DAMN° magazine # 33 / danish design
Studies in Zoology A close-up of the latest in Danish
Denmark was tip-top in the creative design field, producing some of extremely fine furniture in the 25-year period from the 1950s to the 70s. One need only take a look at those iconic pieces with their most unusual shapes and weird names, introducing a whole new zoology of chairs, such as the Swan, the Bear, the Peacock, the Bull and the Ant, masterminded by Arne Jacobsen, Hans J Wegner, Poul Kjaerholm and Verner Panton. Not only do the former maestros receive full respect from the new Danish breed, but their works provide a decided reference point for the native designers of today. The strict, high standards that have long since been set have not budged one iota over time, and thus there is every similarity between then and now, although occasionally the subject matter is telling. As a result, Danish design is probably the most pure and untainted of all, forever refined and functional, clean and sensible, and thoroughly lacking in ornamentation, of course. Assessing things from head to tail, nothing is really rotten in the state of Denmark after all‌? We asked a few Danes about the current state of design, creativity and a few other things. View of the Copenhagen harbour from Pakhus 48. Photo: Siegrid Demyttenaere
Fresh from Denmark In Danish eyes, design is about functionality, and that equates with simple, straightforward forms in which modularity and usability are key. Additionally, a keen focus on durability dictates a preference for natural materials that stand the test of time, incorporating an ideal mix of craftsmanship and industrial production. Design matters in Denmark, and that is as true now as it ever was. Creative input is about improving upon these important traditional attributes, setting the objective a little higher each time. Evolution trumps revolution in this fair land.
text LAURA TRALDI Beolit (top) Design: Cecilie Manz for Bang & Olufsen (Danish Living room) Hook, inspired by bentwood furniture, and other coat hooks in steam-bent wood (middle) The large hook is intended for a casually discarded jacket or for a hanger with freshly ironed clothing. (MINDCRAFT12) Design: Line Depping
Sometimes tradition is a heavy weight to carry. Ask any Italian designer to tell of his or her feelings about the ‘great maestros’ of the past (or any French creative about the all-encompassing Philippe Starck), and after the initial standard quotes of admiration you will get the real picture: those guys (no matter whether they are dead or alive) are actually a pain in the neck for those now entering the design scene. For a lot of companies they are too safe an investment to be missed, and a risk, especially these days, is particularly unwelcome.
Remake of a sofa designed by Arne Jacobsen in the 1940s for Søllerød Town Hall (bottom) Produced by &Tradition (Ventura Lambrate) Photo © Siegrid Demyttenaere
For anyone familiar with contemporary Danish furniture, such statements come as no surprise. It is indeed apparent in today’s products that the values that drove Arne Jacobsen, Hans J. Wegner, Nanna Ditzel and Poul Kjærholm – to name just a few – are still very much alive: a functional purpose, translated into simple, straightforward forms; modularity and usability; a focus on durability that dictates the preference for natural materials that age gracefully; the mix between craftsmanship and industrial production. As a result, contemporary and historical pieces can easily live side-by-side in the collections of most brands (and also in lots of Danish homes). So smoothly, in fact, that drawing a line between the two is often rather difficult. Companies are actually quite proud of this and do nothing to differentiate the designers they select today from the great masters of the past. On his home page, Fritz Hansen boasts the names of Cecilie Manz (40), Kasper Salto (45) and Jaime Hayon (38) next to Bruno Mathsson, Arne Jacobsen, and Poul Kjærholm. At the recent Stockholm Furniture Fair, Fredericia launched “exciting new designs from Børge Mogensen, Roland Graf, and Space Copenhagen". For this company, founded in 1911, there is no question: Mogensen, who died in 1972 aged 58, matters as much as the newly launched Austrian artist Roland Graf (aged 49 but making furniture for the first time) and the interior design duo, Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou, founded in
Ask a young Dane and you will get a very different answer. "I never felt Danish design heritage as a burden", says Line Depping (33), who has her own studio but also works with Cecilie Manz. "I see it more as a base from which to develop my own projects." "Tradition can be perceived as a burdensome responsibility", say Italian-Danish duo GamFratesi. "But personally, we are convinced that the knowledge of the past is the basis of evolution: we are very, very passionate about Danish heritage and look at it with great admiration and respect." "The work of the maestros is very inspiring for me", says Jakob Jørgensen (34), "I definitely use them as a reference in my work and they do not disturb my creative approach to design or craft in any way."
