for weddings and other events organised in other venues,” the CEO adds. Downstairs, the cellar restaurant Bacchus opens its doors again after the summer break on 6 September 2019, offering à la carte dining in the evenings. It is known for exquisite Nordic and European flavours, prepared using fresh, local ingredients.

The menu changes three times per year, and the carefully chosen dishes respect the wonderful Finnish seasons. There is also an increasing number of vegetarian dishes. The wine menu has been carefully selected and is updated regularly to complement the à la carte menu.

Saturday brunch back in the calendar “In September, we bring back our highly popular Saturday brunch again, and it will take place every other Saturday,” Gunell reveals. “We also participate in other special events, like the local food festival Ikkuna [meaning ‘window’], which opens a window to the local culinary scene. We offer an exclusive menu designed specifically for the festival, as well as special dishes that are only available then.” Web: www.bacchus.fi Facebook: BacchusSvenskaKlubben Instagram: @bacchus_svenskaklubben

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Taste of Scandinavia — Finland

Something familiar, something new HOKU, which mixes Finnish ingredients with the Hawaiian approach to cooking, is a firm favourite on Helsinki’s restaurant scene. By Hanna Heiskanen | Photos: HOKU

“Fresh, casual, different,” says chef Ryan Shibuya, when asked to describe the restaurant he owns with his wife, Satu. The restaurant specialises in Asian food – a cuisine that Japanese-American Shibuya, who was born and raised in Hawaii, feels passionate about. “Hawaiian food culture is a unique mix of Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Portuguese and many other cuisines,” he explains. The Hawaiian Islands are a true melting pot of people, cultures and influences. Growing up, Shibuya would often see dishes from all over the Asia Pacific Rim area served in the same restaurant. Quality and consistency are key in successfully bringing this approach to food to Finland. “We want to provide our customers the same culinary experience every time. Our menu is a stable collection of HOKU

favourites. If a dish is taken off the menu, customers will enquire about it,” says Shibuya. His own choice, pike perch stuffed with seafood and served with lemon beurre blanc, is a good example of Asian fusion cuisine using local ingredients. HOKU’s bursting flavours leave a lasting impression.

HOKU opened in Helsinki in 2012. A fire destroyed its original premises in 2016, but that hasn’t spoiled the restaurant’s warm and welcoming atmosphere. Today, HOKU’s dishes are available at premises in the Kamppi Shopping Centre as well as in the Ullanlinna district, both in the centre of Helsinki. “Our success has come from hard work and great staff. The greatest reward is seeing customers with familiar faces return time after time,” Shibuya concludes.

HOKU serves an exciting mix of Hawaiian cuisine and Finnish ingredients.

Web: www.hoku.fi Facebook: HOKU Instagram: @hokuhelsinki

Like dining at a friend’s house – in Norway Inside a charming, yellow little house in the city centre of Sandnes in Norway, owner Ingeborg Anzjøn offers guests a different dining experience. “Fira is a home restaurant. It means that I invite you into my own living room for a private meal,” Anzjøn explains. Everything on the menu is homemade and based around classic, Nordic cuisine with inspiration from the Mediterranean kitchen, served in a homely and relaxed atmosphere.

being able to offer my guests something personal and unique.” With a name deriving from the local dialect’s pronunciation of the number four, which is the street number, the private restaurant is now a popular spot in town.

By Ingrid Opstad | Photos: Anne Lise Norheim and Eirik Anzjøn

With a background in interior architecture, and having previously co-owned a restaurant, Ingeborg Anzjøn needed a change when times were tough in the Norwegian economy a few years ago. She has always been passionate about preparing meals and hosting dinner parties for friends and family, something she decided to create a business around. “For me, the personal touch is key. I like to stay in people’s homes when travel50 | Issue 127 | August 2019

ling, for instance, to get a real sense of the country. So I thought it would be great to bring that further into the restaurant industry. This way, tourists can really see what it’s like inside a typical Norwegian home, while enjoying both traditional and new flavours. I want them to feel like they are attending Sunday dinner at their friend’s house,” she explains. “In a sense, it was risky; the idea revolves around my home, my food and myself. But it has been a success so far, and I’m enjoying

Owner Ingeborg Anzjøn.

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Taste of Scandinavia — Norway

Creative dining concept It is said that the home is a reflection of those who live in it, and with her creative dining concept, Anzjøn has now been inviting strangers into her own house for the last three years to enjoy a delicious, home-cooked meal in her informal, warm home. “My house is a typical Norwegian wooden structure from 1930 with a cosy garden. It is small, but this is what people are attracted to when they visit, because it’s full of charm. There is something so fascinating yet familiar about stepping inside someones home and getting a glimpse into their life,” she says. Fira can accommodate groups from six to 15 people, and Anzjøn stresses the fact that it must be pre-booked. “I need to know that guests will arrive at least a day in advance to make sure that I can prepare everything. But the earlier you book, the better – especially because of availability.”

Classic Nordic cuisine with international influences The food is based around seasonal local produce. You get classic Nordic cuisine with influences from the Mediterranean, and everything down to the chutney is made by Anzjøn herself. “I would describe the food I serve as traditional Norwegian, but also continental – a bit rustic. I am

very much inspired by the French and especially the Italian kitchen, but I like to create my own twist on things and be a bit different,” she explains.

blecloths,” she says. It is these personal touches, combined with the delicious food, that create the perfect setting and a restaurant unlike any other.

Coming from a food-loving family, the restaurant owner regularly revisits her mother’s old recipes when creating menus at Fira. “Growing up, food was very important in my family,” she says. “It was a big part of my childhood, and I have many fond memories from around the table.”

Catering and events

A popular edition from her repertoire is the classic, British afternoon tea. “I bake scones and make homemade jam from berries I pick myself, and search in local antique stores to find the right decor and serving dishes to recreate a typical tea party, which the customers all love,” she explains.

Atmosphere is important Whether it is for breakfast, lunch, dinner, a business meeting, a birthday party, an anniversary or simply a gettogether with friends, Anzjøn can tailor the event to your needs and aims to create an unforgettable day. “Before the day itself, we sit down together to create a theme and a menu that fits the occasion. For me, the atmosphere and setting around the meal are also very important. I like to decorate with fresh flowers, candles and freshly ironed ta-

If you want to host a party in your own home, Anzjøn also offers catering with a wide selection. On her list, you can find soups, salads, lasagne, Boeuf Bourguignon as well as sweet treats like a variety of cakes, traditional Norwegian Christmas cookies and other seasonal delights. The Norwegian entrepreneur also hosts different events in her home throughout the year, where guests can book a spot for things like afternoon tea parties, intimate concerts, wine tastings or author talks. “They are very popular, and I suggest following our Facebook page to be updated on when the next event takes place,” says Anzjøn. “It tends to get fully booked within a day of posting, so be quick!” For booking or catering enquiries, please contact: booking@fira.no

Web: www.fira.no Facebook: FIRAiSandnes Instagram: @firaisandnes

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Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Taste of Scandinavia — Denmark

Baked carrot with sour cream, roast seeds and dill.

Marcel and Steffen. Photo: Jesper Rais

A recipe for success Friends and colleagues Steffen Snitgaard and Marcel Rodrigues always knew that they wanted to open a restaurant together. “We’re two very different people, but we’re united by the same dream,” Rodrigues says. “That’s what makes us work together so well.” The two young men opened the first Restaurant ROS in Tønder in May 2016, showcasing local, high-quality ingredients in their most flavourful renditions, and their recipe was such an immediate success that the two have already opened a second Restaurant ROS in Fredericia.

Danish pork and cod, but they are doing so at very reasonable prices. “We make gourmet dishes, but we never wanted to create this snobby place for snobby people,” Rodrigues explains. “We want to be somewhere where everyone feels welcome and can actually come for a treat.”

By Louise Older Steffensen | Photos: Restaurant ROS

With the acquisition of Restaurant ROS Fredericia, the pair are busier than ever. Rodrigues, who grew up in Fredericia, currently spends most of his time there. “It felt great to have a bit of money with Tønder’s success, but we immediately threw every penny into Fredericia,” Snitgaard laughs. “That’s what it takes, however – dedication and daring to take chances – to get anywhere in this business. That goes for working out both our business model and the menu.”

Rodrigues and Snitgaard met while training to become chefs. Though they trained and worked apart in high-brow Copenhagen restaurants like Brdr. Price and Søllerød Kro, they kept in contact through fatherhood and a decade rushing by. When an opportunity presented itself to open up a restaurant together in Snitgaard’s hometown of Tønder, they jumped at the opportunity. “We’re both from southern Jutland, and after many years away in cities, it felt right to bring ourselves and our families back to this lovely, family-friendly region,” Snitgaard says. “Running our own restaurant is a huge responsibility, but it gives us the freedom to do exactly 52 | Issue 127 | August 2019

what we wanted. We’re busy, but happy, and we feel like we’re adding something valuable to the local community.” The original Restaurant ROS quickly became a popular spot for Danish culinary connoisseurs and locals alike, and that’s exactly what the pair had hoped for. They were the only southern Jutland restaurant to be included in the prestigious White Guide Nordic 2017, and the pair were awarded the guide’s Feel-good Experience of the Year, to boot. Diners really can feel good when they visit Restaurant ROS: not only are they sampling the best that the region has to offer, from local fruit wines to

Web: www.restaurantros.dk Facebook: rostoender and rosfredericia Instagram: @restaurant_ros and @restaurantros_fredericia

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Taste of Scandinavia — Denmark

Ærø Whisky aspires to become one of the world’s best whiskies.

‘Ærø has everything needed to make a world-class whisky’ Exclusively using produce from Ærø, a small Danish island of 88 square kilometres, Ærø Whisky aspires to make one of the world’s best whiskies. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Ærø Whisky

Created by former ship’s captain and Ærø resident Michael Nielsen in 2013, Ærø Whisky is distilled from locally grown barley and matured in oak casks from the island. “It was a bit of a coincidence that I discovered that Ærø has everything needed for whisky production, good barley and the oak needed for the casks,” he says. “That’s all I needed, so I created a cooperative, bought two tonnes of grain, and got started.” In 2017, the company produced its first 5,000 bottles, and this year, Ærø Whisky is expecting to produce around 8,000 bottles.

Collector's item With everything from bottle design to oak casks made locally, Ærø’s character and nature define both the taste and

the brand of Ærø Whisky. “Our ambition is to make a supreme whisky from Ærø. As a matter of fact, the goal is to make one of the best whiskies in the world – I don’t want to say the best, because in the end, it’s a matter of taste,” stresses Nielsen. “For instance, some whiskies are very smoky whereas ours doesn’t have any of that, and that’s simply because Ærø doesn’t have any peat in the underground, and we want everything in the production to be local.” With bottles selling out within the first four months of production, it appears the taste of Ærø is a good match for a whisky. Indeed, even though the bottles are not, admits Nielsen, amongst the cheapest, whisky enthusiasts have taken quite a fancy to the small distillery. “We might actually be the most expensive

whisky produced in Denmark,” Nielsen confides, and rounds off: “It’s definitely not for those who like a whisky and coke – but for real whisky nerds: our bottles have become a bit of a collector's item.”

Facts: Ærø Whisky is sold exclusively through the company’s web shop. Ærø Whisky is owned cooperatively by 370 shareholders. People interested in becoming a shareholder can find more information through the website.

Web: www.aeroewhisky.com

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 53

N: MN E U ED AUT ia W c e S F BLE CES Sp O A ST TT IEN BE GE ER R P FO EX N U m he

Photo: Alexander Hall, imagebank.visitsweden.se

An unforgettable autumn in Sweden When reading this, you are hopefully still sporting sandals and light fabrics, perhaps with a glass of something cooling in your hand on a still warm evening. But as the evenings get shorter, it is time to plan ahead for deeper colours and cosier pastimes. Here is our guide to a perfect autumn stay in Sweden. These days, many of Sweden’s awardwinning eateries and charming bars

Photo: Jann Lipka, imagebank.visitsweden.se

54 | Issue 127 | August 2019

keep their terraces and beer gardens open way past the peak holiday season, and you might still be able to enjoy a meal al fresco and a drink under outdoor heaters, wrapped in a blanket, if you visit in the early autumn. But when you’ve taken a stroll down picturesque cobbled lanes or beautiful parks, where to next? We list our all-time favourite haunts for affordable art, mind-blowing performing arts trivia, world-class music experienc-

es and inspiring, educational meetings. Perhaps you choose to head for the wilderness and a stay at a charming guesthouse, or you might opt for a weekend in the name of literature at Göteborg Book Fair. Once thing is certain: whether you are after peace and quiet or an uplifting cultural experience, you’ll be able to find it in Sweden this autumn – all in addition to top-class food, exceptional service and plenty of beauty as far as the eye can see. For detailed information on destinations, accommodation and travel, go to www.visitsweden.com

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Best of Sweden: Unforgettable Autumn Experiences

Photo: Jerker Andersson, imagebank.visitsweden.se

Ängen (large) by AnnaMaria Lindholm, Artely, exhibiting at Affordable Art Fair. Photo: Artely

Tres Cuentos, Uppsala Gitarrfestival Press Photo

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 55

Photo: Malin Karlsson

Let your creative streak loose Committed to showing and enlightening visitors about the history of Swedish performing arts, Scenkonstmuseet (the Swedish Museum of Performing Arts) pays tribute to the remarkable human characteristic that is artistic creativity. Combining traditional and modern exhibition styles, this certainly is not your runof-the-mill museum.

cumulated over more than 100 years. It comprises costumes, visual art, scenography models and a lot more. The museum’s musical instrument collection alone is made up of 6,000 pieces, making it one of the world’s largest.

By Pia Petersson

“Our philosophy is pretty straightforward, really: everyone has a creative streak within them, and here at the museum we invite all visitors to make use of that creativity,” begins Karin Algvik, head of communications at the museum. Since it opened in 2017, the Swedish Museum of Performing Arts has become integral when it comes to showcasing a significant and legendary part of the country’s cultural heritage. Theatre, music and dance are the three performing-art forms represented at the museum. “What we do is 56 | Issue 127 | August 2019

important partially due to the conservation aspect – here at the museum, we have everything from rare theatre manuscripts from the 18th century to parts of Ingmar Bergman’s stage models in miniature. Sweden is quite outstanding when it comes to performing arts, and we think it’s vital to showcase this part of our cultural heritage,” Karin explains.

