An Exhibition by Design School Kolding 2014
4102 gnidloK loohcS ngiseD yb noitibihxE nA
THE TUBE TUBE THE
ONE TUBE SEVEN CONTAINERS SEVEN DESIGNERS SEVEN DANISH COMPANIES ONE DESIGN SCHOOL ONE DESIGN CITY ONE DANISH DESIGN INITIATIVE
COLOPHON | CURATOR – KAREN KJÆRGAARD – EDITORS IN CHIEF – CHARLOTTE MELIN AND THIT JUUL MADSEN – EDITORS – ANDERS BANG KIERZNER, SØREN RØMER, KAREN KJÆRGAARD, AND LEENDERT
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BJERG – TRANSLATION – MARIANNE BAGGESEN HILGER – GRAPHIC DESIGN – METTE HØJGAARD JENSEN – PHOTOS – JACOB KEINICKE, THE DANISH PARLIAMENT, FRIIS FOTOGRAFI, KOLDING MUNICIPALITY, LASSE LAGONI, DIANA LOVRING, TRAPHOLT, ANGELINA NIELSEN OWINO, AND GERT SKÆRLUND – PRINT – VAHLE+NIKOLAISEN – PAPER – AMBER GRAPHIC, 70 GR. – FONTS – HILL BLACK AND PRIMO SERIF PRINT – 5000 THE TUBE PAPERS – PUBLISHED BY – DANISH DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE INITIATIVE AND DESIGN SCHOOL KOLDING, AAGADE 10, DK-6000 KOLDING – THANK YOU – MINISTRY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION & SCIENCE, KOLDING MUNICIPALITY, KVIST INDUSTRIES, INNONET LIFESTYLE - CLOTHING & INTERIOR, OTICON FOUNDATION, AUGUSTINUS FOUNDATION, TOYOTA FOUNDATION – WEB WWW.DDAI.DK AND WWW.DESIGNSKOLENKOLDING.DK – COPYRIGHT 2014 © DESIGN SCHOOL KOLDING
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DK LOVES TO TUBE FOREWORD PROJECT INTRO DANISH DYNAMITE FABRICATION FABULATION THE FLOWER (& THE BEES) CAN A ROOM BE A LOOM? THE CAPITAL OF CHILDREN SEA FUR CICLO DANISH KOLDING – CITY OF DESIGN / WE DESIGN FOR LIFE 30 DESIGN MAP TM
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DESIGN SCHOOL KOLDING LOVES TO TUBE TUBE TO LOVES KOLDING SCHOOL DESIGN
Photo / Diana Lovring
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FROM MY HOTEL ROOM in Istanbul I have a view of the city. Only a few kilometres away violent fights are taking place between the police and a group of young people who rage against a new Internet law permitting authorities to close down websites that are critical of the government. Democracy is invalidated. With Ukraine, Syria and Iraq next door, no wonder people are nervous. “It’s safe here but if you see the police, you’d better run”, the hotel receptionist warns me. He also tells me that Istanbul is struggling with floods and ‘strange’ weather in general. Design cannot save the world from itself. However, design can help raise questions and inspire new answers to the challenges that face mankind. Design can help create meaningful communities, products, services, and systems. If that’s what we want … Denmark and Danish companies do want this. In recent years, Design School Kolding has developed very close ties with leading companies such as ege carpets, Grundfos, Kvadrat, Kopenhagen Fur, Capital of Children, Danish Horticulture and Danish Ornamentals. All companies that share the commitment of the school’s students and staff of bringing materials, craftsmanship, technology, storytelling, sustainability, society, and interaction into play in new ways. With the designer as the alchemist who bases his design on dream and experience, practice and theory, art and research. The world needs new solutions. These require courage and people who are not afraid to stand in the open without the statistics and bleak projections of economists, meteorologists, climate researchers, or historians as their mental support stockings. They require designers, companies, and a society that is willing to experiment and engage with users before creating market solutions. This is The Tube. And this is the story which Design School Kolding wishes to tell in close collaboration with leading companies. For the third year in a row, Design School Kolding is pleased to present The Tube; an exhibition which sharpens interest in the unique genetics of Danish Design and shows new, cutting-edge design which holds an artistic dimension and a commercial potential. Man possesses a creative power which the designer can help release and materialise in favour of a world that we never knew could exist. The designer as the humanist per se. WELCOME! ELSEBETH GERNER NIELSEN RECTOR – DESIGN SCHOOL KOLDING
Photo / Angelina N. Owino