2
Form follows function
DAMN° magazine # 33 / danish design
2005. This year, &Tradition, one of the most successful new companies, targeting mainly young people, will launch a whole range of items by upcoming designers as well as the remake of a sofa designed by Arne Jacobsen in the 1940s for Søllerød Town Hall. Craftiness
But it has not always been a honeymoon between the past and the present in Denmark. "Certainly, for many years after the era of the great maestros, most companies were not interested in developing new designs", admits Jakob Jørgensen, "it simply did not matter for their survival. So from around 1970 to the middle of 1990, I think that heritage was indeed an issue for the new generation, but that's no longer the case today." Something, indeed, has changed in the last decade – it was the top down, strategic approach that spurred the mira-
talent, is, for instance, also heavily funded by the state. "We receive approximately €650,000 per year", explains Birgitte Jahn, CEO. "This amount covers all activities, exhibitions, grants to individual makers, staff etc. On top of this, Danish Crafts has received approximately €250,000 in the past eight years due to the Danish Government’s focus on promoting Danish Design internationally." The largest Danish presence at the Salone del Mobile this year is sponsored by the Consulate General of Denmark in Milan. Their DANISH LIVING room – interestingly, designed by the Italian-Danish duo GamFratesi – is a home with three spaces, each featuring the ‘Danish style’. Needless to say, in all of them classic pieces of furniture go hand-in-hand with contemporary versions. In a statement released by the General Consul Steen Thorsted in regard to the event, he clearly illustrates the position the Danish government takes on design: "Denmark is proud of its history and it is internationally known for its many design icons from the 50s and 60s. However, a new talented generation of designers and craftsmen has demonstrated that it can take up the mantle." Tapping into tradition
It’s a clever, and also extremely pragmatic view on design that recognises its heritage as an advantage and avoids turning it into a burden; it acknowledges its role as a business that can bring money to companies; it focuses on supporting fresh talent and providing work to young, engaged people. One could argue that many other countries have been pumping money into this sector and into
Poet’s Book Hanger (above) The book storage consists of several book ‘sticks’, which can be used both as bookmarks and as a means of ‘hanging’ the books on the wall (MINDCRAFT12). Design: Jakob Jørgensen Spine (left) A sofa named after its recognisable Y-construction at the base, adding an extra subjective layer to the aesthetics. It is upholstered by skilled craftsmen and comes in a combination of sturdy leather and well-manufactured oak and ash wood. Design: Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou Manufactured by Fredericia Furniture (Danish Living room) HAIKU sofa (below) The sofa was created for the exhibition Mindcraft11. It is a reinterpretation of a Haiku, a traditional, compact and evocative form of Japanese poetry, intended as a sensory image to suggest an emotion. Design: Gamfratesi Manufactured by Fredericia Furniture (Danish Living room)
cle: the Danish government understood that they had to move forward and maximise on their heritage in a very pragmatic way. "Politicians in Denmark see value in design: they consider it something we are very good at, and therefore something that might be worth money to the country in the future", says Adam von Haffner Paulsen, head of communications for Index: – a state-run organisation that promotes design in a very concrete way, by awarding extremely generous grants to worthy projects, as a social tool to improve the quality of life, well beyond the traditional furniture segment. The Danish government is indeed the main player in this renaissance of national design. Danish Crafts, a highly regarded organisation that promotes craftsmanship and
3
its promotion. True. But while other nations mostly tend to arrive at the big events with a load of funky prototypes that seem conceived more for photographic purposes than for actual industrialisation, the Danes have always focused on production and have used companies as carriers, also for their younger talents. The message is clear: we take design seriously. We actually make things that you will be able to buy. We have a long-standing tradition that every new designer acknowledges and taps into. The quality of what’s new is no different from before. DANISH LIVING room (above) The booth is divided into 3 spaces, with a structure referring to a traditional Danish house. Design: Gamfratesi Papercuts (top, right) A series of lamps made of paper; the fruit of a collaboration with Louis Poulsen Lighting, a company that Louise Campbell has cooperated with on several previous occasions. (MINDCRAFT12) Design: Louise Campbell Slice (bottom) An architectural redefinition of the continuous bookshelf. The main feature of the system is a slice of plywood. In assembly the slices fit together for individual display, which allows for optimum flexibility of the system and makes it adaptable from small to x-large. Design: Kibisi (Danish Design Centre at the Temporary Museum for New Design)
4
The reason why such an approach works so well with the Danes is that it actually taps into their authentic way of being. “We are one of the few European countries that did not experience a revolution”, says Christian Holmsted Olesen, curator of the Danish Museum of Modern Art and Design in Copenhagen. The Danes are, indeed, fascinated by its very opposite: evolution. Which explains why lots of what is made today is not that different from what used to be made. “You can see it in our designs: the creative input of designers is always focused on improvement and on setting the objective a little higher than where it was previously set. Forms tend to be an evolution of whatever was there before.”