Put on your dancing shoes The large collection at the museum consists of almost 50,000 objects, ac-

When it comes to the collections, Karin points out some of the highlights: “I think the shoe collection is a lot of fun. It consists of everything from the Herreys' (Eurovision Song Contest winners in 1984) golden shoes to a pair of shoes worn by a stage actor in the 18th century. Hence, through the medium of shoes, we’re presenting an interesting part of stage art history.” A collection that has proved especially popular among visitors is that of the many costumes. This was initially intended as something fun for children to

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Best of Sweden: Unforgettable Autumn Experiences

do, trying on various spectacular outfits. “At first, we only had a selection of children’s costumes, but it soon became clear that their parents thought it was a lot of fun to try on the costumes too – so we’ve had to get some of them in adult sizes as well,” Karin explains.

museum, the opportunities to put your creative streak into action are plentiful.

Enter a different world – at the centre of town

In addition to admiring exceptional golden shoes and many other objects that make up the collections, visitors are invited to enjoy the museum in lots of interactive ways. It would not be a museum of performing arts if there was no option to actually try out a little bit of dancing, acting or music, would it?

The museum is housed in the oldest preserved industrial building in Stockholm, the old royal bakery, which is located slap bang in the middle of the capital. “Coming to visit the museum really couldn’t be easier – it’s as central as it can be,” says Karin. The contrast is striking when entering one of Stockholm’s oldest buildings; visitors are met by a modern and innovative museum, which is both magical and creative.

Maybe you would like to see if you could transform your appearance behind one of the many theatre masks? Or marvel at the opportunity to stand face to face with a dancer from another century, holding the exact same pose? And why not stop at a station where you can put a musical instrument in motion? At this

Perhaps one would think that a museum that has only been opened a few years might still be finding its feet. That is not the case when it comes to the Swedish Museum of Performing Arts. It is already quite comfortable in its identity and what its mission is – and the feedback from the visitors is certainly proof

Interactive options

Photo: Jonas André

of this. Swedish as well as international visitors have been very positive. “Many underline that it’s a rather unusual museum, due to the fact that it’s so modern. It’s quite a different feeling; it’s like entering a different, artistic world,” Karin concludes. Web: www.scenkonstmuseet.se

Photo: Scenkonstmuseet

Photo: Jonas André

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 57

Photo: Natalie Greppi

Göteborg Book Fair 2018. Photo: Niklas Maupoix

Stories that change the world It’s not the biggest book fair in the world, but from a book lover’s perspective, Göteborg Book Fair is probably the best. Boasting hundreds of fascinating seminars, a keenness on nuanced debate, and an atmosphere that brings readers and authors together, this is a literature lover’s paradise. By Linnea Dunne

“We really believe that literature and reading make a difference, that through education, we can develop society and strengthen democracy,” says Frida Edman, director of Göteborg Book Fair. “Everyone who works here is passionate about the written word. Much like travelling allows us to experience different places and cultures and meet people we would otherwise never meet, we believe that stories do the same.” The fair, which is in its 35th year this year, rests on three pillars. The first is a programme of seminars, which enables new, unique meetings between readers and authors, and between authors and facilitators in conversation on stage. The second is the fair exhibition itself – a bustling space of open stages, themed exhibitions, book sales and a relaxing garden space. Thirdly, there is the 58 | Issue 127 | August 2019

are sure to discover something new to you, meet a new author, discover a new book or stumble upon a talk on a stage somewhere. Really, it’s much more like a festival.”

Exploring South Korea Rights Centre, a pure business space just for literary agents and publishers to buy and sell rights. The latter is perhaps what most people associate with the idea of a book fair, and indeed what many book fairs around the world are really all about. Göteborg Book Fair, however, while relatively small, is inspiring other players to look beyond trade. “From the get-go, it’s been our goal to inspire everyone from the book-loving public to librarians and teachers,” Edman explains. “That meeting between authors and readers is absolutely crucial. What you’ll find as you stroll through the fair is that not just authors but also journalists, editors and politicians are incredibly accessible to you. There’s a certain atmosphere… If you’re a crime lover, you might head for the crime area, but on the way you

Every year, Göteborg Book Fair picks a Guest of Honour in the form of a country that provides the framework for the programme. This year’s honourable nation is South Korea, a country that is very relevant and interesting right now for a number of reasons, according to Edman. “Sweden and South Korea celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relationships this year, but South Korea is also very much on the rise in terms of culture,” she explains. “The food is influencing all of Europe right now, for example, and we see a lot of young women doing really well in literature.” As a visitor, you’ll pick up on South Korean influences across the board, from seminar topics to flavours at the food outlets. Subjects including education, migration, and socialhistorical-public trauma will be dis-

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Best of Sweden: Unforgettable Autumn Experiences

Göteborg Book Fair in numbers: • 85,000+ visitors • 1,000+ accredited journalists • 11,000-square-metre exhibition area • 40 countries represented • 800+ exhibiting companies and organisations • 120 international participants • 325 seminars • 4,000 events • 20 stages and themed squares

Photo: Dick Gillberg

cussed with academics and writers from South Korea, Sweden and beyond, and a number of talks also touch on themes around feminism and gender equality. The latter corresponds with one of two sub-themes at this year’s fair: media and information literacy (MIL), and gender equality. “These are examples of how the book fair mirrors the times we live in and how we raise current issues and conversations. Media information literacy is a huge issue globally, and it’s getting increasingly difficult to navigate our information society – but also increasingly important, not least for librarians and teachers whose job it is to educate on this,” says Edman, adding that the fair is collaborating with UNESCO, whose MIL conference takes place during the book fair, bringing together representatives from a range of

Frida Edman, director of Göteborg Book Fair. Photo: Svante Örnberg

Photo: Göteborg Book Fair

nations. “Gender equality, meanwhile, is perhaps more important than ever, and we’ll be putting on very nuanced conversations on subjects including #metoo and its consequences. It’s incredibly fascinating.”

A who’s who of the literature scene With 4,000 events, 325 seminars, 1,000 journalists in attendance and more than 800 exhibiting companies and organisations, Göteborg Book Fair truly is a paradise for literature lovers. A ticket gives access to not only stalls and talks, but also the unique atmosphere of a place where people of all ages and backgrounds come together to explore, share and learn – all in the name of a great story. Edman is personally looking forward to welcoming author Markus Zusak, whose

Photo: Niklas Maupoix

Göteborg Book Fair takes place at The Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre in Gothenburg on 26-29 September 2019.

novel The Book Thief – which sold 16 million copies and was translated into 40 languages – she loved, and mentions this year’s new stage – the feel-good stage – where, among others, acclaimed author David Nicholls will participate. Among other highlights are UK feminist extraordinaire Caitlin Moran and American novelist Siri Hustvedt, today one of the world’s most respected authors. All in all, the programme is a real who’s who of the Nordic literature scene, with star-studded additions from across the globe, making for an inspirational, educational and memorable weekend in Gothenburg. Web: goteborg-bookfair.com Facebook: BokmassanGbg Twitter: @bokmassanGbg Instagram: @bokmassan

Photo: Natalie Greppi

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 59

Tres Cuentos: Niño Josele, Sandra Carrasco and "Robi" Svärd.

Discover the most influential guitar event in Scandinavia Uppsala International Guitar Festival is one the most popular and influential of its kind. This year’s edition is set to be amazing, with legendary guitarist Bill Frisell, Brazilian super virtuoso Yamandu Costa, internationally acclaimed flamenco stars Niño Josele, “Robi” Svärd and Sandra Carrasco, as well as the prodigy Indian bass player Mohini Dey, all featuring on the line-up. By Malin Norman | Photos: Press photos

Uppsala International Guitar Festival takes place in Uppsala, a university city with a lovely atmosphere of history and culture, where film director Ingmar Bergman was born and his famous film Fanny and Alexander was recorded. The city is also a gastronomic mecca, and foodies can experience some of the best restaurants in Sweden plus, of course, a good Swedish ‘fika’. The festival is a meeting place for music celebration and learning. Over the years, legendary artists such as John Williams, Paco De Lucia, Pat Metheny, Anoushka Shankar, Steve Vai, Tommy Emmanuel and Jennifer Batten have performed. 60 | Issue 127 | August 2019

This year, for the 16th time, visitors can listen to world-class musicians, explore the guitar exhibition, take part in workshops and meet other enthusiasts from around the world, who share the same passion. “Our vision is to create a music celebration and a meeting place, in the modern Uppsala Concert Hall,” says Klaus Pontvik, founder and festival director. “It’s a top-notch smörgåsbord with the world’s best musicians, where everyone can find their favourite artist or style.”

Opening with Brazilian genius According to Pontvik, this year’s programme is outstanding, with a fantastic

mix of musicians, and the opening show promises to be something quite special. “We’re kicking off with Brazil’s greatest guitarist: virtuoso, composer and 2018 Latin Grammy Nominee Yamandu Costa.” Costa is considered as one of the greatest geniuses of Brazilian music. The recognition he has earned over the years reveals precisely what he can offer the audience: the music he plays travels through his body and soul and is delivered beautifully. Duo Siqueira Lima. Photo: Luis Gaioto

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Best of Sweden: Unforgettable Autumn Experiences

Festival programme 2019: Thursday 10 October: Yamandu Costa and Dos Mas Uno, Brazil/Argentina Gohar Vardanyan, Armenia Freak Kitchen and Mohini Dey, Sweden and India Friday 11 October: Stephanie Jones, Australia Eurostrings artists from several countries Bill Frisell, USA Saturday 12 October: Young Talents Competition Duo Siqueira Lima, Uruguay/ Brazil Tres Cuentos: Niño Josele, "Robi" Svärd and Sandra Carrasco, Spain/Sweden

Kristin Amparo.

Mohini Dey.

The festival features more international stars, such as the legendary Bill Frisell, with a quartet featuring Petra Haden, Hank Roberts and Luke Bergman. Frisell is one of the leading jazz guitarists and composers, and his work has established him as one of the most sought-after guitar voices in contemporary music. Another world-class act is the meeting between three flamenco profiles: Niño Josele, Sandra Carrasco and "Robi" Svärd, all with remarkable stories. The latter comes from a classical background, and even though he is Swedish, he is one of the few foreign flamenco guitarists who have managed to convince the discerning and quality-conscious flamenco scene in Spain. Josele and Carrasco have also managed to navigate this irrecon-

Sunday 13 October: Ricardo Gallén, Spain Duo Four Hands, Sweden Romancero Gitano and Tango Mass Abrazo Uppsala Choirs and instrument ensemble

cilable fairway. Niño Josele is known in particular for his collaboration for many years with Paco de Lucia and Chick Corea.

United States. Their work ranges from music of the classical repertoire to popular music from Latin America.

Classical guitar and tango

Another highlight is Mohini Dey, who has been described as a prodigy by many acclaimed musicians. Only 22 years old, she is probably the youngest bass player in India with such a successful career. Dey is an extraordinary, creative and versatile musician who has played with established artists such as Steve Vai, Quincy Jones, Simon Phillips, Stanley Clarke and many more.

The programme also offers another special treat for classical guitar enthusiasts. Ricardo Gallén is a distinguished classical guitarist with a continuously flourishing career. His inspiring and innovative interpretations place him among the top musicians, while his revolutionary and influential playing and teaching serve as the best proof of his quality. Pontvik also recommends Duo Siqueira Lima, one of the most prestigious chamber ensembles, which won the Profissionais da Música Award 2015 in Brazil and the International Press Award 2014 in the

Yamandu Costa.

Also don’t miss Romancero Gitano and the premiere of Tango Mass Abrazo, with Uppsala’s choirs Allmänna Sången and Cantorus and the famous Swedish soloist Kristin Amparo. This, with music ensemble and dance, will be a great closing show in the University Auditorium. This year’s festival will take place at Uppsala Concert Hall 9-13 October.

Stephanie Jones.

Web: www.uppsalagitarrfestival.se Facebook: gitarrfestivalen Twitter: @gitarrfestival Instagram: @gitarrfestival

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 61

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Best of Sweden: Unforgettable Autumn Experiences

Ängen (large) by AnnaMaria Lindholm. Photo: Artely

Fluggy Forest-Travel by Noh Hy Young. Photo: Art J

The eighth Stockholm edition of the fair is held in October. Photo: Caroline Leuhusen

Leaves by Maria Permin Berger. Photo: OOV Gallery

An affordable art revolution Affordable Art Fair Stockholm challenges our perception of art by killing the myth of it being something inaccessible, only for a certain few. The fair, founded 20 years ago in London, has the same aim now as then: to make contemporary art available to all. Today, there are 13 annual fairs in over ten cities around the world, and each of them celebrates the concept of affordable art by uniting galleries, artists and customers around high-quality art. By Kristine Olofsson | Photos: Affordable Art Fair

“We want to democratise the art market,” says Bernice Glimberg, fair director of the eighth Stockholm edition, taking place on 10 to 13 October this year. “People are often hesitant to enter art galleries due to the preconception that everything is too expensive and out of their budget.” Affordable Art Fair has tackled this problem with a win-win solution for the artists, galleries and customers. “We’re working closely with around 60 galleries, providing a platform where their artists can display their work. The difference from a traditional art fair is that all pieces are clearly marked, and with reasonable prices starting from round 600 SEK (just over 50 GBP) and up to a maximum of 600,000 SEK (just over 50,000 GBP),” Glimberg explains. “We have a wide breadth of styles, and all art on display 62 | Issue 127 | August 2019

must be originals or limited editions that sit within the defined price range.” This year, the fair focuses on original art that still embraces a new, progressive and modern style. Visitors can, as always, expect a mix of well-established artists and freshly baked talent. “A recurring success is our Recent Graduate section, where promising new grads get the chance to exhibit their work,” says Glimberg.

also be held by Carolina Gynning, a popular Swedish artist who has always been open about her personal connection between art and mental wellness. For young families interested in visiting the fair, the Saturday morning’s Stroller Hour provides an excellent opportunity to discover favourite art pieces in peace and quiet. “Our hopes and wishes are for people to open their hearts and homes to art – to be inspired and, in turn, inspire artists to continue creating amazing art,” Glimberg concludes.