DENMARK IS often mentioned in connection with design and welfare, and the Danish society builds on equality. We have a fine mesh safety net for our citizens and invest large sums in free and equal access to health and education. A number of world-famous Danish designers are influenced by these values and traditions. Often, their designs comment on the organisation of society by focusing on democratic design and by letting form and function be two sides of the same coin. And they convey the basic belief that design is nothing in itself; its value comes from being used. Denmark’s status as a design nation is largely due to the fact that we invest in education and talent. The Tube exhibition is a mark of this priority. We have insisted that the design programmes rest on three equal pillars: Practice, art, and research. Therefore, design students have access to excellent workshop facilities and dedicated teachers who have their origins in art as well as research. We could content ourselves with our proud traditions and fine educational programmes but we aim higher. Design must play an active role in strengthening our welfare society and meeting the challenges that face global society. We must encourage designers to perform their very best so that their products will challenge us and offer innovative solutions to present problems. As a design nation Denmark wants to help achieve this. Therefore, our educational programmes will continue to improve and admit the most talented students and educate world-class designers. ENJOY THE EXHIBITION! SOFIE CARSTEN NIELSEN MINISTER FOR HIGHER EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Photo / The Danish Parliament
/ YB DROWEROF REHGIH ROF RETSINIM ECNEICS DNA NOITACUDE NESLEIN NETSRAC EIFOS
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FOREWORD BY / MINISTER FOR HIGHER EDUCATION AND SCIENCE SOFIE CARSTEN NIELSEN
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Photo / ARoS
KAREN KJÆRGAARD / CURATOR
“THE TUBE IS A GENERIC LABORATORY DEMONSTRATING WHY CROSS COLLABORATIONS ARE WORTH WHILE AND VITAL FOR CREATIVE EXPLORATIONS - FOR DESIGNERS AS WELL AS COMPANIES. THE 7 PROJECTS ALL REPRESENT ATTITUDES THAT TURN INTO CONCEPTS AND FIND THEIR FORM, REVEALING CREATIVITY AND ENTERPRISE AS SOME OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCES.”
PROJECTS / DANISH DYNAMITE FABRICATION FABULATION THE FLOWER (& THE BEES) CAN A ROOM BE A LOOM? THE CAPITAL OF CHILDREN SEA FUR CICLO
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DESIGNER ALEXANDER MUCHENBERGER, 1984 INTERACTION DESIGN www.detours.biz DANISH DYNAMITE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN IS BASED ON KNOWLEDGE OF RESOURCES, PROCESSES OF MANUFACTURE, ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND RECYCLING. HOWEVER, SUSTAINABILITY IS ALSO ABOUT THOUGHT OUT, USERFRIENDLY AND EXPRESSIVE DESIGN; IT’S ABOUT DESIGN BEING SOMETHING WE DESIRE AND WANT TO OWN. FOR A LONG TIME. PRODUCTS THAT ARE HARD-WEARING AND PATINATE BEAUTIFULLY. SUSTAINABLE DESIGN BREAKS WITH CONVENTIONAL CONSUMPTION PATTERNS AND HABITS AND SO IT INVOLVES BOTH THE DESIGNER, THE COMPANY AND THE CONSUMER. How can sustainability and the constant production of new designs be combined and justified, and how do we create aware consumers? Interaction Designer Alexander Muchenberger has designed a multi-purpose, sustainable pole in collaboration with Kvist Industries. The company is a subcontractor of processed wood for the Danish furniture industry and deals in sustainable production in i.e. Denmark, Poland and Estonia. Danish Dynamite invites users to actively participate in shaping their own design. The three-part pole adds significantly to our knowledge of people and environments and can change according to one’s needs. With only 3 holes into one of the many design catalogues that are handed to us as we travel through the fair, the 3 sticks form a sustainable base for a seat or a table.
SUSTAINABILITY
Denmark has long been known for its active involvement in environmental issues and the sustainable ideal has permeated everything from product and welfare design to healthcare and architecture. This year, the Danish capital of Copenhagen won the European Green Capital Award for its sustainable approach to public transportation and urban planning celebrating the city’s versatility and willingness to adapt to ever changing conditions. The sustainable ethos is based on a profound understanding of the intricate relationships between environmental, societal, and economic dimensions and a sustainable effort must therefore be reflective of these relationships in order to become fully integrated and effective. Thus, it must be the number one priority for today’s designers to help shape and define a sustainable paradigm for a sustainable future.