Made to last
Take sustainability. In Denmark, this is no passing fad but a serious engagement that has been an intrinsic part of product development since its earliest days: a sign of the respect that consumers – and, as consequence, also producers and designers – have for their living space and their history. Here you will never find biodegradable wardrobes, sofas made from recycled pieces of clothing, or chairs made of assembled bits of junk. Here, sustainability is not a statement of intent but a way of being that aims at durability rather than anything else. Louise Campbell, a highly appreciated designer of the younger generation, likes to call herself a Slowtopian. "It takes me a long, long time to design a piece of furniture", she says. "It's normal because I think of things that in my mind should still be there in 250 years' time. It's not due to my merit; it’s just our tradition – that we are extremely proud of – which taught us to respect materials and to put great care into details as well into the form as a whole. Our vision is, and has always been, longevity." And it may well be that this vision will guarantee an economically as well as a socially prosperous future for a country that is able to use design in its prime sense: as a tool to improve the quality of people’s lives. #
DAMN° magazine # 33 / danish design
The Danish, here and now: a bit of introspection So it's unanimous - the Danish are pretty much smothered in good design on a continual basis, believing it to be a crucial aspect of their everyday lives. Everyday lives that are aesthetically enriched by beautiful, durable, functional objects that are everything except frilly.
Adam von Haffner Paulsen News Director at Index:
INDEX: is a Danish-based, non-profit organisation established in 2002 to promote and apply design and design processes to improve the lives of people worldwide. DAMN°: Index: is universally considered a very precious institution, one that acknowledges the real role of design in improving the quality of life. Why was it born in Denmark? Adam von Haffner Paulsen: I think it was the follow-up to our long tradition of democratic and human-centred design. I am thinking of our furniture and architecture, where usability, light and space (bringing energy and smiles to the user/inhabitant) are very dominant. But also of many of the systemic designs in our society, such as the welfare state, with free healthcare and schools for all, our cooperative housing opportunities, our waste recycling systems, our integrated bike lanes, our mortgage-credit institutions, etc. It is deeply rooted in most Danes (hence, also in designers) that with a solution-based mindset always comes a responsibility to benefit the less able and incorporate the common good. DAMN°: Why in Denmark is the value of design so obvious to politicians? AVHP: Growing up surrounded by great, functional objects, being supported in our daily life by services, living in a society that works because it was ‘designed’, makes all Danes aware of the value of good design. For politicians, investing in something we are obviously good at is an economic investment in the future that will most certainly bring returns. Also, on a more practical level: a society that is well designed will waste less time on redundant/inefficient tasks, thus freeing up more time to work, spend money and fulfil dreams. DAMN°: You yourself, as INDEX:, are indeed investing in the future with educational courses targeting the very young… AVHP: Yes. Our brand-new Design to Improve Life Education is currently supporting teachers in the educating of students in how to design to improve life. For us, the greatest challenge of the future is to stay relevant and to evolve, innovate, and reinvent ourselves in the process. We feel that we are achieving this through our new education programme. www.designtoimprovelife.dk
Birgitte Jahn
CEO of Danish Crafts Danish Crafts aims to brand Danish design and craft at an international level and to help professional artists and designers gain a foothold in the market. Their MINDCRAFT12 exhibition is curated by Cecilie Manz. DAMN°: Since 1999 you have existed to support Danish craftsmanship and creativity. What have you achieved so far? Birgitte Jahn: Our birth – desired by the Government – brought a major shift in perception and in the actual role that craft has in the product creation process in Denmark: it used to be an invisible player, now it is a key partner in the branding of Danish design. Furthermore, a number of Danish designers have had their works put into production by leading international design companies DAMN°: Why do you think crafts matter so much to your government? BJ: Denmark has a very significant design history and is especially known for the masters of the 1950s and 60s. Much of the golden period of Danish Design stems from crafts, that is and has always been the case; indeed, it forms the basis of good Danish design. Craft also represents a dynamic creative economy. The unique craft scene that has developed in Denmark in recent years has motivated the emergence of several new design firms. DAMN°: Why do you think tradition and contemporary design merge so smoothly for the Danish (this is my impression)? BJ: The underlying values still exist: quality, function, and focus on materials, as Cecilie Manz, curator of this year’s Mindcraft12 at Ventura Lambrate in Milan, states. Combined with the special mindset of the new generation – which in essence is also very Danish - who are driven to innovate and create products and solutions still grounded in tradition. www.danishcrafts.org
