Søren Solkær
Søren Rose
MØ
Rose Eken
I'm a KOMBO
Michael Kvium
Project Pressure
BIG
Melody Gardot
Peter Jensen
Eyes on the Edge
The annual magazine from Ørgreen Optics on how we work and what we love
NIKOLAJ HĂœBBE Artistic Director of the Royal Danish Ballet
ORGREENOPTICS.COM
Introduction
Eyes on the edge Inspiration is everywhere we look
Deep in our DNA is a thirst for not just what’s new – but what’s next. We are curious about people who dare to question convention. Everyday rebels and renegades who pave their own path and take us down a road less travelled. Non-conformists keen on living by their own rules. Designers who make us re-think the way we live our lives. Architects who re-shape buildings that, in turn, re-shape us. Artists whose medium warps our view of reality. Others who take an icon and twist it. We’re fascinated by an enormous array of creative arenas that extend to new concepts in food, photography, fashion, music and more. Many of the people who inspire us have been making headlines around the world. And we’ve invited them to appear here in this issue. Don’t miss our exclusive interview with one of the most in-demand portrait photographers of rocks stars and celebs. Our profile of the biggest starchitect in the US right now re-vamping Google’s HQ. A painter with a subversive way of portraying the ugly truth. Two chefs re-defining mealing with meaning. A musician whose music is healing. A fashion designer whose muses have a dark side. Along with other features we hope you’ll find as eye opening as we do. You’ll also be treated to a preview of our newest image campaign, replete with a Lamborghini Countach shot against surreal cityscapes from Tokyo to Havana. Not to mention snaps of our latest eyewear collection. Staying true to our signature minimalistic style, watch for subtle surprises, like nuances in shapes, tones and styles with a wink to New Wave music, jet set styles and a futuristic vibe. Bringing high-end looks to amazing new heights.
Enjoy this journey as we take you to the edge of all things interesting.
Sincerely,
Tobias Wandrup Co-founder Head of Design
Gregers Fastrup Co-founder Head of Sales
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Henrik Ørgreen Founder Creative Director
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Introduction
Ordinary is out of the question Innovation is an essential element in everything we do. It’s the driving force behind every aspect of our brand. You can see it in our designs, details and inventive colour combinations. You can even see it in our brand communications. Because for us, anything ordinary is out of the question.
Tobias Wandrup
Gregers Fastrup
Henrik Ørgreen
Our creative process is driven by a desire to design eyewear that adds an extra dimension. Eyewear that enhances someone’s face and becomes part of their expression. We’re constantly searching for the perfect design. Simple designs that result from our conceptual creative process. We want to give our customers designs they like and lust after. But more importantly, we want to give them something they didn’t know existed. To surprise them.
We are completely committed to new ways of thinking. A few years ago, we began to go against the trend and are now launching five new collections a year for immediate delivery. We’re creating a closer dialogue with our customers - our allies - to increase the visit frequency of our sales consultants at our retailers, where we introduce fresh new instore ideas for consumers on a regular basis. To arm our allies with tools for success, it’s all about innovation. Thinking ahead.
We never stop. We’re always developing new designs, directions and entirely new concepts. Experimenting with new types of materials. Exploring colours that express an edgy elegance. Even though we already have high standards on all fronts, we are keen on continuously evolving. We’re never satisfied with where we are. Or with the idea of standing still. As a dynamic company, innovation is everything. For us, to be good isn’t good enough.
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Design
Infinity net by Yayoi Kusama
Aesthetic Affinity
Japan and Denmark both share a passion for minimalism and craftsmanship, expressed with an understated sense of elegance. It’s a mutual aesthetic mindset seen in everything from design, architecture and cuisine – to our own eyewear. The reasons? We asked several experts who share insights from history, culture and their personal experiences as professionals.