COMPANY www.dskd.dk Design School Kolding builds on the tradition of Danish Design, placing focus on design which is meaningful. We believe that innovation comes from relating to history and tradition. The school’s approach is not to provide the answer, but to find the answer together. Design School Kolding’s intake is based on talent. We develop and cherish talent, and challenge it by teaching students to reflect on their own process and how to cooperate through projects drawn from a specific user context – often in collaboration with the business community. The school trains designers at undergraduate and graduate levels.
/ ENO RENIATNOC YB ETIMANYD HSINAD REGREBNEHCUM REDNAXELA YB GNIDLOK LOOHCS NGISED & Sustainability is the ability to maintain the qualities that are valued in the physical environment and for many years design has been saturated with the idea of creating long-lasting alternatives to the finite solutions of the modern Industrial Revolution. Sustainability confronts a wide array of contemporary challenges that range from ecological and societal issues to the ethical and aesthetic qualities of our environment. Sustainability issues arise wherever these qualities are compromised or irreversibly lost and the adoption of recycling, biodegradable materials as well as renewable resources will, alongside the redesign of products and their production processes, protect and maintain our natural habitats and environments.
CONTAINER ONE / DANISH DYNAMITE BY ALEXANDER MUCHENBERGER & DESIGN SCHOOL KOLDING
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DESIGNER SIGNE MÅRBJERG THOMSEN, 1986 INTERACTION DESIGN & INDUSTRIAL DESIGN www.signemaarbjerg.dk FABRICATION FABULATION COMBINING KNOWLEDGE OF THE QUALITIES OF MATERIALS WITH THE BASIC AND SECONDARY NEEDS OF PEOPLE SPARKS NEW WAYS OF THINKING ABOUT DESIGN. BECAUSE DESIGN CAN CHANGE OUR BEHAVIOUR, NOT ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL BUT ALSO WHEN WE COLLABORATE, INTERACT, OR JUST PLAIN WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE A PROBLEM. IN THE FUTURE, THE DESIGNER’S ROLE WILL BE TO USE NEW DESIGN GRIPS TO FORCE US TO THINK OUT OF THE BOX, TO DARE. USING THE DESIGNER FOR OTHER THAN CREATING JUST ANOTHER PRODUCT WILL ALLOW COMPANIES TO TEST NEW SCENARIOS FOR APPLYING THEIR KNOW-HOW. How do ideas – and carpets – fly? Interaction Designer Signe Mårbjerg Thomsen’s collaboration with leading international company ege carpets is an example of how an artistic exploratory approach to design gives rise to new ways of thinking about and perceiving a familiar product. By introducing a movement in the flat carpet, following a simple principle of gravity, the carpet changes from high to low, depending on the number of persons seated. At the same time using cool graphics that mirror the tubes and machines in the production hall, the design reflects a kaleidoscopic interaction of man and machine. INTERACTION
Danish designers and architects are well aware of the importance of human social interaction and therefore everything from bus stops to urban planning is infused with a sense of shared togetherness. Because of advanced technology becoming more widely accessible, consumers are no longer viewed as passive users but as producers and co-creators of everything from products to entertainment and services. This process of democratization is important because it opens up a whole new network of collaborations and ideas that are detached from the traditional limits of time and space. It facilitates interaction between different fields of expertise, religion, and sex, and it encourages mutual understanding and interdisciplinary cooperation. Design is about understanding the complex relationships between people and everyday objects and designers must possess an acute awareness of these social dynamics in order to manifest their creativity.
COMPANY www.ege.dk ege carpets has always had a corporate philosophy of design, quality and respect. Combined with a mantra to think along new lines to reach its goal, the Danish carpet manufacturer has created a successful business and is currently among the leading carpet manufacturers in Europe.
/ OWT RENIATNOC NOITALUBAF NOITACIRBAF NESMOHT GREJBRÅM ENGIS YB STEPRAC EGE Most human beings spend their entire lives interacting; not only with each other but with the material world around them. Interaction is a social process where meaning is constructed and where opinions are influenced, challenged and altered. It is through interaction that we learn about other people and about ourselves, our identity and our moral orientation, and it is through interaction that we develop our likes and dislikes. Interaction is ubiquitous and is made up by an almost infinite number of practices that are under constant development. In recent years, a much criticized and debated form of interaction has been HCI or Human-Computer Interaction, which was a term invented in the wake of the first personal computers in the early eighties.