Hövding (top, left) Winner of INDEX: Award 2011 Hövding uses advanced airbag technology to protect bicyclists' heads. It is not a helmet in the traditional sense, but rather a stylishly worn collar in fashionable colours, intended to match your jacket or coat. Design: Anna Haupt & Terese Alstin Distributed by DesignTorget Suitnest Dinner (above) The bag was made using basket work, leather craft and an apparently free flow of associations on the notions of ‘open-air dining’ and ‘picnic wear’. Suitnest Dinner is the whole package – suit, tie, fork, knives and leather straps for carrying the whole thing on one’s back. (MINDCRAFT12) Design: Henrik Vibskov Georg (left) Georg is a four-legged ash wood stool with a cushion made of grey wool and kapok. (MINDCRAFT12) Design: Christina Liljenberg Halstrøm
5
DAMN° magazine # 33 / danish design
GAMFRATESI
Danish-Italian design studio The duo has been selected by the Consulate in Milan to design its DANISH LIVING room, featuring the best of traditional and contemporary Danish design, for presentation at the Salone del Mobile. They are also launching: a sofa for Fredericia, a picnic storage table for Ligne Roset, and a trolley for Casamania. And their Beetle Chair will be shown at MINDCRAFT12. Trolley (top right) Design: GamFratesi for Casamania HAIKU sofa (middle right) Making-of and detail Design: Gamfratesi Manufactured by Fredericia Furniture (Danish Living room)
Beetle Chair (above) Inspired by the anatomy and aesthetic of the beetle. GamFratesi reinterprets the beetle’s hard and characteristic shell and structure in a chair that, like an actual beetle, has a hard exterior and a soft interior. The dynamic ability of the insect in space is developed through a four-legged chair on castors. The chair is stackable and flexible, suitable for informal meetings. (MINDCRAFT12) Design: GamFratesi PICNIC (right) Design: Gamfratesi for Ligne Roset
6
DAMN°: You work for Danish companies that have a long tradition as well as with young companies. What's the difference? Gamfratesi: Historical companies mostly produce everything themselves. Their amazing knowhow in all phases of product development makes it possible for designers to take an active part, from prototyping to production. The new ones, on the contrary, have no pre-existing mindset and no rigid organisation: they are therefore quicker, more flexible, and evolve with great speed and spontaneity when they believe in a project. When our product has to sit next to a design icon (as happens with the large companies), we need to think of something that fits-in gracefully in such a panorama without giving-up its own character: the sense of responsibility to tradition is very strong and clearly needs to be taken into account. In new companies, collections are often more varied but feature a more definite expression.
DAMN°: In a concrete way, how do you see the Government itself believing in the role of design to improve the quality of people's lives? G: The Danish government annually invests in the promotion of cultural projects and also in design. It does this in various ways: on the one hand, it provides research grants to students, artists and designers; on the other, it supports companies that wish to promote them abroad; and furthermore, it heavily subsidises the creation of spaces dedicated to exhibitions and events. This allows everyone (from the individual student to the big company) to evolve and grow continuously, thus consolidating the role of design. But there is another, possibly more important type of investment: the creation of public spaces of extremely high quality filled with top products, and the provision of harmonious environments in terms of colours, materials, and usability. This is an indirect instrument, really, stemming from a process that lasted decades and was supported by relentless government investment. The result is that today everyone in Denmark is aware of the meaning of quality and of the role that good design has in enhancing the standard of daily life. gamfratesi.com
Poul Madsen
CEO of Normann Copenhagen At this year’s Salone, Normann Copenhagen presents its new product ranges. DAMN°: What is it like to be a 'young company' in Denmark? What is the relationship with your glorious tradition - is it a weight or a useful heritage? Paul Madsen: Normann Copenhagen has its HQ in Copenhagen but would describe itself as an international design company. Since its early days, 13 years ago, we have collaborated with designers from all over the world. Jan Andersen and myself select all the new designs personally, so I suppose that’s why everything we do somewhat exudes the flair of the Danish design tradition, as we both grew up surrounded by Scandinavian products. Yet we always look out for designs that have that ‘little extra’…
PETER KLINT Designer
Designer and owner of a sustainable kitchens company, also involved in social activities. His Milan Kitchen, based on a design from the 1950s, will be shown in the DANISH LIVING room.