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Zen and the art of the essence Ever since the Edo era (1603-1868), Japan has had a long tradition of Zen inspired aesthetics, reflecting a deep appreciation for tranquillity, the inherent attributes of natural materials and the absence of anything unnecessary. Essential to this is the aesthetic concept of Shibui, which values subtle, discrete, innate beauty. Focusing on functionality and the idea of simply being what something is meant to be without any need to elaborate or embellish. This permeates all aspects of Japanese life even today – from cooking and craftsmanship to art, architecture and design, etc.
Carefully composed views In fact, minimalism extends beyond the museum walls to the museum itself. Built in 1958, the design of Louisiana actually took its departure point from Japan architecture. As Laurberg explains, “Louisiana is clearly inspired by the Japanese architectural tradition with the simple use of materials, the distinctive horizontal lines, the open levels and spaces, the carefully composed views to the park, etc.” Likewise, many of Laurberg’s Japanese museum colleagues claim that Louisiana has inspired them in their own museum designs, such as the Benesse Art Site Naoshima and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa.
Vital for the Vikings The Danes’ penchant for minimalism is not something that recently emerged in modern day Denmark. “The Vikings were faced with the challenge of executing large trades out on the open sea, so they had to build boats with a high demand on functionality and materials,” says Tobias Wandrup, Partner and Head of Design at Ørgreen Optics. “As I see it, the focus of Danish design on functionality, conceptual simplicity and the right materials with a visually gratifying outcome – it was achieved back then. And it continues to this day.” From the 1920’s to the post-war period and all the way up to the 1970’s, Danish Modernism attracted the attention of a global audience. A movement championed by architect and designer Arne Jacobsen, along with his contemporaries Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl and Poul Kjærholm, among others. They refused to follow trends in favour of timeless designs stripped of any unnecessary elements, in keeping with the Modernism manifesto that exteriors should emulate a design’s inner function and nothing more. A Danish approach to functionalism akin to the Japanese Shibui. Fondness for refinement “The most striking similarities between Japan and Denmark revolve around the thorough care, fine craftsmanship and a design lingo characterised by a simple elegance,” explains Art Historian Dr. Phil. Mirjam Gelfer-Jørgensen, who delved into the deep visual bond between the two cultures in her book Influences from Japan in Danish Art and Design 1870-2010 and curated the current exhibit “Learning From Japan” at Design Museum Denmark in Copenhagen. “They also shared an essential focus on natural materials. This grew out of the fact that both countries have ample forests, attaching great importance to handicraft traditions. To this day, both the Danes and the Japanese are famous for their talent with wood and fondness for refinement.”
Louisiana Terrace with sculpture by Dani Karavan. Photo: Kim Hansen / Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
Echoing Gelfer’s insights about craftsmanship is Marie Graunbøl, Contributing Editor for the Japanese magazine MILK Japon and Editor in Chief for OAK – The Nordic Journal. “In Japan, a craftsman often dedicates his life to honing his skills in his particular field. In Denmark, people are also very focused on craftsmanship, with a long tradition showing a love of natural materials. A material is not used because it's the latest trend, but because of its function. It’s important to note that Japanese aesthetics take many forms – from fine ceramic bowls and handiwork to elaborate kimonos to manga drawings and pop-art.”
Cross-cultural exchange Today concepts that merge the mindset from both cultures are thriving. Boasting a strong foothold in Japan with offices in Tokyo and Kyoto is OeO, an awardwinning, Copenhagen-based strategic design studio founded by Creative Director Thomas Lykke, former Interiors Editor at Wallpaper* Magazine, and CEO Anne-Marie Buemann. “Japanese aesthetics and our design approach go well hand in hand,” notes OeO. “In some of our Danish-based projects you can definitely see our inspiration from working in Japan, such as the Dinesen showroom where we’ve designed a huge wooden structure that plays with light and shadow, as well as a reception area inspired by the new coffee culture found in the streets of Tokyo.” Another case in point is Japan Handmade, where OeO has partnered up with six Kyoto crafts companies to bring the poetry of Japanese designs to the world through new, contemporary products that draw on traditional skills using natural materials.