CONTAINER TWO / FABRICATION FABULATION BY SIGNE MÅRBJERG THOMSEN & EGE CARPETS
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DESIGNER CHRIS P. SPILDE, 1988 COMMUNICATION DESIGN petter.spilde@gmail.com THE FLOWER (AND THE BEES) DESIGN WITHOUT STORYTELLING ISN’T DESIGN. IN OTHER WORDS: DESIGN WITHOUT SOUL AND BODY ISN’T RELEVANT, IT DOESN’T AFFECT US. THE DESIGNER’S ABILITY TO IDENTIFY WHAT MOVES US DETERMINES THE SUCCESS AND LIFE OF A PRODUCT. PRODUCTS MUST SPEAK TO US PHYSICALLY AS WELL AS MENTALLY. A GREAT STORY CAN CHANGE OUR PERCEPTION OF A PRODUCT AND DRAW NEW ATTENTION TO A COMPANY AND ITS POTENTIAL. THIS GENRE OF DESIGN DISTINGUISHES ITSELF FROM CONVENTIONAL MARKETING BY DELIBERATELY EMPLOYING DESIGN AND REQUIRES FORM TALENT. How do we retell the story of the flowers and the bees and great all-consuming love? And what does that have to do with potted plants? In collaboration with Danish Ornamentals and Danish Horticulture, Communication Designer Chris P. Spilde stages the story of the one true love using a flower surrounded by humming bees inside a glass case. The classic story is presented in a forward, biological set-up that makes you feel the pain of separation. That is, it would if it was not shut in and out of reach. You want to release the bees as well as the flowers – to make love grow.
STORYTELLING
A good example of how design and storytelling interact is the story of Danish Design. Based around the heritage of some of the great Danish designers and architects of the 1940’s and 50’s, Danish Design today is associated with cultural values such as social and environmental sustainability, good education, traditional craftsmanship and appealing aesthetics. These associations are all part of what makes up the story of Danish Design and time has shown that they are as culturally important as they are economically valuable. It is pivotal that today’s designers possess the ability to tell stories that reflect and resonate with the social and cultural context they’re in. Not only is it important to understand the narrative within a specific context, but storytelling is also an essential part of the experience with which users and consumers involve themselves with a product or service.
COMPANY www.danskgartneri.dk Danish Horticulture is the industry association for the Danish horticultural trade, including the sectors: Fruit & Vegetables, Potted plants, Trees & bushes and Cut flowers. The association represents the political interests of approximately 500 members in Denmark. By collaborating with the students at Design School Kolding, Danish Horticulture wants to add extra value to the product portfolio of these members. COMPANY www.danskeprydplanter.dk Danish Ornamentals is an active trade association for manufacturers and sales companies whose main activity is ornamental plants. The mission of the association is to strengthen the production and sales of Danish ornamental plants through investments and innovation. Design is a leaver for this innovation and lifts the potted plants from a low cost product to a lifestyle product that is part of any interior design.
REWOLF EHT / EERHT RENIATNOC SIRHC YB )SEEB EHT &( SLATNEMANRO HSINAD ERUTLUCITROH HSINAD
Storytelling is one of the most fundamental forms of human interaction and it has been at the core of every culture for thousands of years as a way of educating, entertaining as well as instilling cultural and moral values. In the early 19th Century the Brothers Grimm decided to collect and publish Germany’s withering tales and folklore as a way of preserving history and salvage an inherent part of their national identity. Stories like Cinderella, Snow White, and Hansel and Gretel where all originally featured in the Grimm’s early collections, and what we today know as children’s fairy tales were once important tools for shaping and maintaining society. Even today, storytelling is a prevalent way of communicating and conveying information although the means with which we do so have changed radically.