Art as therapy Affordable Art Fair is always organised around a charity topic. This year’s focus is mental health and art therapy, a theme well-received at previous fairs in New York and London. Mind, a health care provider for mental health, will give talks throughout the fair and provide information at their on-site stand. An art talk will

Lilium Asteraceae by Brandy Kraft. Photo: Artely

Web: www.affordableartfair.com Instagram: @affordableartfairsthlm

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Best of Sweden: Unforgettable Autumn Experiences

ABBASOLUTELY — this year’s Christmas Show The legendary band ARRIVAL puts on the world’s largest ABBA productions, with an audience of up to 50,000 per night. This Christmas, come to Malmömässan and experience a fabulous evening of Swedish pop history, nostalgia and magic. By Malin Norman | Photos: Arrival / Press photos

ABBA is Sweden’s biggest music export ever, with almost 400 million records sold. The band’s hits include Dancing Queen, Waterloo, Gimme Gimme Gimme and many more, and the musical and film Mamma Mia is a worldwide sensation. The 12-piece live band ARRIVAL from Sweden was founded in 1995 in Gothenburg. Soon, it became responsible for one of the world’s most popular and best-selling ABBA shows. The band has toured in 60 countries and played with more than 70 symphony orchestras around the world. Following a tour in the US, they arrive in Malmö this Christmas. With a bunch of talented musicians and singers, ARRIVAL delivers the ABBA songs with such accuracy that you might even believe the real ABBA is 64 | Issue 127 | August 2019

up on stage. Of course, the clothing is also inspired by ABBA, with most outfits created by Owe Sandström. Petra Torolfsdotter, project manager for the shows, will personally take care of each and every request before you arrive for a night to remember forever: a premium show event with music and visuals that will give you an everlasting memory and melodies to sing all through Christmas. The ABBA show has received international praise. For instance, The Sun Valley Times wrote: “ARRIVAL did not disappoint, playing all of the legendary group’s biggest hits well into the night. It was a time warp of the most entertaining kind – they looked like ABBA, they sounded like ABBA, they dressed like ABBA, for all intents and purposes, they were ABBA.”

Petra Torolfsdotter.

This glamourous evening with ARRIVAL includes a pre-party, Christmas buffet, ABBA show and after-party with ‘70s disco on the dancefloor. Available dates are currently 28, 29 and 30 November, and 6 and 7 December.

Web: www.plusevents.se/julshow Facebook: plusevents.se Instagram: @plusevents.se Email: petra@plusevents.se

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Best of Sweden: Unforgettable Autumn Experiences

Glorious autumn in the Swedish wilderness After a long, beautiful summer, there is no need to stop enjoying nature once autumn has arrived. At the holiday resort Sandsjögården in Lapland, you have the opportunity to stay in hotel-standard cottages, enjoy a gorgeous location, and partake in plenty of exciting activities. By Nina Bressler | Photos: Sandsjögården

Sandsjögården was founded by Swiss-born Caroline and Daniel Schafer, who decided to move to Sweden in 2011 to allow more space for themselves and their dogs – eventually relocating to the deep forests of Lapland. The holiday resort offers various types of accommodation: hotel-standard cottages as well as simpler versions, or camping

spots – every option giving you an equal chance to reconnect with nature. The site is located in Europe’s last wilderness, and the perfect spot if you are looking for absolute calm as well as a starting point for enjoying scenic and exciting adventures. Try out activities such as horseback riding and sledge-dog hiking, or experience Sami cul-

ture. Autumn is also the ideal season for beautiful walks; perhaps bring a Packraft, an inflatable raft small enough to bring in your bag and easy enough to inflate when you come across a stream to take you further on your hike. “This area is like no other. During the autumn, nature turns golden – the late summer days are beautiful, and it’s also the best season to spot the northern lights,” Caroline Schafer enthuses. Relax in the wood-fired sauna or enjoy a meal at the restaurant, with all dishes containing local produce as well as elk, reindeer or fish caught in the surrounding area. Sustainability is key, and the Schafers work hard to make their environmental impact as small as possible in order to preserve this unique wilderness, to be explored in perfect serenity.

Web: www.sandsjogarden.com Facebook: Sandsjögården Instagram: @sjg_e45

m he

K AR M N e Sp DE T SI VI lT

cia

Cultural thrills and historical lessons from Denmark Fancy sleeping in a tree-top hut, sampling some quality oysters, or digging for 55-million-year-old fossils? Perhaps you just want to take in the late-summer vibe with a spot of quality live music and a traditional slice of cake? Denmark offers fun as well as education, inspiration as well as relaxation – you just need to decide where to start.

ride – or ten – at Sommerland Sjælland, dig for tantalisingly old fossils, or learn from a textbook example of people getting along despite a bloody past – the thrills and lessons are endless.

medieval castles, a fascinating fine-art legacy and thrilling amusement parks. It’s no exaggeration to say that there is something for all ages and interests.

This is our guide to an inspiring, memorable late summer or autumn trip to Denmark.

From Skagen up north to Tønder on the German border down south, from Mariagerfjord in the north-east to Limfjord in the north-west – not forgetting all the fun to be had on the island of Sjælland, of course – Denmark’s islands and peninsula are full of cultural experiences and historical adventures. Think endless white, sandy beaches, 66 | Issue 127 | August 2019

Perhaps stop by the renowned Tønder Festival, or get your history buzz on in a meeting with the Tollund Man and Elling Woman from 2,400 years ago? Take a

For more information about destinations, accommodation and travel, please see www.visitdenmark.com

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Visit Denmark

Photo: Niclas Jessen

Tollund man, Silkeborg Museum. Photo: John Sommer

Tønder. Photo: Niclas Jessen

Skagen. Photo: Niclas Jessen

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 67

With its beautiful landscape and idyllic towns, Mariager Fjord has long been popular with holiday makers.

Unplug and connect with nature Sleep in a tree-top hut, explore the calm waters of the fjord, or just lie back and relax on a white sandy beach – if you are looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Mariager Fjord, Denmark’s longest fjord, is the place to go. By Signe Hansen | Photos: VisitMariagerfjord

With its lakes, streams, woodlands and beautiful fjord, the municipality of Mariagerfjord is a true paradise for nature lovers of all ages. Long known as a destination for travellers seeking peaceful and soothing surroundings, the area’s tourist organisation has in recent years built onto the natural attraction of the landscape with a number of offers to allow visitors to enjoy its beauty in both exhilarating and restorative ways. One of the newest additions is the new Løvtag tree-top cabin, which enables visitors to go to bed eight metres above the forest floor and wake up to the sound 68 | Issue 127 | August 2019

nered much interest from near and far, with many international travellers among the numerous guests who have already booked a stay.

Get lifted up of birds and the gentle sway of the tree trunks – one of which grows straight through the small tree-top hut. “It’s got everything you need: bathroom, electricity, a small kitchen, and a wonderful rooftop terrace, where you can drink your morning coffee,” explains head of tourism at VisitMariagerfjord, Kristina Lehmann Schjøtt. “But, of course, no TV or Wi-Fi – spending the night among the trees is a simple and beautiful way to get away from a busy day-to-day and find that mindful connection to nature that many seek.” Officially inaugurated just two weeks ago, the tree-top hut has already gar-

While the tree-top hut invites travellers to spend the night in nature, there are dozens of activities around the Mariager Fjord that enable visitors to get just as immersed during the day. Angling, stand-up paddle boarding, hiking, cycling and kayaking are just some of the activities that allow visitors to explore the unique landscape of the area. “The varied landscape was one of the reasons why our Panorama route became the first Danish walking route to become a certified Premium Walking Trail by Deutsches Wander institut,” says Schjøtt. Accessible to most, the ten-kilometre trail starts out at Hobro Marina and then continues along the inlet of the fjord and through

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Visit Denmark

Sleep among the tree tops in the new Løvtag tree-top cabin.

a changing landscape of woodland, hills and small towns. Another area to explore on foot or bike is Rold Skov, which, with its 8,000 hectares, is Denmark’s largest forest. Horseback riding and swimming in the many lakes are also excellent ways to enjoy this unique natural attraction.

Lie back and relax On top of the many natural attractions, a string of independent galleries and small towns are dotted along the Mariager Fjord. One of them is Mariager itself,

an idyllic town with cobblestone streets and old, timber-framed houses. The town’s biggest attraction is Mariager’s Saltcenter, which, with ‘subterranean’ salt mines and the chance to swim in ‘The Dead Sea’, offers an experience for visitors of all ages. Another popular family attraction is the Fyrkat Viking Centre, located a couple of kilometres outside of Hobro. The centre consists of the ringshaped mound marking where the ring fort Fyrkat stood 1,000 years ago, and a reconstructed Viking Farmstead offering a number of authentic Viking activities such as archery and forging. At Fyrkat Viking Centre, visitors can explore the life of the Vikings through a range of activities, such as archery and forging.

But though there are plenty of opportunities to get active and explore the landscape, culture and history of Mariager Fjord, there are other options too – for instance, draping a towel on top of the white sand, lying back, and listening to the waves softly rolling in over the sand. With an array of beaches in the area – including Øster Hurup, known as the most child-friendly beach in Denmark – there are plenty of opportunities to do so. “In recent years, we have created a lot of new offerings and activities, but the main attractions of the area are still the nature and the fjord,” stresses Schjøtt, and rounds off: “We like to say that Mariager Fjord is Denmark’s most beautiful fjord, and the reason we think that is because it’s very unspoilt – it’s an authentic experience, and that’s what people want.” Mariagerfjord is a municipality in North Jutland, Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 723.63 square kilometres. With a length of approximately 35 kilometres, Mariager Fjord is the longest fjord in Denmark. The main towns along the fjord are: Als, Als Odde, Helberskov, Hadsund, Hobro, Mariager and Øster Hurup.

Web: www.visitmariagerfjord.dk

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A visit to Trapholt can also include a guided tour of the one-of-a-kind Cube flex house, designed by architect Arne Jacobsen.

An art, design and hygge immersion Almost two decades after the museum gained world notoriety for a piece of art involving a goldfish, a blender, and an on button that proved too tempting to be left alone, Trapholt is still exploring the full scale of art and audience engagement. Museum director Karen Grøn tells Scan Magazine about the museum’s vision and its new exhibition on the senses and ‘hygge’. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Trapholt

Set in a beautiful sculpture park overlooking the water of Kolding Fjord, Trapholt attracts visitors from near and far. Many come not only because of the array of art and design exhibitions, but also to experience the museum’s eye-catching architecture by star architect Boje Lundgaard, its one-of-a-kind house by Arne Jacobsen, and its large collection of Danish furniture design. However, the experience at Trapholt is not limited to visual impressions; in the 70 | Issue 127 | August 2019

museum’s upcoming exhibition SENSE ME, guests can explore the nature of our senses. “SENSE ME is not only an exhibition that you go to see – it’s an exhibition that you go to do, and in that way it’s very characteristic of our museum,” explains Grøn. “We are known to do large, grand exhibitions that combine art and design and include most of the space, and in which we invite our visitors not just to learn or contemplate, but also to try and explore. That’s one of the distinct characteristics that make our museum

special, and this exhibition in particular focuses on exploring how our senses are interconnected in surprising ways.”

SENSE ME presents art installations by contemporary artists such as Olafur Eliasson as well as works by early 20th-century artists such as Wassily Kandinsky. Part of the exhibition explores the Danish concept of ‘hygge’ through Danish design, with which Danes decorate their interior in order to create this multisensory situation combining light, smell, taste, sound, tactility and so on.

Art, architecture and design On top of Trapholt’s all-encompassing special exhibitions, the museum is also widely known for its captivating architecture. Among the museum building’s

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Visit Denmark

At Trapholt, guests can explore an array of art and design exhibitions, including a large collection of Danish furniture design.

characteristic features is the 100metre-long museum corridor, from which you can enter the many museum galleries. As the guest walks through the corridor, it literally gets higher and higher, closer to the ceiling, as the building’s foundation follows the ground’s natural slope towards the water in the Kolding fjord. This, along with other architectural gems and the unique chance to visit the one-of-a-kind Cube flex house, designed by architect Arne Jacobsen, attracts architecture fans from all over the world. “The house was designed by Arne Jacobsen just before his death and is one of our main attractions; it’s one of his major works and can only be experienced at Trapholt,” explains Grøn. “As everything – exterior

as well as interiors – is created by Arne Jacobsen, it gives a strong impression of who he was and what his vision was.” The museum presents modern art, applied art and design, as well as a permanent display of paintings by the artist Richard Mortensen. “I think it is one of the things our guests really appreciate – the fact that we combine architecture, applied art, design and art in an involving way,” Grøn says.

The visitor at the centre Trapholt’s strong focus on involving visitors in exhibitions and artworks is part of the museum’s DNA and felt in every corner of the museum. One of the ways it shows is in how the museum pre-

sents its permanent collection in YOUR exhibition, where visitors, through easily accessible but professional tools, are invited to design their own exhibition with the museum’s large collection. Once a year, the best entry is turned into a real exhibition at the museum. “We’re a museum that seeks to create all-encompassing, relevant experiences with the visitor at the centre. You get everything in a visit: the wonderful sculpture park, restaurant, arts, crafts, and architecture, as well as the chance to become part of it all,” says Grøn. Web: www.trapholt.dk Facebook: Trapholt Instagram: @Trapholt

The eye-catching architecture of Trapholt museum was designed by Danish architect Boje Lundgaard.

Facts: Trapholt is located in Kolding in southern Denmark, on the mainland of Jutland. With 2,500 square metres of exhibition space, Trapholt is one of Denmark’s largest and most popular museums of modern art and design outside of Copenhagen. Trapholt opened in 1988 and added additional exhibition space and collection storage in 1996. In 2006, the museum acquired Arne Jacobsen’s Cube flex summerhouse from the architect’s family.

SENSE ME opens mid-September, 2019. The exhibition will include works by: Olafur Eliasson, Wassily Kandinsky, Georgia O’Keeffe, Jeppe Hein, Margrethe Odgaard, Memo Atken and Anne Patterson.

Hard Wear, by Lauren Kalman, part of the SENSE ME exhibition.

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Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Visit Denmark Making paper at the paper mill in Silkeborg, a historic paper mill that, among other things, made safety paper for banknotes.

The Fight for Power – exploring the Battle of Grathe Hede in 1157.

The Fairy Tale Queen – explore more about the Danish Queen’s creative side from autumn 2019. Photo: Kamilla Bryndum

Stand face to face with the past Meeting someone who is 2,400 years old might seem rather unlikely, but at Museum Silkeborg in Denmark, it is possible to stand face to face with someone who walked, lived and worked in the same area, thousands of years before now. The Tollund Man and Elling Woman are just two of the many thrilling objects and beings to explore across Museum Silkeborg’s three departments. By Josefine Older Steffensen | Photos: Museum Silkeborg

“He looks very peaceful, lying in a foetal position with wrinkles on his forehead. He was offered to the Gods and was found alongside two other bog bodies just ten kilometres away from Silkeborg,” explains Ole Nielsen, director of Museum Silkeborg, about the Tollund Man. There is undoubtedly something incredibly special about standing next to someone so old, but where you can see every feature and even the remnants of stubble.