DAMN°: How much do you think Danish design today owes to its past? PM: A lot. The Danish design tradition is part of every Dane's life – not just those who can afford it, as in other countries. An important issue is the fact that all public buildings are carefully designed, for instance, and everywhere you can see great shapes, functionality, craftsmanship and emotional minimalism. DAMN°: What is the essence of Danish design? PM: Honesty: what you see is what you get. In Denmark we do not have a decorative tradition and have always focused on minimalistic, functional objects. I think this is why Danish design fits so well in many cultures and interiors – it has a contemporary expression that stems from its past but that is basically evergreen. normann-copenhagen.com
Milan Kitchen (above and left) This kitchen is a modern take on the traditional ‘frame’ kitchen unit and is still decorated with the characteristic wooden handles. The kitchen is made of three wood types: birch, oak and smoked oak. (DANISH LIVING room) Design: Peter Klint Nordic Delight (bottom, left) The new products distributed by Normann Copenhagen Tablo table (below) Design: Nicholai W Hansen Distributed by Normann Copenhagen
DAMN°: Why did you specialise in kitchens? Peter Klint: I was trained as a ship's carpenter, working on wooden ships. From there I moved into cabinetmaking, which I simply loved. I do not know what attracted me to kitchens, but basically I just liked them so much that I decided to focus on this element, which is, basically, at the heart of every home. All we do is made-to-measure, which is a little like making portraits of people in the place where they will be spending most of their time. DAMN°: Why are you so interested in sustainability? You are involved with Byggeselskabet Maj, a group of craftsmen who use most of their income to travel to third world countries in order to offer their skills and experience for the support and benefit of people and nature… PK: I think sustainability matters to everyone. I mean, we have to fight for it and everyone should practise it, either because they believe in the lifestyle and enjoy it, or because they pretty much think that all of us should have figured out by now that it is a duty. I mean, you have to love the world in which you live… do you not? We finance ourselves by putting 22% of our salaries back into the company every year, to pay for administration, insurance, etc. Mostly there is a surplus and this we use to invest in projects in the third world. It was not a hard thing to decide, we all feel this is a necessity and it is a pleasure for us, in any case. www.peterklint.dk
7
DAMN° magazine # 33 / danish design
LINE DEPPING Designer
Her work is on show in Mindcraft12 by Danish Crafts at Ventura Lambrate and in the exhibition Uncovered at Gallery Careof in Fabbrica del Vapore. In 2011, she received the Bodum design award with Jakob Jørgensen.
JACOB GUBI
Ceo of Gubi A/S The company is showing a new piece of furniture by Greta Grossman at the Piano Primo booth in Milan. Desk (above) Design: Greta Grossman for Gubi (at Piano Primo) Maple Stool (far right) Design: Line Depping Maple Stool is sold as a limited edition at Galerie Maria Wettergren in Paris. Tool boxes (bottom) (MINDCRAFT11) Design: Line Depping Photo: Jeppe Gudmundsen Holmgren
DAMN°: How would you describe the essence of Danish Design? In my view, Danish design is a reflection of our political and social communities. It was born in the early 1930s, hence before it actually started in the rest of the world, when democracy really was the dominant political ideology. Thus followed the new architectural structures and, as a result, furniture design changed as well. It had a more simplified and functional expression with a special love for the use of local resources. These elements were very characteristic of Danish design right through to late 50s, when there was a greater variety of materials, such as steel, glass and plastic. Danish designers were obviously affected by this and by other cultures, and followed several creative directives, yet overall, functionality and materiality remained the most important aspects of design for us, and they still are. DAMN°: Why do you think tradition and contemporary design merge so smoothly for the Danish? I believe it is because Danish designers focus on combining craftsmanship and simplicity in their design expression; this, combined with high aesthetics, is often a good starting point for life-long products and icon potential. DAMN°: You work with young designers and re-edit works by the great maestros of the past. How do you select the younger generation? For me, their personality is very important, and their approach to design. I would like to work with designers who live in the present but still have their own take on the past, working with the same values we know from the great masters: an innovative approach towards design, expression and materials that have a long life. Of course, combined with a high degree of simplicity and functionality. www.gubi.com
8