Minimalism through extreme repetition When it comes to Japanese art, Marie Laurberg is full of astute observations. Curator of the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark, Laurberg is behind Louisiana’s retrospective of iconic Japanese pop-artist Yayoi Kusama called In Infinity. In Laurberg’s opinion, “Kusama’s Infinity Net paintings are examples of her unique interpretation of a minimalist language. She covers huge canvases with a dense pattern of small, white half circles forming an infinite net, showing a delicate interplay with the material aspect of the paint. They are meditative paintings that you can disappear into. Expressing a minimalist aesthetic through the extreme simplicity in form and colours, but at the same time a maximalism through the extreme repetition.”
This appreciation for the intrinsic beauty found in the essence of everything, with a singular focus on simplicity and refinement goes beyond architecture and design. Acclaimed Copenhagen restaurants like NOMA and Atelier September both created pop-up restaurants in Tokyo in 2015. Frederik Bille Brahe, Founder and Chef at Atelier September, finds himself fascinated and inspired by the Japanese mentality both outside and inside the kitchen. “Whether it’s a barista preparing coffee or a person directing traffic, people often have a single-minded concentration on the task at hand. Each task is given equal importance and is fulfilled with great care. I learn a lot from cooking here. I’m acquiring a new depth of things, doing less, but being more expressive. Instead of expanding, you’re moving inwards.” Our aesthetic ally When it comes to our own quest for simple, clean designs, authentic materials and outstanding craftsmanship, Japan is our aesthetic ally. Citing their consistent attention to detail as an on-going source of inspiration, Wandrup adds, “On our production trips to Japan, we’ve seen great examples of how Japanese culture is on a unique, higher level regarding the degree of detail in everything they do. The food is carefully cut to bite-sized pieces that can be eaten elegantly with thin, delicate chopsticks. Vegetable gardens are arranged in precise rows almost within millimetres. In wintertime, tree branches are tied up systematically to a vertical bamboo so the branches don’t bend when the snow comes. And, of course, all the knots are tied to perfection.” As Ørgreen Optics Founder and CEO Henrik Ørgreen sums it up, the mutual understanding of aesthetics and exceptional craftsmanship are essential for the company’s collaboration with Japanese manufacturers. “High quality is a cornerstone of our philosophy,” says Ørgreen. “The Japanese dedication to details, attention to perfection and meticulous craftsmanship … I couldn’t imagine a more perfect match for Ørgreen.”
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Photography
A place where something will take place - Portrait of a portrait photographer All photos by Søren Solkær
Elle Deadsexicon is photographed upon a rooftop in Brooklyn, N.Y. She often paints with foam extinguishers filled with painting.
Søren Solkær
This gives around 10 seconds painting time per tank – with a very large reach. This way she can paint high up on buildings, billboards and road signs. The mask is her own creation.
Søren Solkær has photographed some of the most high profile musicians and the most anonymous underground street artists. We caught up with this über booked Danish photographer in between stints for magazines like Rolling Stone, Wallpaper*, Q Magazine and GQ, as well as projects for recording giants Sony, Universal and EMI. How does Solkær create the feeling of a movie from a single still image? And how does he set the scene for artists to bare their souls? No. ➁
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Edgy,
I met Borondo at his studio, an abandoned pub in Northern London. I particularly liked his piece "Narcissus", a painting upside down where the reflection in the water becomes the upright portrait. I wanted to play with that duality. I'd seen another piece where he painted a shop window white and the next day scratched portraits in the paint. Hence my double portrait of Borondo, in homage to these two techniques.
Why did you become a photographer? I began to travel right after I graduated and photography was a way to interface with people and the world. A passport for a lot of things that I couldn’t do without a camera. More than anything, it was an icebreaker. I came from the Danish countryside. Suddenly if I had a camera around my neck, I could go up to anyone and talk to them. How do you set the scene for a shoot? Every time you set up the camera, it's a scene. A place where something will take place. I like to create it with an impetus - a feeling of action and energy, as if the picture is part of a larger story. Like making a single still image from a movie. I provide the setting, the mood, the composition. Basically I create the frame for people to express themselves. Then I step back and give them space. I observe rather than instruct. I’m not at all into saying, "Put your right hand here and stand with your left leg like this." Everything takes place on an emotional, energetic level. It's all about empathy.