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CONTAINER THREE / THE FLOWER (& THE BEES) BY CHRIS P. SPILDE DANISH ORNAMENTALS & DANISH HORTICULTURE
DESIGNER ROSA TOLNOV CLAUSEN, 1985 TEXTILE DESIGN rosa.tolnovclausen@gmail.com CAN A ROOM BE A LOOM? CRAFT AS THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS AND THE MOTHER OF ALL DESIGNS. IN THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN THE WEAVER’S HAND AND MIND THE OPPORTUNITY EMERGES FOR NEW PRODUCTS. TRADITION AND CRAFT ARE OBVIOUS TOOLS IN ANY DESIGN PROCESS, AND IF YOU APPLY THEM TO DIFFERENT CONTEXTS THEY SERVE AS A LAUNCH PAD FOR CREATING NEW DESIGNS; DIGITAL AS WELL AS ANALOGUE. FURTHERMORE, WHEN EMBEDDED STORIES AND RECOGNISABLE ELEMENTS ARE INCORPORATED IN PRODUCTS WHICH INCLUDE US IN THE PROCESS OF CREATION, DESIGN GETS A HUMAN FACE. How do you successfully convey the beauty of craft as a shared experience? Textile Designer Rosa Tolnov Clausen provides the answer in collaboration with textile company Kvadrat, well known for their unique collaborations with some of the world’s most renowned designers. CRAFT
Since the 19th Century, Danish art, design and architecture have drawn lessons and inspiration from the arts and crafts of two fundamentally different creative schools of thought namely, Japanese art and the Anglo-American Shaker-movement. Specialised production methods, qualities of materials, concepts of value and artistic motifs were all of great importance to many Danish designers, and the inspiration is immediately recognisable in the designs of Poul Kjærholm, Hans Wegner and Børge Mogensen. This accumulation of diverse cultural heritage was a major contributor to what became European Modernism and it paved the way for movements such as Art Nouveau and Cubism and renowned institutions such as Bauhaus and De Stijl. The reduced aesthetic expression and the intricate detailing tells the story of a time where crafts and craftsmanship were not just methods of production but a way of manifesting a profound social and cultural sensibility.
The weaving of thousands of wefts in various colours crafts a joint venture between audience and artist. In a truly authentic atmosphere of skill and craft YOU are invited to experience or participate in the process of weaving a carpet at the daily craft performance events during the fair.
COMPANY www.kvadrat.com Kvadrat continuously works to expand the aesthetic, technological and artistic limits of the use of textiles through a long series of collaborations with some of the world’s most renowned designers, architects and artists, among others Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Akira Minagawa, Tord Boontje, Alfredo Häberli, Peter Saville, David Adjaye, Thomas Demand and Olafur Eliasson.
/ RUOF RENIATNOC ?MOOL A EB MOOR A NAC NESUALC VONLOT ASOR YB TARDAVK &
A craft is a profession that requires a particular kind of education and skilled, manual work. Originally, craft is used to describe the correlation between art and science which relies on talent and skill as well as knowledge and education. Small-scale production and maintenance of goods made from metal, wood, clay glass and textiles are what traditionally characterised the crafts, but since the Industrial Revolution where mass production of goods by large-scale industry became dominant, the craft culture has been somewhat reduced to niche professions and leisure activities. Crafts have always been steeped in tradition and relied heavily on knowledge and ideas passed down through generations and even today, some mass produced goods like clothing, jewellery and furniture still carry traces of their pre-industrialized origin.
CONTAINER FOUR / CAN A ROOM BE A LOOM? BY ROSA TOLNOV CLAUSEN & KVADRAT
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DESIGNER SIDSEL SØRENSEN, 1987 ILLUSTRATION www.sidseldraws.com THE CAPITAL OF CHILDREN DANISH DESIGN IS FAMOUS FOR ITS BROADNESS AND HUMANE ASPECT; ALSO WHEN IT COMES TO IMMATERIAL PRODUCTS AND INNOVATIVE PROJECTS FOCUSING ON STRENGTHENING THE DANISH WELFARE MODEL. FOR THESE TYPES OF TASKS THE RELEVANT DESIGN TOOLS ARE RELATED TO PROCESS: WORKSHOPS, EXPERIENCES, ILLUSTRATIONS, AND ANALYSES; AND THE DESIGNER ENGAGES IN THE PROCESS BY FACILITATING, IDEATING AND VISUALLY COMMUNICATING WORDS AND KNOWLEDGE. IMAGINE A COMMUNITY THAT RESPECTS AND INCLUDES SMALL GROWN-UPS – WHILE THEY GROW UP. AND IMAGINE EVEN A CAPITAL OF CHILDREN WHICH BUILDS ON USER-DIALOGUE WITH THE CHILDREN THEMSELVES. How do we succeed in communicating this vision so the decision makers as well as the target group understand the message?
SOCIETY
Society is very much a modern invention and its growth can be attributed to the advancement in fields such as technology, economy, medicine and social science. The talent and ingenuity of scientists, doctors, designers and architects alike have been essential in shaping today’s societies and it is with the same resources that we shall continue to better and improve our most fundamental conditions. Creativity, entrepreneurship, play and social responsibility are some of the key concepts that will influence our societies many years ahead, and it has become clear that design and technology will play an important part in facilitating this development.