DAMN°: What is life like for a young designer in Denmark today? Line Depping: I work on my own projects and in Cecilie Manz’s studio. I have learnt a lot from her and have gained a lot of confidence in experimenting with my pieces. I have also participated in different exhibitions, either in groups or following invitations from institutions. In Denmark we have an association called Cabinetmakers' Autumn Exhibition, where you can apply to participate in their yearly show and become a member. For me it has been a very good way of getting to know other Danish designers and manufacturers. And of course, there is Danish Crafts: they are excellent in supporting and promoting designers. It is also possible to apply for a lot of different grants in Denmark, both from the government and the private sector: this is what gives me the possibility to work on new projects. DAMN°: In Denmark there seems to be no clash between the heritage of the great maestros and the present designers. What do you think? LD: I never felt Danish design heritage to be a burden. Rather, for me, it forms the basis from which to develop my own projects. I still believe in the values and the focus on the quality of materials. These should be honest, not fake, and, if possible, bare. The most common way to treat wood in Denmark is with soap, because it leaves no extra surface on the top of the wood. Objects should be functional and simple, not unnecessarily decorated. This is my starting point but I never feel restrained by it: I do not see such values as an imposition but, instead, as a useful tool for me today. So although the essence remains the same, the shapes, functions and materials are very different from those of the past. www.linedepping.dk
Martin Kornbeck Hansen Brand Director at &Tradition
A young furniture company. They will be presenting some shelves designed by KiBiSi at the Danish Design Centre stand in Milan, as well as a chair by Jaime Hayon at his show in Zona Ventura Lambrate. DAMN°: What is it like to be a young company in Denmark? Martin Kornbeck Hansen: Fantastic! We have a proud design tradition that is our point of departure in everything we do. We can go back in time and find some of the very first innovative projects by the great design masters. But we are not stuck in the old cultural heritage. We even show busts of the new designers because we believe in them just as much as we believe in the old masters. And we don’t reintroduce old products because it is easy, but because this gives us the opportunity to go back in time and find those very first exciting and rebellious projects. This year, for instance, we will present an Arne Jacobsen sofa: so free-spirited! Meanwhile, we select new designs that we believe to be future classics. When we make a design brief we always try to work with something new and something traditional together. If the material is new and avantgarde, the form has to be classic, and the other way round. DAMN°: How much do you think today's Danish design owes to its past? MKH: I believe that today's talent is at least as great as that of the past. Obviously, what young designers do today is rooted in the tradition that has been developed by the older generation of designers. Their designs represent new opportunities and thoughts from that time – they were breaking boundaries. The new generation today can take this further and implement it in a contemporary context, developing new classics. We are what we are today largely because of our past – we grew up with a certain style, history and heritage, and this will always show in everything we do, and that is also what makes Danish design unique. We have a certain way of thinking about simplicity and materials, and this heritage is very important to carry along with us.
DAMN°: Your designs are quintessentially Danish. Yet you also work with international designers. How do you do that? MKH: We have a certain respect for the materials we work with. A simplicity that is also a part of making the products timeless. I believe that is the essence of Danish design; we make designs that last. When we work with international designers we cooperate with them all the way, from the very beginning of a new product, so the products also represent our way of thinking and our love of Danish design. We find it very exciting to experience how international designers see and interpret Danish design!
MASS light (above) Design: Norm Architects Distributed by &Tradition
DAMN°: Why do you think that tradition and contemporary design merge so smoothly for the Danish? MKH: I think this is because we have a new generation of designers who take their point of departure in respect of the Nordic heritage though are still be able to reinterpret this tradition with fresh thoughts and out-of-the-box thinking. We have great admiration for the designers as they communicate this heritage in their work. They respect tradition and use it in their designs without clinging to it. www.andtradition.com
Bellevue (bottom left) Bellevue was Jacobsen's first lighting design inspired by modern tubular steel manufacturing and the modernist designs of the Bauhaus. Design: Arne Jacobsen Distributed by &Tradition
The Hoof range is named after the way horses' hooves are trimmed before they are shod. (below) Design: Samuel Wilkinson Distributed by &Tradition
9
DAMN° magazine # 33 / danish design
Barca (below) Barca consists of boards shaped similarly to those used in boats. They can move independently of each other and together they create a changeable spherical shape. Design: Jakob Jørgensen Produced by Conde House
Fjarill (above) Fjaril is a drawer. It expands rhythmically and during this movement changes itself from a simple box into a functional sculpture. Design: Jakob Jørgensen Fjarill is sold as a limited edition at Galerie Maria Wettergren in Paris. Studio views (right) Jakob Jørgensen's studio is made out of old cargo containers. Photos: Siegrid Demyttenaere
10
JAKOB JØRGENSEN Designer
His chest of drawers, Fjarill, received a Wallpaper* Design Award in 2012 in the category ‘best secret storage’. He will be part of Mindcraft12, produced by Danish Crafts in Milan, where he will show a table he developed with Line Depping, and a bookcase.