Evocative, Filmic Led Zeppelin, U2, the Rolling Stones, Brian Ferry, Sir Paul McCartney and Tom Jones all share a space with Primal Scream, Metallica, White Stripes, Oasis, REM, Franz Ferdinand, Björk, Kylie Minogue and Amy Winehouse. Each have a page in his definitive anthology of musicians in his killer coffee table book Closer (2011). From commissioned cover shoots to casual, fire escape encounters, these intimate and arresting portraits became an exhibition featuring over 300 images up to 4.5 metres each in size, held in Copenhagen, London, Edinburgh, Milan and Sydney.
Solkær subsequently turned his focus to street artists in 2012. Travelling for two years to meet over 135 key players in street art and graffiti culture, whose urban landscape is their canvas. Resulting in amazing, adrenalinrush portraits published in his book Surface (2015). That’s in addition to his previous book Souls (2011), where he went to India to photograph yogis meditating on mountains. And Beat City (2006) documenting his earlier photos of rock stars juxtaposed against cinematic cityscapes around the globe. Solkær has also ventured into the world of film, photographing David Lynch, Tim Burton, John Waters and James Franco, among others.
Meeting Solkær himself, he’s very low key with a quiet kind of personal presence. Rather surprising when you see his portraits with imagery that’s so striking, cinematic and emotionally enthralling, using a colour palette that’s explosive. Solkær studied photography and film in Prague and mostly gets his inspiration from paintings and filmmakers such as David Lynch and Wong Kar-Wai. Still, depending on the f-stop, some sort of magic has to happen in front of the lens in a nano second. As Solkær describes it, “The shot that has the most impact usually happens in a split second. Sometimes all the good shots come in five seconds from a two-hour session. These moments where people lose themselves are the ones I’m looking for." So how does Solkær create this instant awesomeness? We sat down over coffee in Copenhagen – during his photo shoot of our image campaign previewed in this issue - to find out.
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and on fire
I photographed The White Stripes in a diner in Nashville for British GQ. Prior to the shoot, I had proposed the idea for the picture to Jack White. I drove around the Nashville area with a very happy Iraqi taxi driver for a good seven hours to find the perfect diner for the shoot. I like the cinematic quality and the playfulness of the image.
How do you create a sense of trust, especially with musicians and celebs? I think I inspire and infuse confidence. They can feel that I’m being myself. Maybe it’s something somewhat Danish. I achieve a different look than photographers from Hollywood. With famous celebrities, there are loads of pictures of them out there. But it's interesting that a person looks very different depending on the photographer taking the picture. Any anecdotes? I photographed Björk in London for a cover for Q Magazine. We only had an hour together. We hardly spoke a word and were kind of in this creative bubble. Björk performed all kinds of weird and wonderful poses and we were both totally absorbed in the play. Amy Winehouse was easy to photograph. She was like an open book. An emotional roller coaster ride. I got the last two photo shoots with her before the paparazzi became possessive. It was at the height of her career but at the start of her sad personal descent.
hasn’t become so commercialised - yet. It’s raw but it’s beautiful. I like when both elements are present. Also, in many cases you’re not allowed to see the artists’ faces, which makes doing their portrait a challenge. Which elusive artists did you manage to capture? I started with one of the greatest - Shepard Fairy. He was featured in the film about Banksy Exit Through The Gift Shop. When I exhibited my work in his LA gallery he DJ’d at the opening. I also shot Space Invader, another big name in the underground scene – who’s known but rather anonymous. Is there a common feature in all of your portraits? They are all vulnerable. They have a kind of intimacy and honesty. Something cool and edgy merged with something sensitive that’s deliberately stylised and staged. My photography is a meeting place where those elements coexist. My most successful pictures contain this clash. A bit like the difference in me when I'm alone vs. with others.