20 kilometres away. The main building in Silkeborg is home to the Tollund man and tells the story of Silkeborg. On the other side of the road, the old paper mill highlights the importance of paper production to Silkeborg, in the original building. The story of the famous Danish poet and priest, Steen Steensen Blicher, and of life in the countryside in the 1800s, is told in Blicheregnen in Thorning.

The museum has three departments to it, two of which are in the centre of Silkeborg, while another can be found

Throughout the museum and the year, there are new exhibitions and workshops to delve into. Whether it is talks

72 | Issue 127 | August 2019

Eventyrdronningen

by local historians or an exhibition on the 1157 fight between two kings, which fundamentally changed the course of Danish history, there is a lot to explore. From autumn 2019 until spring 2020, the museum will host an exhibition by the Danish Queen. The exhibition is called Evenyrdronningen (The Fairy Tale Queen) and showcases some of the costumes that she has created for plays over the years, inviting people to explore the creative part of the Queen’s brain. Museum Silkeborg is a treasure trove of historical artefacts from thousands of years ago to the modern day. The museum has interactive exhibitions and makes for a fun day out for both young and old. Web: www.museumsilkeborg.dk Facebook: Silkeborg.Kulturhistoriske.Museum

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Meet Dybbøl Banke’s friendly foes A visit to the history centre Dybbøl Banke offers not just a chance to see the frontline of the most famous battle in Danish history; you can also meet the friends and foes of the past – though today, they are all friends. With historically accurate recreations and re-enactments, guests are invited to explore the life of both the soldiers and their wives at the time of the battle of 1864. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Dybbøl Banke history centre

Located at the site where the Danish troops lost the two duchies Schleswig and Holstein to the German Empire in 1864, Dybbøl Banke history centre is a must-see destination for everyone with an interest in Danish history. Adjoining the original remains of the Danish entrenchments, the centre includes a real-size recreation of one of the entrenchments, as well as one of the offsite soldiers’ camps. In this setting, visitors can explore the events of the battle through the eyes of the common soldier. “Based on the authentic letters and diaries of real soldiers, we have created a number of characters, stories and films to ensure that people understand what they see,” explains museum director

Bjørn Østergaard. “It’s a very realistic and detailed setting, which includes all the props from back then, from cannons to moat, tents and bullets.” Guests can also get a first-hand taste of the life of the soldier by, for instance, cooking a typical soldier’s meal or creating a historic postcard written in ink and closed with a wax seal. During peak season, guests will also be met by a handful of historic characters. Dressed up in historic uniforms and costumes, soldiers and their wives tell their stories and show their skills with the cannons and guns, and re-enact battles. But they are no longer there just to fight, stresses Østergaard. “In recent years, we have been working under the

slogan ‘from foe to friend’, so in addition to between 100 and 200 historical re-enactors who come from Germany, Norway, Czech Republic and Denmark for our yearly event the Battle of Asen (which takes place during the last weekend of June every year), we now also have several Danish and German volunteers staying at the centre throughout the summer. They live together in the soldier camps, side by side, and I think that’s a wonderful development – that the foes of the past have turned into friends.”

Dressed up in historic Danish and German soldiers’ uniforms, historical re-enactors showcase their skills.

Web: www.1864.dk

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Tønder Municipality boasts a rich history and offers a wide selection of nature, culture and food experiences.

In the borderland between history, nature and culture It was the place that famous furniture architect Hans J. Wegner called home, and in August each year, the renowned Tønder Festival attracts many thousands of music enthusiasts from near and far. But the area of Tønder Municipality, located in Southern Jutland and bordering on Germany, is also a region of cultural meetings between Denmark and Germany, some of nature’s finest masterpieces, and cakes – 21 different kinds, to be exact.

to this day. But what really is unique to the area is that Germans still live on this side of the border, and Danes still live on German territory – they’re a textbook example of how to get along, despite a bloody past,” says Madsen.

By Camilla Pedersen | Photos: Rømø-Tønder Turistforening

German influences are omnipresent, and the building style is no exception. Iconic Uldgade (Wool Street) in Tønder, Denmark’s oldest privileged market town, oozes charm and atmosphere and is famous for its detailed window and door carvings. But it is the houses in the old marsh city, Høyer, that really tell the story of a past influenced by German culture, with its historic red brick houses and thatched roofs that

“Tønder Municipality is defined by a dramatic history, scenic nature and gastronomic experiences, but perhaps even more so a very distinctive local identity. The history of the area is clearly very important to its inhabitants,” says Kenneth Madsen, head of tourism in Rømø-Tønder Tourism Agency, referring to centuries of drama and wars over the controversial 74 | Issue 127 | August 2019

borderland Schleswig. In 1920, the population in the northern part of Schleswig voted for reunification with Denmark after having been part of Germany for more than 50 years, resulting in this part of Schleswig officially being declared Danish. “The majority of the population clearly voiced that they felt more Danish than German, and that shines through

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Visit Denmark

Rømø Oyster Festival 2019 Rømø beach provides the scenic setting for the oyster festival, which takes place on 12-14 October 2019. No tickets required, food and access to activities can be purchased. Chefs include: • Henrik Yde, Restaurant Kiin Kiin (one Michelin star) • Francis Cardenau, international judge in Bocuse d’Or • Holger Bodendorf, Landhaus Stricker, Restaurant Sylt (one Michelin star)

are representative of the region – a story that deserves to be heard, which is why the historic buildings are currently being restored as part of the Tøndermarsk Initiative, a huge developmental project initiated to make Denmark’s biggest marsh area even more attractive to visit, live and work in.

Under a splendid black sun Also part of the initiative is the Marsh Trail, one of the first projects to be completed. The 54-kilometre-long route takes visitors through the marshland that was once completely covered by the sea, but is now formed by human habitation and man’s attempt to control water. Part of the area includes the Wadden Sea National Park, a UNESCO heritage site since 2014, which offers the largest flat coastal wetland environment in the world. It is known for its biological diversity and boasts a rich animal and plant life. “In March and October each year,

around dusk, millions of starlings fly around in a rhythmically moving formation to find a place to settle for the night, so they don’t get attacked by birds of prey. It’s an incredible experience that leaves everyone stunned – even the locals who witness it year after year,” Madsen says. Each individual starling is merely a black dot, but collectively they create enormous shapes that can block out the sun – hence the name, Black Sun.

Served fresh from sea Surrounded by the Wadden Sea and featuring northern Europe’s widest beach, the island Rømø is popular for events, including the annual vintage motor racing festival and the oyster festival. “The annual oyster festival is a personal favourite of mine. More than 30 renowned chefs will cook up delicious dishes with oysters straight from the roaring sea. There’s going to be an explosion of flavours and fusions for visitors to try,” Madsen says. “The Wadden Sea is an

exhaustive source of oysters and other sea foods: 72,000 tonnes of oysters, to be more exact.” The locals take great pride in their food traditions and rely on local resources, making the area an increasingly sought-after gourmet destination, and rightly so. Just like the South Jutland coffee table that consists of 21 different cakes (seven soft, seven dry and seven hard), a tradition that was born during war times to shed a bit of light in the dark, there’s something for every taste bud in Tønder Municipality.

Celebrating Nordic design Explore some of the finest Nordic art pieces from 1880 through to today at Tønder’s art museum. The old water tower displays 37 Hans J. Wegner chairs, gifted by the design icon himself as a tribute to his hometown.

Web: www.romo-tonder.dk Facebook: Visit Rømø & Tønder Instagram: @visit_romo_tonder Twitter: @visitromotonder

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The beautiful landscape of the Limfjord is almost like it’s been made for holiday makers.

Dive into the Limfjord Known for its beautiful landscape, local delicacies, and long, undisturbed coastline, the Limfjord is a haven for foodies, nature lovers and families alike. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Thomas Køser

Characterised by its many inlets, beautiful sandy beaches and small islands, the Limfjord seems like it’s been made for visitors to explore and enjoy. The area is also known as the source of some of Denmark’s best produce, from the local microbreweries to the delicate Limfjord Oysters. “Our area is not an area you come to in order to do a lot. It’s an area that almost demands that guests slow down and just enjoy life,” says Marlene Rasmussen from Danish Fjord Holiday. “It’s also a place that people come to with their family, not for the big, glittery funfairs, but to be together.” 76 | Issue 127 | August 2019

For families as well as couples, the area offers a string of nature and culturerelated activities and attractions, from old manors and a medieval castle to fossil hunting and beautiful cycling routes.

Oysters and beer Home of the organic dairy Thise Mejeri, Fur Brewery and, not least, the delicious Limfjord Oysters, the area around the Limfjord has become a destination not just for nature lovers, but for foodies too. One of the most distinctive food experiences is the Danish Oyster Bar, Glyngøre Shellfish, which delivers

Limfjord oysters to some of Denmark’s best restaurants. Located in a red wooden building with stunning views of the Limfjord, the oyster bar serves oysters fresh from the oyster basins – and with the oysters, of course, Oyster Beer. Created by the Danish Oyster Bar, fresh oysters are added to the beer during the brewing process, thus giving it a refined taste of minerals, salt and nature. The Oyster Beer is brewed in collaboration with Fur Bryghus, which, with its adjoining restaurant and guided tours around the brewery (which must be booked in advance), is another mustsee destination. Opened on the island of Fur in 2004, the brewery was one of Denmark’s first microbreweries, but has since been followed by more. “We

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have more and more small producers shooting up – including breweries. They are small businesses passionate about local produce, and without any ambition of becoming big corporations,” says Rasmussen.

The Limfjord is also known for its delicious oysters. Photo: Cathrine Kjærø Ulf Ertmann

For those who prefer to catch their own dinner, the area also offers supreme angling opportunities with Karup Å (river) and the Limfjord within easy reach of each other. “In contrast to other places, what you get on the hook in the Limfjord is the natural stock, and they have plenty of space to move about and feed in, so there are good chances of making a nice, big catch,” explains Rasmussen.

A place to be together While the Limfjord’s indisputable star attraction is the fjord itself, the area around it is sprawling with little pearls, enjoyable for visitors of all ages. Among the popular family attractions is the impressive Spøttrup Medieval Castle. Having been renovated in 1941, the castle today appears as Denmark’s bestpreserved medieval castle and offers a wide range of activities, from music to theatre and market days. Many families also choose to explore the area together by bike, with one designated cycle route leading all the way around the fjord. On the way, they can visit an array of small galleries or make a stop along the

On the island of Fur, budding geologists of all ages can hunt for and dig out 55 million-yearold fossils. Photo: Jacob Lerche

beaches, where nature guides are ready to introduce the little ones to all the creepy-crawly inhabitants of the fjord. “People don’t come to the Limfjord for one major attraction, except for the fjord itself. The Limfjord is a destination people go to when they want to be together as a family,” stresses Rasmussen. On the island of Fur, guests can even get to meet, or rather dig for, the fjord’s past inhabitants, in the form of fossils preserved in the island’s unique layer of

mo-clay. The clay was created by microscopic algae 55 million years ago and is a geological feature so unique that it is, together with the island of Mors, currently on UNESCO’s tentative list for potentially becoming a Natural Heritage Site. Throughout the summer weeks, Fur Museum offers guided fossil hunts for budding geologists of all ages. It is, however, not just families with young kids who enjoy the area. “We also have a lot of older couples attracted by the area’s peace, beauty and culture. Many drive around to enjoy the nature, visit the small galleries, and see the many majestic manor houses,” says Rasmussen. One of the most popular historic and cultural attractions is the beautiful old home of Danish artist Jeppe Aakjær. The home is open to visitors, who can experience the poet’s old work office as well as his wife Nanna’s beautiful decorations. For more information about angling in the Limfjord, visit: www.seatroutlimfjorden.com

Web: www.danishfjordholiday.com

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Summer fun for the family In Northern Zealand, just an hour’s drive from Copenhagen and a 75-minute ferry ride from Aarhus, is an amusement park that was established and is run by a family, for families. Sommerland Sjælland provides a full day out where the whole family – whether or not they are all there in person – can join in. By Josefine Older Steffensen | Photos: Sommerland Sjælland

Sommerland Sjælland is home to over 70 activities, including an outdoor waterpark, a jungle gym, rollercoasters and fishing. “Our park is built for families and for kids up to the age of 13. With lots of things to do, we often have people who come back because they haven’t managed to fit it all in in a day,” says Kåre Dyvkær, owner of Sommerland Sjælland.

Via their app, parents and grandparents both near and far are able to play along, as they can control water cannons and surprise those in attendance with air, water, smoke and fire, on rollercoasters. “It can be used in the park, but if someone in your family is unable to go, they can play along from the comfort of their home,” Dyvkær explains.

Sommerland Sjælland is a safe and easy place to simply enjoy being together. There is a wide variety of food outlets, serving local produce and high-quality food, cabins to stay the night in and lots of staff on hand to help. “We invite people home to us, and we want them to have a good time. There’s a fantastic atmosphere in the park, as people are able to relax and create wonderful memories with their families,” Dyvkær concludes.

Web: www.sommerlandsj.dk Facebook: sommerlandsj Instagram: @sommerlandsj

A deep connection to the sea A museum on the west coast of Jutland exploring the lives and fates of the hardy coastal dwellers and the sailors who were wrecked on their shores might sound a bit niche. However, it is anything but: the Strandingsmuseum St. George tells universal human tales of loss and gain, greed and selflessness, tragedy and euphoria. The Jutes on the west coast may have been far from Copenhagen, but through the sea, they were given access to objects, news and people that floated in from across the world.

ing and close engagement with the local community. The recovered ship’s enormous rudder takes pride of place, covering the height of the museum’s tower, at the top of which visitors can look out across the lethal and life-giving North Sea, like generations of Jutes before them.

By Louise Older Steffensen | Photo: Jacob Due

The museum is named after the British ship HMS St George, which was wrecked alongside the HMS Defence on the treacherous seas just beyond the deceptively gentle sand dunes outside of the museum in 1811. Of the more than 1,300 sailors on board the two ships, only 17 survived, nursed back to health by the local Jutlanders despite their opposing sides in the ongoing Napoleonic wars. “Of course, shipwrecks like St George were tragic occasions, and that was felt by the local people who helped recover and bury the sailors in these sandy dunes – they’re still called the ‘Dead Men’s 78 | Issue 127 | August 2019

Dunes’ today,” says curator Helle Henningsen. The wrecking itself, however, was just the beginning of the story for the Jutlanders. “Each wreck brought with it many opportunities, too. Every encounter with survivors brought in a new bit of knowledge about the world, and the objects from each wreck were vital resources and told their own stories, as they still do at the museum.” This year, Strandingsmuseum St. George was nominated for Museum of the Year and awarded the prestigious Stiletto museum prize at the European Museum of the Year Awards for its excellent storytell-

Web: www.strandingsmuseet.dk Facebook: Strandingsmuseum Instagram: @strandingsmuseumstgeorge

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Skagen’s progressive painters Between 1870 and 1930, a group of artists managed to create a huge number of works of art, influence The Modern Breakthrough in Scandinavia and put the northernmost point of Denmark on the map. The Skagen Painters truly were a phenomenal crowd, and their legacy can be explored in the Art Museums of Skagen. By Josefine Older Steffensen | Photos: Skagens Kunstmuseer

“The Skagen Painters are renowned worldwide for the distinctly realist paintings of Skagen’s astounding nature, fishermen and people. They were a group of people who were driven by adventure, art and a break from the romantic era. Their paintings depict what life was really like in what was then merely a fishing village with rather harsh living conditions. In a short time, they managed to put Skagen on the map and make it the town that it is today,” explains communication manager Niels Bünemann.