DAMN°: What is life like for a young designer in Denmark today? Is it hard to make a living? Jakob Jørgensen: The first two years after I graduated from design school in 2008 were relatively hard until I won a Goldleaf with my Barca furniture in the Japanese competition IFDA 2008: the award money I got helped me a lot at that time. I also received government funds and grants from private companies. In general, there is a lot of support for creative people when it is perceived that their work is worth it. The assistance generated from this cannot be valued enough. DAMN°: What do you think is the essence of Danish design? JJ: I would say functionality and craftsmanship. Interestingly, one of the founding figures was Kaare Klint, whose main focus was on improving already-existing things rather than on creating from scratch. He taught this at the first school of arts and crafts in Denmark. Among his students was Wegner, who based a lot of his design production on the study of an old Chinese chair. No wonder sustainability and durability are engraved into our creative DNA! # www.jjoergensen.dk
the tube
Engineering poetry Together with six leading Danish companies, Kolding School of Design presents the exhibition project The Tube at I Saloni, Milan www.designskolenkolding.dk --------------------------------------A face of carpets, a wall of pleats, a climbing shoe, a kind of blue, a word of bricks and a wave of veneer are the results of collaborations between six designers and six companies, arranged by Kolding School of Design from Denmark. The Tube is an exhibition where knowledge is shared beyond the tight parameters that form common perceptions of design, demonstrating the importance of collaborations between designers and industry. The six designers, all in their final year or just graduated, have been matched with six companies who support the project with their resources, skills and know-how. Participation in The Tube represents a unique possibility for the designers to explore their qualifications and competencies in a professional relationship and is at the same time an appeal to companies to enter small-scale collaborations with young designers. "With the exhibition we hope to stimulate and attract the most talented students for future collaborations and to give companies a gaze into the crystal ball of future design, inspiring them to consider innovative and exciting ways of using designers not just as an artistic refuge, but as a natural partner in any production and process of tomorrow," So says Karen Kjaergaard, curator, Kolding School of Design.
2
3
1
4
5
6
Juxtaposing the environmental, cultural and historic contexts in which designs exist, the Tube addresses the urge to engineerpoetry in current design. The Tube is a collaboration presenting new products and installations that,besides being experimental, possess an artistic element and a commercial potential. Designers: Siff Pristed Nielsen (1), Birk Marcus Hansen (2), Brian Frandsen (3), Katja Br端chle Knudsen (4), Joan Pedersen (5), and Pauline Joy Richard (6) Companies: Kvadrat (1), LEGO (2), ege (3), LE KLINT (4), Repulic of Fritz Hansen (5) and ECCO (6)
11
Productivity DK IN IT
With pretty pastels and delicate lines defined by resilient fabrics and the finest materials, the Danish are true to form. In their presentation at this year's Salone, the shelves, tables, chairs, containers and the rest, are smart as ever and exquisitely practical. ---------------------------------------
1
1. Lili
Takumi Hirokawa
2
A table with the distinctive, appealing sculptural shape of a water lily. The top surface is of durable and hygienic HPL, and the base is of solid oak.
www.addinterior.dk
2. Black is blue Anne Black
The concave shape of the bowls is meant to protect the inside, the genuine handpainted patterns in blue expresses that beauty comes from within.
www.anneblack.dk
3
3. living Pastels Montana
42 basic units in 4 depths, with 49 available colours and special surfaces, allows for the making of a personal composition.
www.montana.dk
4. vinkel
Kevin Hviid & Mikkel Damsbo
Vinkel is an aesthetic bookshelf that plays with perspective and angles as well as with light.
www.framacph.com
5. sutoa
Keiji Ashizawa
The Sutoa drawer unit has the look of a storage chest. Based on a discreet steel frame combined with wooden stackable-looking drawers in chestnut, it is made for everyday use at the same time as being a sculptural object. Sutoa means 'to store' in Japanese.
www.framacph.com
6. asap
Johannes Foersom, Peter Hiort-Lorenzen
The ASAP Chair is an easily stackable chair with a light, transparent appearance.
www.paustian.com
7. S1 Sideboard byKato
Again byKATO have gone for a design based on simple, logical, back-to-basics high quality craftsmanship.
www.bykato.com
12
4
6
7
5
DAMN° magazine # 33 / danish PRODUCTIVITY
1. T1
byKato
The frame of the table is made of solid wood. T1 displays classic craftsmanship that stands in stark contrast to the sharp lines of the tabletop. Available with durable high-pressure laminate, with an extendable or fixed top.
www.bykato.com
1
2. COP01 bookcase Mikal Harrsen
2
The COP01 bookcase uses just a few simple elements to create a modular base unit that can be placed anywhere – and not least, directly on the floor as a space divider, a base for a table or daybed, or even back-to-wall shelving.