Is there anyone you’d like to photograph who you haven’t already done? David Bowie and Nick Cave in particular. Why are you drawn to street art? They have an idealism that corresponds to the early onset of rock music, when there were a lot of political artists and protest singers. It started out from an authentic need and then it became “I have to make a hit”. Street art
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SS16 Campaign
Dramatic
Detour
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SS16 Campaign
Our new campaign photos capture a mysterious midnight drive to a major metropolis. Seen in these sexy snaps merging jet set style with futuristic fantasy.
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Our AW15 campaign began with a band in Delta Lab’s Verner Pantonesque recording studio in Copenhagen. Building on that theme and beyond, our SS16 campaign takes you to the photo shoot for the band’s album cover. In a tribute to 80’s New Wave contemporised, watch for a wicked white Lamborghini Countach, an iconic accessory from the era which pioneered the extreme “wedge” shape in high performance sports cars. Adding a touch of cinematic surreality are the über cool cityscapes from LA, Miami, New York, Havana and Tokyo as beautiful background projections throughout. Conceived by our phenomenal photographer Søren Solkær. Of course, it wouldn’t be Ørgreen Optics if we didn't have a reference to a cult movie. This time it’s Fellini’s Toby Dammit from 1968 with Terence Stamp, replete with a male lead who’s quite a lad, the female lead as the temptress, flashy sports cars and paparazzi at every corner. It’s all reflected in the supremely sophisticated lighting, styling and casting. Starting with our dashing duo Nikolaj Hübbe, Artistic Director of the Royal Danish Ballet, and his captivating cohort model Maja Krag, who flew in from New York for the photo shoot. Together they set the scene with their attitude and attire. From matching white suits to black tuxedo jackets. The look is razor sharp, shot with bold, angular lines and gorgeous graphics. Echoing this retro jet set vibe are curated selects from our newest eyewear collection. From subtle and minimal to sleek and seductive. It’s your sneak peak at the latest, greatest sartorial looks and colours from Ørgreen Optics. At a retailer near you.
Photographer Søren Solkær Male model Nikolaj Hübbe Female model Maja Krag / Unique Models Styling Simon Rasmussen Make-up/hair Louise Bruun Behind the scenes video created by SubW, Morten Schmidt – check it out on our YouTube channel: Orgreen Optics
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Collaboration
The
Accidental Close your eyes and immerse yourself in the velvety sensation of this soulful singersongwriter who fuses jazz with deep grooves, R&B, ballads, blues, gospel and rock. All performed with passion and composure. Open your eyes and you’ll see a multi-talented artist whose striking beauty belies her fragility. And whose metaphorical lyrics leave us utterly enthralled and at a loss of words.
Melody Gardot
Photo by Douglas McWall
Musician melodygardot.co.uk
Melody Gardot. The Grammy-nominated American musician who’s breaking new ground to sold-out performances around the globe. Gardot is a master of moods, creating a collage of emotions with each impeccably orchestrated piece. An engaging artist who, in her newest album Currency of Man, features a track that mixes a choir of singers from Facebook fans who submitted home recordings of their voices to her. On other songs, she experiments with 70's funk, a cabaret style and a twangy, Dusty Springfield vibe. It's enough to make you want to smoke a Lucky Strike and slowly sip a Jack Daniels. As for the lyrics, Gardot explains that “after spending time in LA, the songs all became about the people I met: people who were experiencing life on the fringe…” Eyewear is more than a detail of Gardot’s signature style. It helps with her acute sensitivity to light, the result of a car crash where she underwent radical rehabilitation, using music to help with her healing process. Hence the nickname The Accidental Musician. “I instantly fell in love with Ørgreen Optics,” smiles Melody Gardot. I have been looking all over the planet for a cool design in a feather light frame. But never have I seen frames as light as Ørgreen Optics'. I also really appreciate their precision craftsmanship and high quality. Wearing eyewear that’s so light, for me, is a luxury.” “Melody is the perfect brand ambassador for Ørgreen Optics,” says founder Henrik Ørgreen. “We were instantly drawn to her intimate, intense way of being”. When she performs, you can hear the perfection in the nuance of each note. The way she brings a modern twist to cult classics. And continues to experiment. Much like we do.” “With my newest album, I wanted to explore certain frequencies in sound which calm, soothe and rejuvenate the body and spirit,” explains Gardot. “Like fine-tuning colours to get more resonance.” Apropos of colour, we invited Gardot to collaborate with our in-house colour consultant, Sahra Lysell, to co-create some cool hues for a limited edition capsule collection of our sunglasses. The result is a delicious array of three colour versions of our Capote frames with only 50 examples of each colour: Étoile, Poète and La vue en rose. “With Étoile the gold is so flashy, it’s only for a star personality,” adds Gardot. “Poète is pure poetry in motion. They’re the classic shades I wear every day. And La vue en rose embodies the idea of seeing the world through rose coloured glasses.” Gardot graced us with a personal appearance at our launch in Paris. Leaving the press – just like us – breathless.