The museums Skagens Museum was originally thought up by some of the artists and local businessmen, as they wanted a place where future generations could view the art created in Skagen. It opened its doors in 1928, and today, it has a permanent exhibition showcasing the best of the artists, as well as a recent extension dedicated

to special exhibitions. Two historic homes of artists, Anchers Hus and Drachmanns Hus, also belong to the museum. The artist couple Anna and Michael Ancher lived in their house – close to the museum – until Anna’s death in 1935, and everything in the house remains as it was then. Anna Ancher was one of the first renowned female artists in Denmark. Holger Drachmann, one of Denmark’s most prominent poets and painters, owned a small house in the western part of the town. All three parts of the museum offer exclusive insight into the life and work of this group of painters in Skagen. “If it’s a struggle to fit it all in in a day, then it’s a good idea to buy a combination ticket, as you can use it the next day or even a year down the line,” concludes Bünemann helpfully.

Last chance! Until 8 September, Skagens Museum has an exclusive exhibition showcasing P.S. Krøyer’s most monumental masterpieces. These are not normally available to the public, making it an extraordinary opportunity to see some of the paintings Krøyer created in the winters in Copenhagen. The paintings depict some of Denmark’s most prominent figures from the time. They show his incredible attention to detail and marvellous skill in catching the personalities of the people portrayed.

Facebook: skagensmuseum anchershus drachmannshus Instagram: @skagensmuseum @anchershus @drachmannshus Twitter: @skagensmuseum @holgerdrachmann

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Scan Business Business Column 80 | Business Profiles 81 | Business Calendar 83

Do what you like I have a coachee, just into his 30s, who is worried about his career. After ten years, he’s realised that music management is not what he wants to do. He has already left one job after nine months and is now worried about the impact on his CV if he leaves another after seven. He dreams of working abroad for a while but thinks that he’ll be classed as a waster if he does. In mentoring rather than coaching mode, I sent him the link to Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address. Watch it if you haven’t seen it. If you have, watch it again to remind yourself of his important messages. Jobs advises the new graduates: “...the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” And to conclude, he quotes the final words of The Whole Earth Catalog: “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” German astronaut Alexander Gerst has an equally moving message for his unborn grandchildren, sent from the International Space Station last year. “Dreams are more important than money,” he says, “and you have to give them a chance.” “Opportunities only come along once – you have to take a risk.” 80 | Issue 127 | August 2019

More prosaically, various psychometric tests also support this approach. The Team Management Systems profile shows that it’s i@mportant to distinguish between something you can do well and something you enjoy doing. Anyone who spends too much time doing a job they do not enjoy will suffer consequences,

By Steve Flinders

and so will their colleagues. This is an important insight for managers to take on board too. Taking risks requires courage. We all have this in us somewhere. The important message is: wait until you’re sure. Steve Flinders is a freelance trainer, writer and coach, based in Malta, who helps people develop their communication and leadership skills for working internationally: steveflind@aol.com.

Scan Magazine | Business Profile | CollectiveCrunch

From left to right: Jarkko Lipponen, Christof Danzl and Rolf Schmitz. Photo: Tilo Riolo

Photo: Steven Kamenar

Out of the woodwork Using satellite technology, CollectiveCrunch is revolutionising the forest industry. With an eye in the sky, the small but hard-hitting company is able to tell a pine from a spruce from a beech, with precision like something out of science fiction. By Lisa Maria Berg

The forest is the essence of the Nordic countries – a green lifeline making a pillar not only for the Nordic economy, but also for the average home; a big, green lung under the sun. The forest industry has been one of the biggest and most important industries for hundreds of years. The Nordics have always built things out of wood: from the tiniest of toys to ships and houses. Over the last few decades, the industry has changed massively, as the paper industry shrunk and pulp-based products started to replace plastics.

Three men and a pint “Forestry has gone into a new era, where technology enables a more efficient way of doing things. Combining geo-science with computer science, we can handle the forest in a much more dynamic and sustainable way,” explains Rolf Schmitz, CEO and co-founder of CollectiveCrunch. Three years ago, in a beer garden in

Germany with his two colleagues Jarkko Lipponen and Christof Danzl, he came up with the idea of using satellite technology to map out the demography of trees in an area. “The story of the forest is such an inspirational and identifying one in Scandinavia. To be able to take part in bringing that industry into the future filled us with such excitement,” Schmitz continues.

Sawmills are often looking for particular kinds of trees for particular kinds of products. With traditional methods, mills were not in a position to target the wood resources they needed – say, for a specific species like pine. Error margins of 30 per cent in the prediction of forest inventory have been quite common. “We have brought that percentage down to about five, meaning that someone can save a lot of money and that we only take out trees that are mature and ready,” Schmitz explains.

Bigger picture For years, the mapping of forest inventories has been done using scans taken from a plane with a Lidar sensor and manual sampling – a slow, inaccurate and not very cost-efficient method of telling what’s what. CollectiveCrunch has looked further, literally. “Bringing satellite data into the mix and applying Artificial Intelligence to vast data sets brings a step-change in accuracy in the prediction of forest inventories and planning of harvests,” explains Schmitz.

Photo: Vini Löw

Web: www.collectivecrunch.com

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 81

Scan Magazine | Business Profile | Home and Garden

Help the environment — head to your garden With more and more focus on the environment and the human impact on it, it can often seem quite difficult to know where to start when wanting to minimise our own individual impact. Michael Elnegaard from Home and Garden suggests starting in the garden. By Josefine Older Steffensen | Photos: Michael Elnegaard

“Gardens are often forgotten about when we talk about the environment, but it’s actually a great place to start. By adding a variety of flowers, hedges and trees, we can create a garden that can help

to reduce CO2, absorb more water, and provide food and shelter for insects – all while also creating something beautiful to look at,” explains Elnegaard, manager of Home and Garden. The best way to make a garden good for the natural environment is to have tightly packed flower beds and a good variety of plants that flower at different times of the year. Home and Garden is a community of 30 garden centres across Denmark. Their knowledgeable staff can help everyone with where to start and how to make their garden more sustainable.

Enjoy doing good “A garden is not only an excellent place to become more environmentally friendly; it can also become your gym or your space 82 | Issue 127 | August 2019

to relax. Gardens need to be looked after, but they don’t actually require much in the day to day, as long as you continually do a little. In fact, a lot of people want an easy garden, and one with lots of flowers, hedges and trees will probably require less work over the year than a big lawn. Gardens are wonderful spaces, but if you don’t have one, adding some flower pots to a balcony can also do wonders.” The garden centres offer a huge range of plants at a variety of prices, and the staff is always on hand to help, whether you’re a gardening novice or specialist. They can also put you in touch with landscapers. “A garden centre is not just about the plants – they’re fun places to go exploring in. Plants make people happy, and I think it’s fair to say we have some of the happiest customers,” concludes Elnegaard. Web: www.homeandgarden.dk Facebook: vielskerhaven Instagram: @vielskerhaven YouTube: Home & Garden

Scan Magazine | Business | Calendar

Business Calendar

By Sanne Wass

Scandinavian business events you do not want to miss this month Female Founders Panel Event On World Entrepreneurs’ Day, the Women’s Founder Series will bring together a panel of female business founders to discuss the highs and lows of setting up their own business, how they stay motivated in challenging times, finding a work/life balance, and other tips for aspiring entrepreneurs. Among the speakers are Miabella Ristorp, a Danish entrepreneur and celebrity hair and make-up artist, and the founder of SMUK, an ethical hair salon. Date: 21 August 2019, 7-9pm Venue: SMUK London, 20-21 Eccleston Yards, London SW1W 9NF, UK www.eventbrite.co.uk

Nordic Drinks The Nordic Drinks return to London after the summer holiday, taking place at Ole & Steen in Victoria. The event is a monthly occasion to expand your professional network and develop business relations across the UK-Nordic business sphere. Bakery, drinks and canapés

are included for early birds. Date: 29 August 2019, 6-8pm. Venue: Ole & Steen, Nova South, 1 Sir Simon Milton Square, London SW1E 5DJ, UK www.eventbrite.co.uk

Business breakfast: Jonathan Finney, Openreach The Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK will host a roundtable discussion featuring Jonathan Finney. Finney is the head of public affairs at Openreach, a company that connects homes and businesses in the UK to the national broadband and telephone network. He will discuss the country’s progress with full-fibre broadband, why it matters, challenges around policy and regulation, as well as differences between the UK and Scandinavia’s broadband advancement. Date: 11 September 2019, 8-10am Venue: Handelsbanken Wealth Management, 1 Kingsway, London WC2B 6AA, UK www.scc.org.uk

Workshop: Work and live in Sweden Thanks to successful start-ups such as Spotify, Skype and King, Stockholm has become a global hub for technology and entrepreneurship. This series of one-on-one workshops over Skype, organised by EnglishJobs.se, are for those who wish to live and work in Sweden. Recruitment experts will help you find job openings at multinationals and some of the most exciting startups in Sweden, as well as creating a CV customised for Swedish employers. Date: Until 31 October 2019 Venue: Online www.eventbrite.co.uk

The Salmon offers knowledge and delicious samples side by side.

Restaurant of the Month, Norway

An educational taste of salmon in the heart of Oslo Norwegian salmon is known and loved in all corners of the world, and the Nordic country is the biggest producer of Atlantic salmon in the world. But not everyone knows about the food’s journey before it ends up on the table. The Salmon, located in the Oslo harbour, aims to change this. By Alyssa Nilsen | Photos: Nancy Bundt

The importance of the ocean for Norway is not lost on the nation’s inhabitants. It is a country built on fishing, and fish export was the most important trade before oil was discovered. It is still the country’s 84 | Issue 127 | August 2019

second-largest export, and in the first half of 2019 alone, 506,000 tonnes of salmon were exported from Norway – an increase of five per cent compared to the same period last year.

The auditorium of The Salmon and the Norwegian prime minister Erna Solberg. Photo: Kilian Munch.

Scan Magazine | Restaurant of the Month | Norway

This is why co-owner of educational centre The Salmon, Petter Sandberg, feels it is important for both Norwegians and tourists to know about salmon farming and production, why Norway should continue to keep this industry alive, and how essential salmon farming is to the country. Co-founded by restaurant-owner Sandberg and Nova Sea, one of the largest producers of Atlantic farmed salmon in northern Norway, The Salmon is located at Tjuvholmen in Oslo. Divided into two

parts, the centre aims to educate people about salmon and the salmon farming industry, as well as give people a taste of the Atlantic delicacy. “This is a one-of-a-kind centre,” says Sandberg. “There is nothing like it anywhere else. It’s an interactive experience that presents the Norwegian salmon industry, and it’s also a restaurant. It is the combination of understanding where your food comes from, what it is, how it’s produced and what that means for our

country, and being able to eat that food within the same space.” With interactive stations in the experience part of the centre, visitors can gain information and test their knowledge through game-based learning platform Kahoot!. They can also visit a control room, which is streaming video live from the Helgeland coast, allowing visitors to observe fish in real time through cameras placed above and under water. Norwegian prime minister Erna Solberg

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Scan Magazine | Restaurant of the Month | Norway

tried the control room during the official opening of the centre earlier this year and helped feed the salmon using the controls and technology at the centre.

Battling misinformation People tend to believe that wild salmon is healthier than farmed salmon, but a big research article published last year proved that this is not the case at all. There’s nothing about a wild salmon that’s healthier than a farmed one. “We are certain that this centre can help increase people’s knowledge of farmed salmon and make national and international criticism focus on the important aspects of the industry rather than rumours and misinformation,” says Sandberg. “Every industry has its challenges to deal with. We all leave ecological footprints and must aim to be sustainable. We are not pretending to be perfect and without challenges, but we need to shine a light on factual issues rather than fictional, and

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show how intensely and vehemently we are working to solve those issues.” To make sure that all the facts presented at the centre are correct, The Salmon is collaborating with NMBU, the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.

Taste salmon every way Once you’ve been through the experience part of the centre, why not try some of the fish you’ve just learnt about, in the restaurant? The Salmon offers salmon prepared in a variety of ways, such as raw, hot or cold smoked, gravlax and sushi. How about a waffle with smoked salmon and salmon roe? The smoked salmon is delivered fresh every day from their own smokehouse at the Oslo harbour, where the fish is smoked the old-fashioned way while hanging rather than lying flat. The restaurant boasts seven trained chefs, four of them specialised in sushi, and they

are continously experimenting with new flavours, textures and ingredient combinations in their salmon dishes. But there are also classic dishes on the menu, such as fish soup, oysters and fish cakes, as well as the best-sellers, sushi and grilled salmon with asparagus. The centre is free of charge and open to locals, schools and tourists alike. The subjects of the knowledge centre are closely tied in with the curriculum of Norwegian secondary schools, but Sandberg would recommend it to anybody curious about the industry. Since its opening, the centre has had upwards of 30,000 visitors, and though booking in advance isn’t necessary for regular guests, it is also possible for businesses and private parties to book in events and lectures. Web: www.thesalmon.no Facebook: thesalmonoslo Instagram: @thesalmon_oslo

Scan Magazine | Restaurant of the Month | Sweden

Restaurant of the Month, Sweden

La Gastronomia Italiana In central Stockholm, there’s a hidden Italian gem, which is fully booked every day. With 90 per cent of guests being returning customers, it seems as though the regulars like to keep it to themselves. Restaurant Mancini wants to be an ambassador for real Italian food, and what better way to describe it than with its food: prosciutto sliced à la minute, buffalo mozzarella that leaves guests happy and satisfied, and homemade gelati. By Sara Wenkel | Photos: Mancini

Giancarlo Clark, the restaurant manager and sommelier at Mancini, moved from Positano, Italy, to Stockholm ten years ago. He used to go to Mancini to eat as often as he could, as it made him feel close to his home country. Six years ago, he got the opportunity to join the Mancini family. “I love our restaurant, as you come here for a full Italian experience. Every time you take a breath, your whole body will reminisce about Italy – and by then, we haven’t even brought out the food yet,” he enthuses.