3
4
www.maadesignstudies.com
3. condesa OK Design
The Condesa chair takes its name from the elegant yet decadent neighbourhood in Mexico City. Since the 1940s it has been home to movie stars, Beat poets and revolutionary artists of the era.
www.okdesign.dk
4. shell chair CH07 Hans J. Wegner 1963
The famous Shell Chair - sculptural, three-legged and eminently comfortable. The floating form is highlighted by the wing-shaped seat and arching legs.
www.carlhansen.com
5. stacked JDS Architects
How to be specific and generic at the same time? Using small clips you can arrange the generic building blocks as you see fit to quickly create shelf systems, room dividers or side tables.
www.muuto.com 5
6. hang Around
6
Jens Martin 7
8
The innovative cut in the back of Hang Around lets you work freely in the kitchen, while your utensils hang on the side of your pots or pans.
www.kibisi.com
7. Hideaway Basket Mika Tolvanen
The idea of Hideaway was to move away from the ordinary trash can and create a beautiful design, which would work equally well as a rubbish bin or a laundry basket.
www.muuto.com
8. NAMNAM
HolmbäckNordentoft
The series is named after the restaurant for which it was designed.
www.8000c.dk
13
Productivity 1. LEAN
Gam Fratesi A modern design applied to traditional craftsmanship. An upholstered shell in a basic and minimalistic shape is leaning on an essential structure in solid oak stained or natural.
www.addinterior.dk
2. tr17
Tom Rossau
Steel and aluminium with birch wood shade and base. The lower sphere can be turned in all directions on the base and the lampshade can be turned in all directions on the upper sphere.
www.tomrossau.dk
3. kitchen Ferm Living
This Kitchen collection has everything for making your experience in the kitchen successful whether you are doing the dishes, pouring a cup of tea or serving a home cooked meal for the family.
1
2
www.ferm-living.com
4. thors gamma
3
Thors-Design recycles 50-year-old Azobé wood from decommisioned wharfs in Denmark and turns it into stylish and unique furniture. The furniture is equally suited for the courtyard, restaurant, café and lounge as well as the esplanade, square and beach.
4
Thors-Design
www.thors-design.dk
5. IN DUPLO
Anne-Mette Jensen, Morten Ernst Jørgensen
A sofa consisting of a wing shaped corpus that holds a composition of cushions.
www.erik-joergensen.com
6. DDS TABLE
MA&A design studies, Søren Ulrik Petersen
A no-nonsense table. Custom lengths available upon request.
www.maadesignstudies.com
7. minuscule
Cecile Manz for Fritz Hansen A new formal chair and table designed for an informal setting.
www.fritzhansen.com
5 6
7 14
DAMN째 magazine # 33 / danish PRODUCTIVITY
1. VEGA
Anders Folke Andersen
Cabinetmaker Anders Folke Andersen has created this minimalistic and spacious wall-mounted magazine rack.
www.foxy-potato.dk
2. 623 1
2
3
4
By Nord
Trays of 32cm, 36cm and 40cm in diameter.
www.bynord.com
3. on a string OK Design
The table is a combination of tubes and coloured strings supporting a linoleum top.
www.okdesign.dk
4. Eyes lounge Johannes Foersom, Peter Hiort-Lorenzen
The well-known visual character/ features and outspoken comfort in the series, is repeated in this new wider and lower version. Eyes Lounge frame available in oak, black stained oak, mat chromed or lacquered steel.
www.erik-joergensen.com
5. beck
Anders Folke Andersen
Coffee table with a touch of retro, in solid oak or wenge wood. The top is made of mdf and comes in 8 different colours.
www.foxy-potato.dk
6. street Kibisi
5
sTREEt is an idea derived especially for the Gwangju Design Biennale 2011, with the idea of weaving a functional line of organically informed components into the urban cityscape of Gwangju, providing the city with a DNA string extending across it, as a new and unique idiom.
www.kibisi.com
7. sintra
Nicholai Wiig-Hansen 6
7
8
9
Suitable as a coffee table or a sidetable, with an interesting contrast between the soft warm cork and cold smooth marble.
www.framacph.com
8. BIOMEGA PUMA Nicholai Wiig-Hansen
Created for ease of movement, urban transport, and individual appeal, PUMA, Biomega and KiBiSi have collaborated to produce the next evolution in commuter bikes.
www.kibisi.com
9. Capital Kibisi
Headphones produced by Aiaiai.
www.kibisi.com
15