Just after the Second World War, a handful of Danish designers decided to follow the lead of some of Europe’s most prominent designers and architects and try to use their crafts to heighten the overall quality of life and make the whole of society more socially and aesthetically aware. They did so by making furniture, lighting, toys, and buildings that were not only functional, but also exceptionally well crafted and of unprecedented quality. Even though the ideological aspects of this movement were fairly short-lived, it succeeded in making both the public and the public sector conscious about the advantages of good design and architecture. This renewed perspective would prove to be beneficial, not only to the economy, but to society at large. Even today we see the remnants of this idea in the way that both creative tools and scientific methods are being used to improve the functional and aesthetic qualities of everything from office buildings to garbage cans and learning environments.
Through illustrations and storytelling designer Sidsel Sørensen has created that future scenario. The immersive tableau combines the genuine initiatives of Capital of Children with fantastical, dreamlike ideas of what could be. The result is an impactful, graphic installation aiming to inspire curiosity and surprise. So stop and learn more about The Capital of Children; a vision which is founded on a unique partnership between a local authority and a private company, namely Billund Municipality and the LEGO Foundation. Capital of Children is a place where observing children’s play, how they learn and unfold their creativity, will benefit children in Billund and all over the world.
COMPANY capitalofchildren.com Capital of Children is founded by the LEGO Foundation and Billund Municipality. This unique partnership between a local authority and a private company represents a vision to develop Billund into an outstanding place for children to play, learn and be creative.
/ EVIF RENIATNOC NERDLIHC FO LATIPAC EHT NESNERØS LESDIS YB NERDLIHC FO LATIPAC &
CONTAINER FIVE / THE CAPITAL OF CHILDREN BY SIDSEL SØRENSEN & CAPITAL OF CHILDREN
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DESIGNER CHARLOTTE BODIL HERMANSEN, 1980 TEXTILE DESIGN www.charlottebodil.dk SEA FUR KNOWLEDGE OF MATERIALS, NATURAL AS WELL AS PROCESSED, IS A PREREQUISITE FOR CREATING NEW PRODUCTS. HOW DOES A MATERIAL FEEL AGAINST THE BODY, HOW DOES IT LOOK, AND HOW CAN IT HELP CONVEY A MESSAGE? WHEN A DESIGNER APPLIES A MATERIAL IN A NEW AND UNFAMILIAR WAY, THIS MAY INFLUENCE HOW WE PERCEIVE A GIVEN PRODUCT AND MAY EVEN CAUSE US TO CHANGE OUR HABITS. How can we integrate a material as exclusive as fur in an everyday, accessible context?
MATERIALITY
Danish designers, artists, and architects have always found inspiration in their material surroundings and whether it’s Panton’s synthetic fibres or Børge Mogensen’s love for Scandinavian wood, it has been a question of inventing new materials as well as improving and interpreting the ones that are already available. Materials and materiality are an inherent part of our surroundings and have been widely affected by the quest for a more sustainable environment. What this new paradigm proposes is that all materials, both natural and synthetic, must be processed, used and recycled in a way that is safe for both nature and society, and at the same time these materials must remain relevant in terms of functionality, durability and prices while appealing to the senses. Materiality is the story of everything around us and materials are often recognised for their practical, aesthetic and symbolic qualities. The world presents itself through an almost infinite range of shapes, colours, and textures and therefore, materials have the power to influence our experiences both directly and indirectly. Different materials evoke different associations and emotional attitudes making them a part of both a tactile and a culturally symbolic experience. Materials have the ability to define the look and the feel of an object, but they also have the power to shape the space around them. Whether natural or synthetic, materials are some of the heaviest cultural indicators we have and even the most common materials such as steel, sheep’s wool, and polycarbonate all have different meanings, connotations and cultural significances.
Sea Fur is the result of a unique collaboration between Textile Designer Charlotte Bodil Hermansen and Kopenhagen Fur’s creative platform KiCK, which aims to push the boundaries of what’s possible with fur. The fur-scape playfully interrogates materials and organic forms creating tactile, lust-worthy goods and interior proposals, reflecting the sea and life under water. By combining luxurious fur with trashy tarpaulin from lorries, we could refurbish the container or our home with desirable and collectible interpretations of natural forms; reusing and remixing materialities to touch and to feel.