Apertivo in the wine cellar A popular way of starting an evening at Mancini is with an apertivo in the wine cellar, surrounded by 4,000 bottles from

various Italian wine districts. “We have all the classic wines, but we also continuously bring in new, up-and-coming brands,” says Clark. As a guest, you then get to peek into the kitchen, where the chefs will happily show you some of the food they are about to serve you. There are a few set menus to choose from, and also à la carte options. Mancini changes the menu regularly, but there are a few dishes you can always find. “We tried once to remove the ravioli served with a prestige black truffle cream, but there was a revolution among our regulars. We will never do that again!” Clark laughs.

White truffle autumn special “We are entering a few special months, as it is soon white truffle season,” says a joyful Clark. White truffle from Alba is the shining star in five exclusive à la carte dishes, as well as in a mouthwatering set menu available in October and November, depending a little on the season’s supply. “We add the truffle at the table in front of our guests to make sure that all the senses get to enjoy the experience,” Clark concludes.

Restaurant Mancini is located on Tunnelgatan 1a in Stockholm, right between Hötorget and Stureplan.

Web: mancini.se

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From spring until autumn, Holms Røgeri is open seven days a week, with its hugely popular buffet served on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. On weekdays and for lunch, an extensive à la carte menu is available, and non-fish and vegetarian options are available too.

Restaurant of the Month, Denmark

Deliciously fishy business The island of Rømø lies nestled in the southernmost gulf of western Jutland, just half an hour’s drive from the German border. Surrounded by the UNESCO-protected Wadden Sea, which stretches from Jutland to the Netherlands, Rømø acts as a perfect gateway to some of Denmark’s most beautiful nature and the flourishing wildlife that the area is famous for. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else,” says Alexandra Paprotny, who moved north of the border to run Rømø’s well-known Holms Røgeri og Restaurant, which celebrates Jutland’s and Denmark’s long culinary history of seafood and smokeries. By Louise Older Steffensen | Photos: Holms Røgeri og Restaurant

Fish smokeries have been a staple of Denmark’s never-ending coastline for centuries. As an island people, large parts of the population were heavily reliant on fishing, and one of the best and most delicious ways to preserve the treasures of the seas was to smoke 88 | Issue 127 | August 2019

the fish. Smoked fish dishes, such as smoked mackerel and herring, remain firm Danish favourites, and charming little ‘røgerier’ – smokeries – can still be found all over Denmark’s many islands. Holms Røgeri og Restaurant is everything a proper Danish fish restau-

rant should be, with Alexandra and her husband Peter Paprotny offering up the expected traditional Danish dishes as well as their own creations using all the best ingredients from land and sea. You’re in good hands whatever meal you go for. Both Alexandra and her husband have had extensive careers as chefs, having trained in Germany in the 1980s, and Peter was hired as master chef at the very beginning by the Holms, when they first opened the restaurant. When the Holms decided to retire, they asked Peter to take charge of their beloved restaurant if he wanted to – and he really did. “I was a bit hesitant to take over at first,” Alexandra admits. “I knew

Scan Magazine | Restaurant of the Month | Denmark

that it would be a lot of work and a commitment for many years into the future. Running a restaurant is a full-time job, particularly during the summer season when people flock to the region from all over Denmark and Germany. But we’d both fallen in love with Rømø and with Holms Røgeri. It turned out to be a great decision and I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

Rømø on the menu The Paprotnys seem to have made their way northwards towards the border through a series of happy accidents. When their four children were young, they decided to put them into Danish-speaking schools south of the border, and the parents naturally followed, working together in a series of restaurants that fast approached Denmark. When Peter got the opportunity, he decided to go full Dane, and the family moved with him to Rømø a few years later. “It is a lovely place to visit and an even lovelier place to grow up,” Alexandra says. “We get all the best bits of island culture, but we’re also permanently connected to mainland Jutland by a road now, so there’s easy access to and from the mainland all year round. On Rømø, everyone knows each other and is proud of the island. With its wildlife, its beaches and the ever-changing seas, Rømø is a very special place, and we love giving tourists a real taste of the area.”

Apart from the restaurant, Holms Røgeri also includes a fishmonger on the harbourfront. Depending on what’s available on the day, customers can put together their own fresh fish platter to take away. Peter and his crew smoke batches of fish up to several times a day, so visitors are guaranteed some of the freshest smoked fish they’ll find anywhere. The restaurant is located less than 500 metres away, and from Friday through Sunday, it offers up a bountiful evening buffet, which will satiate even the greatest fish fan’s wildest desires. The buffet promises a taste of the North Sea, and it delivers on all accounts, from savoury shellfish to succulent homemade fish salads and, of course, countless cases of smoked and pan-fried plaice. Alexandra and Peter may be busy, but they have a great support system in

place to help them through the popular months, from their children and children-in-law to their excellent staff, who are all locals but come from as far away as Syria. All have in common that they love what they do and the place where they live. “It does sometimes get a bit much with all the fish for us,” Alexandra laughs, “but luckily there’s a great pizzeria down the road that we have been known to frequent. We’re very lucky to have easy access to all these delicious delicacies, however, and having to suss out new flavours, ingredients and combinations spices things up both for us and for our clients. We do get a lot of regular and returning customers, which is the greatest compliment.” Web: www.holmsrogeri.dk Facebook: holmsrogeri

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Scan Magazine | Bed & Breakfast of the Month | Denmark

Bed & Breakfast of the Month, Denmark

A dream built on Danish design, local produce and leftovers from the fire Wake up to the sound of silence, take a 200-metre stroll down to the seaside for a morning dip, and head back for freshly brewed coffee and home-baked bread, fresh out of the oven. It almost sounds too good to be true: yet, Bjørnegården Landhotel B&B is a very real gem surrounded by woods and water on the Danish island of Funen. But even though it was love at first sight, things were far from rosy when the owner first saw the place.

Furnished with Danish design icons, the living room invites guests to lounge and get lost in art and literature when it’s time for a break from the scenic outdoors or nearby attractions, including the Viking Museum in Kerteminde.

By Camilla Pedersen | Photos: Bjørnegården Landhotel

“It’s a true joy to see people revitalise and simply immerse themselves in nature and tranquility. But the best part is that I get the pleasure of welcoming most guests back,” says Bjørnegaard.

“I used to be an international criminal police and naval officer, and travelled the world, but during a summer break spent exploring Denmark, I fell head over heels with this very special place,” says Bent Bjørnegaard, owner of Bjørnegården Landhotel B&B since 2013. During his tour of Denmark, his planned stay at Bjørnegården was cancelled at the last minute, and he decided to go visit anyway to find out why. “I was met by the devastating sight of only one main building still standing – everything else from what used to be a four-wing building dating back to 1600 had burnt to the ground.” 90 | Issue 127 | August 2019

Despite the sad leftovers, Bjørnegaard saw nothing but potential, so after one busy year of paperwork and renovations of the main building, he was the new owner and could officially welcome guests into nine individually furnished double rooms. From day one, it was Bjørnegaard’s mission to create a B&B experience appropriate for its tranquil and beautiful surroundings, which are second to none. “Quality has been key in every big and small decision, from the choice of furniture and bed linen to the homemade or locally sourced jams and hams on the breakfast table – all organic, of course,” Bjørnegaard says.

Bjørnegården Landhotel B&B has nine individually furnished double bedrooms and welcomes guests over the age of ten. All guests have access to a kitchen, dining and living room. Breakfast is included.

Web: www.bjoernegaarden.dk Facebook: Bjørnegården

Scan Magazine | Hotel of the Month | Denmark

Hotel of the Month, Denmark

Far away, but close to it all Seven kilometres north of Copenhagen lies a little hotel that has it all: easy access to central Copenhagen, sea views, proximity to the old royal woods, and the type of warm and personal service you won’t usually find in a big city. “We like to say that we’re big enough to serve you, but small enough to know you,” says Eva Nadelmann Haahr, who manages Skovshoved Hotel together with her sister-in-law, Line Nadelmann. By Louise Older Steffensen | Photos: Skovshoved Hotel

The boutique hotel must be doing something right – it first welcomed guests inside as Skovshoved’s Inn in 1660 and has been highlighted by Condé Nast Traveler for its charm, convenience and service. Eva’s father, Ivan, acquired the hotel in 2003. Thanks to his loving renovation work, the long and colourful history of the place is tangible in every room and detail, from the twinkly chandeliers

Eva Nadelmann Haahr and Line Nadelmann.

to the brass keys hanging in reception. “We know that some floorboards creak a bit and the bathrooms are a little quirky,” Eva says, “but that’s part of the charm: we don’t want to be just another busy Copenhagen hotel.” Eva and Line took over the running of the hotel last spring. “We knew it’d be a lifestyle. If one of our brilliant members of staff becomes ill, it’s up to Line or me to step in, so it’s not unusual to see us doing dishes or clearing up after breakfast,” Eva, a former banker, explains. “But hotel life has even more upsides than I would’ve thought. We’re very proud of the hotel and cherish being here, and we love caring for our guests, whether they’re in for a quick coffee or a business meeting, or they’ve stayed with us 18 times before.”

Over the past year, Line and Eva have added their own little touches. As part of their Room Service art initiative, all of the 22 architect-designed rooms have been decorated by young artists, curated by Natalia Gutman. If guests fall in love with a particular painting, photo or sculpture, they may purchase it and bring it home. While Eva, Line and their staff take care of the hotel’s luxurious breakfast themselves, lunch and dinners at the hotel, as well as conference and event menus for up to 150 attendees, are provided by the restaurant A Hereford Beefstouw. They moved in last year and, apart from their own famous menu, now feature a special Skovshoved menu celebrating Skovshoved’s famous seaside location. “We feel very lucky to live and work somewhere that feels like its own little self-sufficient bubble, but is really only ten minutes from everything else,” Eva concludes. Web: www.skovshovedhotel.com Facebook: skovshovedhotel Instagram: @skovshovedhotel

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Photo: Hallvard Kolltveit

Hotel of the Month, Norway

Recharge and explore Whether you are looking for a summit challenge, a relaxing resort or just want to – once and for all – learn how to dive or surf in the Arctic Ocean, the Nusfjord Arctic Resort is the place to go. Nestled in an old fishing village in Lofoten, it’s the ultimate all-season resort. By Lisa Maria Berg | Photos: Nusfjord Arctic Resort

Nusfjord, only a 25-minute drive from Leknes Airport, is part of the group of islands on the north-west coast of Norway that make up Lofoten. Like pearls on a string, these little fishing villages stretch out into the awe that is the North Sea. It’s a landscape like no other. Majestic mountains and sandy beaches go hand in hand, with the never-sleeping sea as its neighbour. “It’s a place that changes with the seasons. The contrasts are enor92 | Issue 127 | August 2019

mous, with the midnight sun accompanying the summer and the northern lights turning a winter visit into something very special,” explains general manager Caroline Krefting.

History in the floorboards The location for the resort isn’t just any old place. Like most of the settlements in Lofoten, Nusfjord was a fishing village. People living here relied on the sea, for

food and for transport. The first settlements date back to 425BC, and most of the remaining buildings are from the 1800s. For a long time, the village was meant to be torn down, making way for the new fishing industry, but when, in 1974, Nusfjord was shortlisted for UNESCO’s Year of Architecture list, those plans were quickly thrown out the window. “The village is really like something on a postcard. With its original wooden structure not just intact, but in mint condition, the place is historically of high importance. We want our guests to truly get a feel for what life was like here, and to get a taste of the rich history of the place,” Krefting explains.

Scan Magazine | Hotel of the Month | Norway

Photo: Emergence Projects

A place to recharge As a visitor at the Nusfjord resort, you can forget everything you know about hotels and key cards. “Our bedrooms are all converted fisherman’s cabins, all modernised with en-suite bathrooms. The structure is all original, and each room has its own personal touch. With the place itself as inspiration, it has been a joy to decorate. In all of the cabins, we expose the original timber roofs and walls. Back in the day, the fishermen used what they had available, and some of the guests can find themselves sleeping under a roof made out of an old fishing boat,” Krefting enthuses. With three restaurants on the premises, you can have local-recipe fish soup for lunch and catch of the day for dinner, before settling in for a nightcap in the atmospheric Oriana Tavern. And with the fisherman’s cabins being right by the

Photo: Dreyer Hensley

sea, the sound of the North Sea becomes your lullaby.

Hand in hand with nature Whether you’re popping into Nusfjord for a few hours or staying for a week, there’s plenty to do – be it a five-hour trek up spectacular mountains and sceneries, or a relaxing day at the spa. “There are so many different activities here. A really popular one is obviously going fishing, which I think isn’t just incredibly fun but also a way of learning more about the way of life up here. It’s always a local fisherman who takes you to sea, which makes for a really special day out!” explains Krefting. Often, a trip to sea is also accompanied by a course in slaying fish, and if you’re in for the whole experience, why not round off the day with a cooking class turning your fresh, self-caught cod into a local dish? If you’re a fan of the sea but feel a

bit shaky in a boat, a snorkelling or diving course might be more suitable. Or, if you’re just looking to recharge and rest up, why not spend the day in the outdoors, followed by a spot in the sauna?

A place fit for a queen It is not just regular folk who find their way to Nusfjord. This year, the resort opened its own gallery with Queen Sonja’s very own works. The queen of Norway is known to have a particular sweet spot for Lofoten, where she has spent many a holiday trekking away in the majestic mountains found on the island group. “It’s a privilege and an honour to have the queen’s work on our walls. It’s a really special place, and a gallery like this feels really right here,” Krefting concludes. Web: www.nusfjordarcticresort.com

Photo: Dreyer Hensley

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Kåre Tveter’s Svalbard exhibition in the gallery.

Gallery of the Month, Norway

The painter of light At Kåre Tveter Galleri Lyshuset in Skarnes, you are invited to see the country’s largest collection of artwork by the great Norwegian painter. In addition, the cosy gallery, which is located in the farmhouse of the former farm Korsmo Søndre, also hosts exhibitions with selected artists and events throughout the year. By Ingrid Opstad | Photos: Kåre Tveter Galleri Lyshuset

Kåre Tveter is often referred to as the painter of light, which is a result of his fascination with capturing the light in his art. The great Norwegian artist was born in 1922 in Sør-Odal and had his debut as a painter in 1957. “Tveter did not use many or strong colours; he was rather at the other end of the scale and utilised muted and soft hues. His technique was characterised by the light, and by that I mean he diluted the watercolours and the oil paint to show the light, or sometimes the absence of light, in his work,” says Cato Bekkevold, member of Galleri Lyshusets Venneforening and leader of Sør-Odal Kunstforening. By doing so, Tveter managed to portray 94 | Issue 127 | August 2019

light in a very special way, connecting his motifs with both something godly and at the same time something highly material and rational.

