An exhibition at Stockholm’s NK department store sets out to explore the identity of contemporary Scandinavian and Nordic design. Curated by Norwegian design studio Kråkvik&D'Orazio, the exhibition (on view until 18 September 2022) combines emerging designers and established brands, collaborations between Scandinavian makers with creatives of different disciplines and explorations of materials and techniques.
‘For many of the designers included, the material is the starting point,’ comment curators Jannicke Kråkvik and Alessandro D'Orazio. ‘It could be a celebration of a certain material, a way to make use of leftover materials or a search for new applications for an overlooked material.’
Examples of designs in wood, from left: chair by Philippe Malouin for SCP, table by Hysteria Objects, red chair by Fredrik Paulsen and black side table by Further Ther
Several of the examples on display include a celebration of raw materials and local manufacturing, including the examples of wood manufacturing by the likes of Vaarnii, whose brutalist furniture is made of Finnish pine, or the Made in Local collaboration between Japanese Ishinomaki Laboratory and Menu on wooden AA-stools.
But the exhibition is also an opportunity to explore different facets of what is a traditional Nordic aesthetic. Axel Wannberg’s pieces, made of mappa burl in his Stockholm studio represent a more expressive approach to cabinetry, in contrast to a more traditional definition of Scandinavian design. Similarly, Thomas Sandell’s intarsia cupboard for KFK Snickeri explores the possibilities of the technique, and was made especially for the exhibition.
Pieces on display include Axel Wannberg’s pieces, made of mappa burl (in background)
Contemporary makers are shown alongside pieces that highlight different facets of tradition, such as The Sverre Fehn collection by Norway’s Fjordfiesta, for the first time available to a wider audience.
‘This exhibition is part of our commitment to play an active role as hosts to the design week,’ says Hanna Nova Beatrice, project manager of Stockholm Design Week and Stockholm Furniture Fair. ‘We want to mirror what's happening in the Scandinavian design industry.’
Stools by Hank Grüner for Made by Choice
On platform, from left: sculpture by Elsa Unnegard, chair by Nick Ross with Niko June, stools by Are Mokkelbost. In the background is a blue bench by Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor
Table and chair from the Sverre Fehn collection by Fjordfiesta, Drei lamp by Katrin Greiling
INFORMATION
Moving Forward is on view until 18 September 2022
stockholmdesignweek.com
ADDRESS
Hamngatan 18-20
111 47 Stockholm
Sweden
-
Rio Kobayashi’s new furniture bridges eras, shown alongside Fritz Rauh’s midcentury paintings at Blunk SpaceFurniture designer Rio Kobayashi unveils a new series, informed by the paintings of midcentury artist Fritz Rauh, at California’s Blunk Space
-
New York restaurant Locanda Verde’s second outpost will transport you to a different time and placeLocanda Verde’s expansive new Hudson Yards osteria exudes a sophisticated yet intimate atmosphere overflowing with art treasures
-
LVMH watch week 2025: everything we know so farOur guide to LVMH Watch Week 2025, taking place in New York and Paris, starting 21 January; keep an eye out for our updates
-
Highlights from Stockholm Design Week 2024At Stockholm Design Week 2024 (until 11 February), emerging designers and icons of Swedish heritage combine design's past and future
-
Svenskt Tenn Jubilee pattern by Josef Frank shows Stockholm’s popular streetsSvenskt Tenn releases a 1949 print by Josef Frank featuring a stylised map of Stockholm to mark the Swedish brand's centenary
-
Svenskt Tenn gets a summer makeover courtesy of Margherita MissoniAt Svenskt Tenn, Margherita Missoni curates 'A postcard from Italy,' a summer takeover of the Stockholm gallery (until 27 August 2023), as well as special edition pieces
-
‘Not just another classic store front’: Nordic Knots opens Stockholm showroom in a former cinemaNew Nordic Knots Stockholm showroom makes the most of the dramatic interiors of the early-20th-century Eriksbergsteatern
-
Stockholm Furniture Fair launches Älvsjö Gård collectible design platformStockholm Design Week 2023: Stockholm Furniture Fair has launched Älvsjö Gård, its first platform for collectible design
-
Factory fun: Nordic students create innovative products for Lammhults