COMPANY www.kopenhagenfur.com Having been in business for over 75 years, Kopenhagen Fur is steeped in tradition but with an ongoing aim for innovation. To this end, KiCK was established as a platform for creative people from all around the globe to push the boundaries of what’s possible with fur; exploring new techniques, spotting trends on the horizon and sharing innovative applications with fur for a range of creative realms, from fashion, to accessories, to interior design, decoration and more.
/ XIS RENIATNOC RUF AES NESNAMREH .B ETTOLRAHC YB KCIK – RUF NEGAHNEPOK &
CONTAINER SIX / SEA FUR BY CHARLOTTE B. HERMANSEN & KOPENHAGEN FUR – KICK
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DESIGNER OSMUND OLSEN, 1983 INDUSTRIAL DESIGN & PRODUCT DESIGN www.osmundolsen.com CICLO CREATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY IS BASED ON KNOWLEDGE OF MATERIALS AND PROCESS UNDERSTANDING. BOTH CHARACTERISE GREAT DESIGN. SMALL AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS CAN CREATE CHANGE WITHIN AN ENTIRE SECTOR; IT CAN GENERATE GROWTH POTENTIAL, EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT, OR THE REORGANISATION OF PRODUCTION. YET, TECHNOLOGY ALSO HAS A VERY DIRECT EFFECT ON ORDINARY CONSUMERS’ LIVES. FOR INSTANCE, THE TECHNOLOGY INVOLVED IN SUPPLYING HOUSEHOLDS WORLDWIDE WITH SOMETHING AS BASIC AS WATER IS A TECHNOLOGY WHICH CAN MAKE EVERYDAY LIFE EASIER AND CHANGE OUR BEHAVIOUR IMMEDIATELY. How do you convey the significance of a design which everyone owns but never sees in a profoundly new way which involves symbolically and artistically creating O2? The answer is by challenging the true virtues of global leader of advanced pump production, GRUNDFOS; a first mover on water technology. In collaboration with GRUNDFOS Designer Osmund Olsen represents the art of engineering as he turns the container into a tube of moving light circles. The magic circulation of the rings, powered by the invisible and inevitable pump, combines intelligence and playfulness in a futuristic scenario – above average water level. TECHNOLOGY
Technology has proven to be incredibly useful in a design context where everything from the initial ideas and sketches all the way to the manufacturing and distribution of the final product involves some kind of technological assistance. Technology gives the designer the possibility to visualize, test, and scrutinize a design long before it becomes a finished product. This not only allows for a thorough quality check, but also works as a way for designers to enhance their own understanding of the functional and structural properties of a design. Technology not only gives us the ability to impact and change our natural environment and immediate surroundings, it also provides us with the power to challenge our common understanding of fundamental concepts such as time, space and life itself. In recent years, technology has given us a glimpse into what the future might hold for specialised areas like medicine, healthcare, manufacturing and servicing and it is becoming increasingly apparent that technology will remain a dominant and essential part of the human evolution. Advanced technology has been a major contributor to Danish companies like Bang & Olufsen, Oticon and GRUNDFOS, but with advanced technology becoming cheaper, faster, and more readily available the role of the designer has been somewhat democratized. So in the current paradigm, companies are looking to co-creation and user involvement as the prevalent model for development and innovation. An example of this approach is the LEGO Cuusoo website which allows users to submit ideas for LEGO products to be turned into potential sets available commercially. The website is a testament to the power of user involvement and since 2008, the Danish toy manufacturer has benefitted greatly from this co-creation project.
COMPANY www.grundfos.com GRUNDFOS has an on-going determination to improve & innovate the way things are done. This not only applies to setting a new precedent for pump technology and solutions; it also commits to improving every aspect of their business. GRUNDFOS is a global leader in creating advanced pump solutions and a first mover on water technology. GRUNDFOS contributes to global sustainability by introducing ground-breaking technologies which improve human quality of life while considering the environment.
/ NEVES RENIATNOC OLCIC NESLO DNUMSO YB SOFDNURG &
CONTAINER SEVEN / CICLO BY OSMUND OLSEN & GRUNDFOS
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Photo / Gert SkĂŚrlund
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Our goal is to disperse contemporary Danish design, architecture, and fashion throughout the international arena by making it widely available to decision-makers in the political and cultural fields. We have been commissioned by the Danish Ministry of Business and Growth, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Culture to brand and promote Denmark internationally for the purpose of increasing trade, expanding markets, and developing long-lasting relationships with foreign businesses and organisations based on a shared interest in sustainable architecture and design.
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THE DANISH Design & Architecture Initiative promotes the distinct Danish approach to design, architecture, and fashion.