Capturing winter landscapes and misty scenery In relation to artistic themes, the painter was concerned with capturing the beautiful winter landscapes in the eastern part of Norway and Finnskogen (Forest of the Finns). Another topic he was drawn to was the month of August, with its colours and the misty scenery that often characterises this period of the year. “From the mid-‘80s, when he first visited Svalbard, his fascination for

the place also became a very important part of his art,” Bekkevold explains. “I would say Tveter is perhaps the only Norwegian artist who has managed to portray the large, desolate and lonely Arctic landscape and its ever-changing light in all seasons.” However, the paintings are not locationspecific, but instead the artist dictates the mood and conveys what the light means in relation to the place. As Tveter said himself: “the landscape is a skeleton on which I hang the light”.

The Norwegian painter Kåre Tveter. Photo: Morten Krogvold

Scan Magazine | Gallery of the Month | Norway

Lyshuset At Kåre Tveter Galleri Lyshuset, a name that again refers to the artist’s fondness of light, you are invited to see the country’s largest collection of artwork from the great Norwegian painter. The gallery was opened by HMKH Queen Sonja of Norway in October 2002, and the collection on display was donated by the painter himself. It consists of his 128 works in various techniques, mainly from the period 1985 to 1998. The permanent exhibition is divided in two, one about east Norway and the other showing the artist’s work from Svalbard. Located in idyllic Skarnes, inside the former farm Korsmo Søndre, the cosy gallery provides the perfect framework for experiencing art. The main house on the farm is the gallery, dedicated to Kåre Tveter; the old barn has been con-

Arktisk månenatt 2.

verted into a cultural centre with exhibition space; and there is also a traditional Norwegian ‘stabbur’, which is now used for exhibitions. In addition, you can visit a small shop that sells books, art and ceramics, all of which is also available to purchase through the online shop.

Something for everyone interested in culture and art “We also host exhibitions by selected Norwegian artists, often with local affiliation, and this summer we have just finished our exhibition with artwork displayed by Håkon Bleken,” explains cultural adviser for Sør-Odal municipality, Henriette Eriksen. Marking Bleken’s 90th birthday this year, the guest exhibition is a graphics showcase with a different expression than what the main exhibition displays. The goal is

Over breene.

to showcase renowned and well-known artists together with Tveter. In addition, Kåre Tveter Galleri Lyshuset also arranges concerts, lectures and other events throughout the summer. The first thing happening after the summer is Augustkveld, an evening in Låvebrua with a concert by Erik Lukashaugen as well as a lecture by Anni Fremmelid, titled Tåke og regn, alt og ingenting. This is arranged by Lyshusets Venner, an association promoting the interest in Tveter’s art and supporting the gallery’s activities. “There should be something for everyone who is interested in culture and art here,” Eriksen smiles, adding: “If you want to see more of Tveter, there is also a permanent gallery in Longyearbyen, Galleri Svalbard, dedicated to his work.”

Pinselys.

Programme 2019: 25 August: Augustkveld in Låvebrua. Exhibitions at Låvegalleriet: 19-20 and 26-27 October: Kåre Tveter Galleri Lyshusets Venner, art by Arne Martinsen and Kåre Tveter. 2-3 and 9-10 November: Sør-Odal Kunstforening, Randi Fjørstad. Sen sommerkveld.

Opening hours: 12-4pm June to August: Wednesday to Sunday. May and September: Saturday to Sunday. Rest of the year: open on selected weekends.

Ved kornmotid.

Web: www.lyshuset.no Facebook: gallerilyshuset

Issue 127 | August 2019 | 95

In addition to painting, Østrem takes on mural commissions by different corporations and institutions.

Artist of the Month, Norway

From underground walls to exhibitions Painter Atle Østrem did not start his artist career in a traditional way: after painting graffiti illegally for years, his hobby eventually led to his arrest and a number of fines. He then decided to take his art from walls to canvases. By Synne Johnsson | Photos: Atle Østrem

Østrem started doing graffiti in the mid’90s, when graffiti was completely illegal and not viewed as art. After being arrested and facing numerous fines and even a compensation claim, he was advised to start working on canvases instead – a piece of advice he took on board. “Growing up, I always saw graffiti on the walls, but I had no idea who actually did it. One day, I learned that my neighbour did graffiti, and he showed me this documentary that got me hooked,” the Stavanger-based artist says. 96 | Issue 127 | August 2019

After being introduced to the graffiti scene by his neighbour, Østrem started practising. No one ever taught him how to do it, but by reading magazines and through trial and error, Østrem eventually found his expression and became a very skilful graffiti artist. To this day, everything from technique and colour to composition is self-taught. “At that point, I just did it as an outlet for my creativity. Ever since I was a child, I have always liked to draw and paint. I really felt that need to express myself creatively,” he says.

After his arrest, he did not give up his hobby overnight, but started playing around with spray-cans on canvases. Eventually, he started using paint and ink, which is what he uses today. Mixing figures and writing, his graffiti expression has remained. “I’ve worked hard to sharpen and perfect my expression and my own stroke. For me, it’s important to have my own, recognisable characteristic, which is why Atle Østrem started his artist career as a graffiti artist.

Scan Magazine | Artist of the Month | Norway

I tend to use repetition as a tool,” Østrem says. “I often combine text and writing with shapes and colours. I would say that my paintings are a form of visual poetry with a pinch of humour.”

From hobby to livelihood In 2006, his hobby was about to become his livelihood, when Brynjulv Koll-Hansen, the owner of Galleri Koll in Stavanger, came into the shop he was managing at the time. The shop sold graffiti equipment and Østrem was displaying some of his art there, something Koll-Hansen’s daughter had seen and told her father about. This was the start of a long partnership. “Only a year later, I had my first exhibition in his gallery. Galleri Koll was the first gallery that displayed any of my paintings, and I really feel like Brynjulv has helped me to make a livelihood of my art,” says Østrem. Galleri Koll opened in 1990, displaying modern art from current artists. Next year, Østrem will be one of 12 artists to be highlighted as part of the gallery’s 30th anniversary, where he will have a three-week solo exhibition in March 2020. He will display new paintings, as well as showcasing his journey from a graffiti artist who illegally painted on walls, to becoming an acknowledged painter. “After the visit from Koll-Hansen, I understood that I could actually earn mosney from what I was doing. Eventually, my paintings started selling, and I got the confidence to send my work to other galleries as well,” Østrem explains. In addition to the many exhibitions at Galleri Koll, Østrem has held exhibitions

at several other galleries throughout Norway and other parts of Europe, including in England, Germany and Switzerland. He has even had two solo exhibitions in the United States.

Still a graffiti artist at heart Even though Østrem’s illegal graffiti days are over, he has not given up his old hobby completely. In addition to painting, Østrem does murals everywhere from public walls to private offices. His mural commissions to date include work for the University of Stavanger, Comfort Hotels, Oslo Havnevesen and several property corporations such as Ragde Eiendom. Østrem admits that he prefers doing the legal work over the illegal graffiti from his teenage years. “Now I can use the time I need and want, which allows me to paint in more detail. Before, I had to finish within an hour or two, to avoid getting caught. It’s also easier now that I can work in daylight and not in the middle of the night like I used to,” he says.

Østrem gets his inspiration from his own life and describes his art as a visual diary. He explains that he has no set themes, but that he simply uses events from his every day, from things that happen in his or his friends’ lives, and stories from the news and media. What the artist likes the most about his job is that he is doing what he loves and always has an outlet for his creativity. “I truly love what I do, and I feel lucky to be able to live off my art, where I get to use my creativity and my imagination every day,” he says.

Atle Østrem is currently working on new paintings for his next solo exhibition, which will open in March 2020 at Galleri Koll. Visit the gallery’s website at www.gallerikoll.no

Web: www.atleostrem.com Instagram: @atleostrem

By mixing text and figures, Østrem has maintained his expression from his graffiti days.

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Scan Magazine | Humour | Columns

IS IT JUST ME…

By Mette Lisby

… who startles when I see a comment pointing out a mistake in someone’s mundane social media post? Somebody posts about a meal they’ve had and someone bothers to point out a misplaced comma or missing apostrophe. Really? Who are these people who have dedicated their life to proofreading the internet? And why don’t they have anything else to do? I get pointing out the common ‘your’ versus ‘you’re’ mistake, because that can alter the meaning of a sentence and is generally confusing. Generally speaking, I am pretty meticulous when it comes to spelling – but it does happen that I misspell something in a social media post, and strangers feel the need to point that out to me. If that bothers you so much that you need to take time out of your day to point that out to me, I’ve got great news! You should most definitely stay with me, because I guarantee you there will be plenty of more mistakes from me. To me, putting commas into a sentence

is like decorating a set table with flowers: I put them randomly where I think they look nice. In my defence, the comma rules have changed time and time again, and at least in Denmark, even the spelling of certain notoriously tricky words has changed, simply to accommodate the fact that no one under the age of 40 knows how to spell them the old-fashioned way. You can weep over old virtues lost, but you can also embrace it and go with the positive angle: maybe it’s not worth bothering about. Choose your battles, you know? If you’re that obsessed with other people’s mistakes and you have taken it upon yourself to be the linesman of the world wide web, it’s not like there’s nothing to go about doing. I mean please, please, please, instead of pointing out innocent, misplaced commas, could you focus your energy and spend your time fact-checking the internet instead? That should keep

Train heat Brits love a good chat about the weather and what is wrong with it. Summer begins with lots of grumbling about how summer has not begun, and then once it does, instant declaration that it’s ‘too hot’. One place that is definitely ‘too hot’ is all forms of public transport and, in particular, trains. If ill-equipped to deal with leaves on the tracks in winter, some trains are clearly even less capable of handling the sun. ‘Bring water’, signs cheerfully advise at stations, not taking into account that the temperature inside these rolling ovens is high enough to melt tungsten. On one of my last such journeys, I asked a staff member whether the windows could be opened and was told: ‘Of course not, open windows on trains are VERY dangerous!’. I questioned what would be worse – an open window, or death by spontaneous combustion – at which he closed the argument with: ‘Sweating is good for you’. A 98 | Issue 127 | August 2019

you busy, and it would leave the rest of us – the random comma-throwing savages of the world – a whole lot better off.

Mette Lisby is Denmark’s leading female comedian. She invites you to laugh along with her monthly humour columns. Since her stand-up debut in 1992, Mette has hosted the Danish version of Have I Got News For You and Room 101.

By Maria Smedstad

treme adverse weather conditions – everyone naturally turned very British. Water was shared around, newspapers passed for fanning, lots of stoic smiling. Then came the ultimate British cure for all evils. What’s best for cooling down an overheating commuter? A nice, steaming hot cup of tea, of course. The theory on airflow might be suspect, but this, as everyone knows, is a proven fact.

second guard was more helpful. ‘There’s a system’, he explained. ‘We open a window at one end of the carriage and one at the other to create airflow’. Now, I’m no expert on airflow, but I can attest to the fact that this particular model wasn’t working. The one silver lining was that – faced with ex-

Maria Smedstad moved to the UK from Sweden in 1994. She received a degree in Illustration in 2001, before settling in the capital as a freelance cartoonist, creating the autobiographical cartoon Em. Maria writes a column on the trials and tribulations of life as a Swede in the UK.

A trip back in time Visiting Theodor Kittelsen’s artist villa, Lauvlia, is like stepping into a time machine. Nestled in between the birch trees, overlooking the gorgeous Soneren lake, it makes the perfect setting for a Sunday outing. By Lisa Maria Berg | Photos: Th. Kittelsens kunstnerhjem Lauvlia

Theodor Kittelsen (1857-1914) is the man who truly gave Norwegian folk tales their image. His paintings of trolls have come to be the Norwegian idea of ‘what they really looked like’. The artist was spotted at an early age as a remarkable talent with a palette and a brush. Growing up under quite impoverished conditions, he was lucky enough to receive funding from a private donor to go to Munich to study. It was there that he began the journey of finding his unique style, which came to be so beloved. 100 | Issue 127 | August 2019

It wasn’t until in later years that he, together with the love of his life, Inga, built Lauvlia. “The couple described their time at Lauvlia as the happiest ten years of their lives. It was also the artist’s most productive time, in terms of the amount of work he produced out of the atelier there,” explains Lillian Holm, general manager at the historic villa.

A house built on love Lauvlia finds itself nestled just on the edge of the Soneren lake in Sigdal, no

more than a 30-minute drive from the popular Blaafarverket – a former cobalt mine, now turned museum – in the idyllic Buskerud county. It was on an afternoon drive that the Kittelsens came

Scan Magazine | Culture Profile | Th. Kittelsens kunstnerhjem Lauvlia

by the land, where they were to set up a house. “They completely fell in love with the place. Today, people describe a calm and peace when visiting, and I think it’s the same serenity that drew Inga and Theodor to the place so many years ago. Theodor took a tremendous amount of inspiration from the place, and a lot of his motifs are drawn from the nearby hills. Walking through this landscape is like walking through a catalogue of his work,” says Holm. The Kittelsens finished their house in 1899 – just before the turn of the century. With eight children, chickens, sheep, a cat and some cattle, you can only imagine what a lively place it must have been. “The walls are steeped in joy and love. All over the house, both inside and outside, one can find little wood carvings and paintings made by Kittelsen himself. We can only interpret it as a token of him wanting to mark the place as his own, the place where he was at his happiest,” Holm continues.

More than a museum Today, it is over 100 years since the Kittelsens left Lauvlia. Still, the place is almost identical to how they left it. “After the Kittelsens had to sell the house, due to hard financial times and the worsen-

Dompap på rimet kvist - Vintermorgen, 1906.

ing of Theodor’s health, it fell into the hands of a family who used it only as a holiday home. The house has practically not undergone any change at all since the Kittelsens lived there. A lot of the original furniture has also been reinstated into the house, bringing the place back into its original state,” explains Holm. The thoughtful curating of the house earned the museum an Olavsrose – The Rose of Olav – as a sign of distinguished

Trollet som grunder på hvor gammelt det er, 1911.

work protecting an important piece of cultural heritage. The villa is more than just a museum of Kittelsen’s life. Part of the house is a gallery with a new exhibition every summer. The place is also an ideal destination for families. “We put a great focus on children when curating the villa into a museum. The old storehouse has been turned into a little atelier, where children can paint and draw on easels like real artists. Moreover, the hen house has been turned into a wood workshop,” says Holm.

Serene surroundings With a gorgeous view overlooking the lake, and the forest as its neighbour, Lauvlia makes for a wonderful place to spend a day. “There are some beautiful paths in the nearby area, with trolls peeking out here and there, making it a fun place for children and families to explore. We think that making the villa into more than just a conventional museum is important, and makes the history of the place more accessible – especially for children,” Holm continues. With the kitchen of the former lady of the house, Inga, turned into a cafe selling waffles through the kitchen window (yes, this is practically the definition of idyll), it is definitely worth a visit. Soria Moria, 1900.

Web: www.lauvlia.no

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Photo: Stein Arne Sæther

Crafting a legacy The history of Norway is in many ways the history of a seafaring people. The ocean provided a lifeline, transportation routes and, with its never-ending tide, a means of tracking time. By Lisa Maria Berg | Photos: Museet Kystens Arv

It is with an urge to keep an ancient craft alive that Einar Borgfjord and his team at Båtskott Boatyard build their fine wooden boats. Using techniques passed down from builder to builder, the small team has been going since 1986. This year, they built boat number 254. “Boatbuilding has taken place in Norway through all ages. A particular revolution took place during the Viking Age, when one saw several different types of boat being made. It was essential to the everyday life of people living along the coast. Fishing was imperative to life here, and you can’t fish if you don’t have a boat,” explains Borgfjord. Together with his colleague, he has carried the ancient craft of boatbuilding into the 21st century. 102 | Issue 127 | August 2019

The craft In a country with plenty of forest, the main material for the craft was always going to be wood. “We follow the process from start to finish. Good material is essential to the boat’s quality, endurance and strength, and we want to ensure that we have the very best. Today, that means that we mainly use spruce and pine. We find and chop the timber ourselves, to ensure that quality through every step, from the moment we locate good timber to when the boat first hits water,” Borgfjord continues. The boat building itself is founded on the clink building principles. Layers of wood overlap each other and are ‘clinked’ together. The famous Viking ships are all built in this fashion, and the team has

come to be experts in the method. “A boat built in wood is perfect for both rowing and sailing. Today, these boats are mostly used on a hobby basis, but throughout history, they played a key role in trade, transport and the provision of food. Scriptures found in England dating back to the 1300s described Norwegians sailing over to sell fish and other products to villages on the east coast of the UK,” Borgfjord explains.

Life at sea The boatyard is part of a bigger museum: Museet Kystens Arv MiST (The

Scan Magazine | Culture Profile | Båtskott Trebåtbyggeri

Coastal Heritage Museum). It gives unique insight into not only boat building itself, but also life at sea. Housing and items from throughout the times are on display and available for the public to explore. With original houses with items from a fishing family’s life, it is a real chance to travel back in time. “The museum and the boatyard are really the place to go to get a sense of life at sea. We have a lot of students and young people come to visit. We’re able to not just teach the craft of building ships, but pass on skills of life at sea; teaching children how to row and fare at sea is so rewarding,” says Borgfjord. The museum – a short drive and a spectacularly beautiful ferry ride away – is located in the fjord of Trondheim, 40 minutes from the historic town. Trondheim was for a long time the capital and religious centre of Norway, home to the Nidaros Cathedral. “It’s a beautiful place out here by the fjord: secluded and calm, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It’s the perfect place to escape into history and learn something new,” Borgfjord enthuses.

For the whole family This is the perfect place for a family outing. With activities for children including making miniature boats, rowing, and learning about life in the marina, it’s a real seaside adventure. “Including young people is important for this legacy to live on. We have had apprentices here since the beginning of the 1990s, learning the craft and taking their skills with them to

boatyards all over Scandinavia. It’s only by actually keeping on building boats that their history can live on,” Borgfjord continues. For it is truly a craft, making a boat by hand is not for those shy of getting stuck in. The boatyard’s latest is the 44-foot-long cargo ship Tordenskiold: so finely put together, it’s almost touching, especially when you consider the

fact that, not so long ago, it was but a tree standing in its forest. “There’s so much work put into it – something like 3,500 hours,” says Borgfjord. Those hours, however, take you very far. Web: www.kystensarv.no Facebook: Båtskott Trebåtbyggeri

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A show of female strength and innovation Brown cheese is one of Norway’s most iconic foodstuffs. The cheese is an important part of the country’s gastronomical and cultural identity and heritage, and Gudbrandsdalsost is the most popular variety. It has a fascinating story, and it all started with farm wife Anne Hov, a pioneer of her time. By Malin Norman | Photos: Solbråsetra

ing the whey, the liquid left over when milk is curdled and strained to make cheese. Traditionally, brown cheese was made by boiling whey without the addition of cream, resulting in a sugar-rich and lean product.

There is nothing like Norway’s Gudbrandsdalsost, the famous ‘brunost’ (brown cheese), anywhere else in the world. The tan-coloured cheese with a sweet caramel-savoury flavour is unique – and it has an interesting history, first developed by Anne Hov back in 1863. Her story is one of female strength and innovation in a traditional, maledominated farming society.

the seasonal farm, where she was looking after dairy cows. Norway has a long tradition of this type of summer pasture farming, where families moved cattle, sheep and goats to higher elevations to graze and fatten up, ultimately to produce more milk. In the 1800s and early 1900s, this is where women looked after the animals and made butter and cheese from the milk.

Anne Hov’s father disliked goats, so she only had cow’s milk on hand at the farm. In the summer of 1863, only 17 years old, she came up with the idea of adding cream to milk whey and boiling it down until the fluid content was reduced, creating a firmer, fattier, more cheese-like product, originally called fat cheese and later cream whey cheese. This proved to be a flavoursome cheese.

But let us start from the beginning: Anne Hov was raised on Solbrå farm, located in Gudbrandsdalen, not far from the mountains. She spent the summer months on

Creating the famous cheese

At this time, farming in Norway was undergoing a transformation. The railway network expanded and cheaper products were imported from abroad, which led to

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The key element of summer farming was treating and preserving the milk, churning the butter, making cheese and boil-

Scan Magazine | Culture Profile | Solbråsetra

falling prices. Anne Hov developed her product further and produced a brown cheese with a mix of cow’s and goat’s milk. It turned out to be more profitable and quickly caught on, and was soon commonly produced and consumed in the area. “She certainly was an innovative woman,” says Per Oluf Solbraa, owner of the farm where Anne Hov grew up. “In a male-dominated farming society, she managed to create a product in high demand. Still today, this cheese is an important part of Norwegian culture and society.”

Earning the King’s Medal Anne Hov’s achievement is no mean feat. By experimenting, she managed to create a product that was fantastic, eco-

nomical and also caught people’s interest. The innovation saved many farms in Gudbrandsdalen from a financial crisis in the 1880s. In 1933, aged 87, Anne Hov received the King’s Medal of Merit for her contributions to Norwegian cuisine and economy. The tradition of summer farming lives on. The old farm Solbråsetra is a popular destination with a small museum where you can learn about the history of farming, how the cheese was made and what equipment Anne Hov used. And you can take a well-deserved break in the lovely café, perhaps even try the brown cheese. “This is a way of keeping the past alive and showing the traditional farming culture, which is still active on some farms

in this region,” says Solbraa. The farm is now a protected national treasure. The cheese is still incredibly popular, too: mostly in Norway, but also on export to the US, for instance. Some say it is a bit like Marmite for the Brits; you either love it or hate it. “Often, we put the cheese on bread for our packed lunch, but some people like to experiment,” smiles Solbraa. “My mother used to boil the cheese and serve it as a sauce with ice cream. And many people add the cheese to sauces to serve with game and meat. It gives a lovely, sweet flavour to the dish.” Facebook: Solbraasetra

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Scan Magazine | Culture | Vølneberg gamle skole / Music

A journey back in time When visiting Vølneberg Gamle Skole, children get to experience what it was really like to go to school in Norway in the olden days. Originally built in 1864, Vølneberg is today the only remaining school in the area from this period. In 1985, Blaker og Sørum Historielag bought the building and began work to restore it. Since 2005, all fourth-graders in Sørum have had the opportunity to travel back in time and attend a typical, oldfashioned Norwegian school. “So far this year, 260 school kids have attended and really enjoyed themselves here. They are often amazed to find out how

different it actually was over 100 years ago, especially the discipline and the use of an outhouse toilet,” says deputy Elin Mørk. Everything from the setting and the teaching to the schedule and the food was different, and Mørk believes that it’s important to learn what life was like and see the contrast to appreciate what children have today. A visit makes an exciting and unusual school day, where the pupils get to, for instance, practise penmanship with ink, sing

Scandinavian music Making a late bid to provide you with your song of the summer, Sweden’s Frans has teamed up with rapper Yoel905 and together, they’ve come out with a new tune tailor-made for the season, Do It Like You Mean It. If you think it sounds familiar, that’s because it samples Vaya Con Dios’ ‘90s hit Nah Neh Nah, putting it to marvellous use and bringing that extra bit of heat to summer 2019. Two Swedish artists that you may well already be well familiar with, Marlene and Ji Nilsson, have gotten together as a brandnew act. Having made music together a few times and heard how great it sounded, they finally decided to make it official and form a duo: Pure Shores. Their debut single, Rushing, has just been released, and it’s a chilled deep-house track with oodles of character. It serves as an anthem to soundtrack those moments when you’re still awake for the midnight sun. 106 | Issue 127 | August 2019

After releasing excellent single after excellent single, Swedish duo Isle Of You has taken the next logical step and gone and released a debut album, Party Until We’re In Love. Anyone disappointed with the most recent Robyn album (*raises hand tentatively*), should look no further than to this record to provide electropop gems produced in that inimitable Swedish style. The album’s big highlight is the song Hold Tight. Finally, you might not have realised you were in the market for it, but a Nordic remake of ‘80s classic Down Under might just be your jam of choice to wind down the summer with. The much-loved song by Men At Work has been covered by Norwegian producer LVNDSCAPE and new Norway pop-collective, Rat City. The result is a bang-up-to-date production for a new generation to enjoy, vocalled by Rat City’s Cato Sundberg, whom many will recognise as the voice behind Norwegian band Donkeyboy.

By Ingrid Opstad | Photos: Gisela Abt

old songs and read from The Bible. Outside, they can help with harrowing by horse and sowing grains, and learn about old tools and techniques. “Everyone has to taste a spoon of cod-liver oil and eat a swede, something new to many, which can make them frown a bit,” Mørk smiles. Vølneberg Gamle Skole has been awarded Olavsrosa, a seal of quality given by the organisation Norsk Kulturarv (Norwegian Heritage).

Web: www.sorumhistorie.no

By Karl Batterbee

Web: www.scandipop.co.uk

Vilma Alina. Press photo

Scandinavian Culture Calendar – Where to go, what to see? It’s all happening here! Melafestivalen (16-18 August) Over three days in August, the Mela Festival will fill Oslo’s City Hall Square with music, dance, theatre, arts and crafts, as well as food from different parts of the world. The word Mela originates from the Sanskrit language and means ‘to meet’. The festival’s aim is to promote the participation of minorities 108 | Issue 127 | August 2019

in Norwegian public and cultural life and develop new means of cultural exchange. Rådhusplassen, Oslo, Norway. www.mela.no

Simone Victor in Bellini’s Beatrice di Tenda (22-24 August) Danish soprano Simone Victor is per-

By Sanne Wass

forming the lead role in the rarely pe formed opera Beatrice di Tenda, together with the London City Philharmonic, conducted by Olsi Qinami as part of the Bel Canto Festival. Beatrice di Tenda is a tragic opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini. 7.30pm. St. George’s Church, Hanover Square, 2A Mill Street, London W1S 1FX, UK. www.londonbelcantofestival.co.uk

Scan Magazine | Culture | Calendar

Axel Jansson. Press photo

Kalle Nio. Press photo

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Scan Magazine | Culture | Calendar

LondonSwedes’ crayfish festival (24 August) LondonSwedes, the largest community for Swedes and Scandinavians in the UK, is throwing its annual crayfish festival in London. Taking place at the Cecil Sharp House, this year’s celebration will include two events in one day: a crayfish brunch in the garden, followed by an indoor crayfish dinner party. 12pm. Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regent’s Park Road, Primrose Hill, London NW1 7AY, UK www.designmynight.com

Axel Jansson charity concert (30 August) Axel Jansson will kick off the Faversham Hop Festival with a special charity gig. Jansson is a Swedish singersongwriter whose music mixes heavy melodies with alternative rock and pop. His performance will raise funds for three local charities. 8pm. The Alexander Centre, 15-17 Preston Street, Faversham ME13 8NZ, UK. www.eventbrite.co.uk

Helsinki Festival (15 August - 1 September) Helsinki Festival is Finland’s largest arts festival, bringing classical and world music, theatre, dance, circus, visual arts and a range of urban events to the capital. Among this year’s line-up are international artists such as Anna Calvi, Courtney Barnett and Lizz Wright, as well as local names including Vilma Alina, Kalle Nio and UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra. www.helsinkifestival.fi

UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra. Photo: Lassi Kaaria

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Simone Victor. Press photo

Exhibition: Pilvi Taka (until 7 September) In her first solo exhibition in Ireland, Finnish artist Pilvi Takala challenges the assumed, unspoken and culturally expected codes of conduct in a variety of communities and social settings. Takala’s videos document her performing in everyday scenarios such as office temping, teaching, shopping and recreation, prompting viewers to consider how we engage with one another. Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, 5-9 Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland. www.templebargallery.com

Storytelling with Sarah Liisa Wilkinson (12 September) Sarah Liisa Wilkinson is an EnglishFinnish storyteller. Her engaging and playful fairy-tales from Finland take listeners on a journey from lake to sea, to the middle of the forest, and right into

Pilvi Takala. Press photo

the fiery heat of the sauna. The event is organised by StoryVibes, a new spoken word and music night hosted at Artefact in Birmingham. 7.30pm. Artefact, 1464 Pershore Road, Birmingham B30 2NT, UK. www.eventbrite.co.uk

Happiness masterclass: Meik Wiking (21 September) This masterclass with Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute, will help you discover the secrets of creating and holding onto happy memories. Wiking is a Danish expert in happiness and the author of several books, including The Little Book of Lykke and The Art of Making Memories. Organised by The Guardian, the event will take you through the science behind memories and encourage you to use your memory bank as a library of happy moments. 2pm. The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU, UK. www.eventbrite.co.uk