DANISH DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE INITIATIVE / INITIATIVE / ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN DANISH
Photo / Š Trapholt
The Tube – 7 Danish Design Concepts – Page 29
KOLDING IS one of Denmark’s leading areas for business growth. As Mayor, I believe the key to our city’s continued prosperity lies in a combination of entrepreneurship, social development and worldclass education. We have all those ingredients in the city today. And design is essential to them all. We have an ambitious design vision for the City of Kolding, focusing on what we call We Design for Life. It is a long-term vision, aiming for completion in 2022. Kolding is home to a number of internationally renowned design research and educational institutions, as well as to a thriving business and design community –strengthened by the presence of the national design cluster D2i – Design to Innovate. Now, the City Council has established a municipal unit devoted to design. Working with partners like Design School Kolding and University of Southern Denmark, this unit aims to embed innovation and facilitate design thinking at every level of education, from pre-school to PhD. The unit is responsible for promoting the vibrant design scene in Kolding and supporting the growth of an entrepreneurial business environment. It is also facilitating the design of public-sector welfare and social services. Together, these elements will make Kolding – City of Design a beacon of practical design thinking. Design thinking that enhances the very fabric of civic life, as well as the education and business sectors. JØRN PEDERSEN MAYOR OF KOLDING
KOLDING – CITY OF DESIGN / WE / DESIGN FOR LIFE
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Photo / Kolding Municipality
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01 / DESIGN SCHOOL KOLDING is an independant institution which offers design on Bachelor and Master levels. The school is renowned for its innovative design education and its international study environment. www.designskolenkolding.dk 02 / KOLDING MUNICIPALITY has an ambitious design vision for the City of Kolding that’s called We Design For Life. We Design For Life aims for completion in 2022. www.kolding.dk 03/ DESIGN CITY is a vibrant area in Kolding focusing sustainability and new ways of collaborating through design. www.designcity.dk 04 / BUSINESS KOLDING works as the primary liasion between Kolding Municipalty and businesses and business development. www.businesskolding.dk 05 / HOUSE OF DESIGN The municipality’s design entrepreneurship centre for creative entrepreneurs and design businesses. www.houseofdesign.biz 06 / HOUSE OF INNOVATION The municipality’s centre for entrepreneurs and start-up companies. www.houseofinnovation.dk 07 / D2i – DESIGN TO INNOVATE assists small and medium-sized businesses in using design as a tool for creating business development and growth. www.d2i.dk 08 / TRAPHOLT is Denmark’s only museum of modern art, crafts, design and furniture design. www.trapholt.dk 09 / KOLDINGHUS has a unique display of the long history of Danish Design and crafts traditions. www.koldinghus.dk 10 / KULTURFORUM WÜRTH is an industrial enterprise which present a wide range of activities within arts and culture. www.kulturforum.dk 11 / KULTURLOGEN is a youth house and creative workshop established to create a haven for young people wishing to explore their creativity. Facebook: Kulturlogenkolding 12 / THE DESIGNIA DEPARTEMENT OF HANSENBERG offers vocational training within form, design and visual expressions in digital media. www.hansenberg.dk 13 / IBC (INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COLLEGE) offers design as an elective subject to most of its students. www.ibc.dk 14 / IBA (INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ACADEMY) offers an Academy Profession degree in Entrepreneurship and Design. www.iba.dk 15 / THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN DENMARK offers a Bachelor’s degree in Design Culture and Economy and a Master’s degree in Design Management in collaboration with Design School Kolding. www.sdu.dk 16 / INTERNATIONAL DESIGNCAMP is an annual, recurring event at Design School Kolding, which joints Danish and international students, companies, designers and researchers with an interest in design. www.designcamp2014.dskd.dk 17 / NICOLAI COMPLEX a culturel centre consisting of Cinema & Café, Heritage, Children’s Culture, Art & Design and Music. www.nicolai.kolding.dk 18 / INVEST IN DENMARK has established a design entry point at Design School Kolding. It is customized one-stop service for foreign companies looking to set up businesses in Denmark. www.investindk.com 19 / DANISHTM (DANISH DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE INITIATIVE) promotes the special Danish approach to architecture, fashion and design around the World. www.ddai.dk 20 / DM IN DESIGN for youth comprises a design sprint for participants aged 13+ who want to test their design talents. Facebook: DM i Design – for unge
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An Exhibition by Design School Kolding 2014
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WHAT IS DANISH DESIGN? DESIGN? DANISH IS WHAT