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Art
Portrait by Søren Solkær. All paintings © Michael Kvium
The naked eye on the well-dressed lie
Artist Michael Kvium takes us to the outer limits of the evil and insanity he sees in humanity, through his visually arresting and thought-provoking art. Where he explores the duality of beauty vs. ugly, truth and lies and the sinister side of authority - lurking just below the surface. It’s all there in this exclusive interview just prior to an exhibit of his personal depiction of the Seven Deadly Sins.
A master of multiple disciplines, from sculptures, installations and performance art to films and set designs, Michael Kvium’s work has an eerie dichotomy. In his paintings, what looks like a bald ballerina is a clown-like creature clad in a tutu with a curious gaze – watching us watching him. There’s a judge dangling a rat from each hand. A priest gripping a child in a school uniform. Babies interconnected by umbilical cords forming a peculiar pattern. It’s all part of a Carnivalesque approach to how Kvium portrays society and reality as we know it. In the backyard behind a modern, angular home nestled in a forest north of Copenhagen lies Kvium’s studio. A cosy space with wooden tables covered with tubes of paint, jars of brushes, works in progress on walls, along with a scruffy sofa and chair. The atmosphere is quiet, comfy and feels more like a womb than a room. “If I tried to create a pretty picture of reality, the picture would become as invisible as reality itself. And then I might as well take a photo," says Kvium. When I left the Art
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Academy, I realized that I needed a theatrical approach that I could use as a language.” Kvium started by questioning rules and restrictions in art and life, touching on taboos and the absurdity of life and death. Why are we living. Why are we leaving. And where do we go. The paradoxical consequence of conception. Challenging the status quo is Kvium’s platform for provocation, where he expresses what he finds disturbing about the world. Stripping away “the usual lies we hide behind” to reveal an ugly reality that’s been there all along – but suddenly in a truer form that seeps under our skin. “Like a singer playing a song about his lost girlfriend,” adds Kvium. “The audience isn’t crying because the singer lost his girlfriend. They are crying because they recognize the same feelings in themselves.” It’s very much about identifying with people. A point Kvium underlines by adding, “It’s very hard to kill someone if you realize that they feel the same pain as you do …”
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The unseen reality in humanity Authorities, politiciancs, priests, radical religious groups. For Kvium it’s all about hype and hypocrisy. Contradictions in character. The innocent as guilty. Everyday archetypes as monsters. Of course, the more extreme that people appear in public, the more they swing to the other extreme in secret. “Through images I explore what happens when we lose confidence in our authority figures,” says Kvium. “And what happens to the authorities when they face themselves. How religion can be demonic when used to control others. Why do you think priests are often depicted in films, especially thrillers, as depraved? A priest who wants to get close to God is probably touching the devil.” Kvium’s work is not an overt expression of evil. Despite the stark settings, the imagery is full of ambiguity. His subjects are usually cast in an uncluttered landscape of nowhere – which could be anywhere. Often nearly naked and oddly androgynous. Each one could be anyone. There are nuances, suggestions and tension. Characters posing, pondering a potential act of transgression. Giving us the feeling of witnessing someone on the verge of committing an act with evil intent, where we can judge them or not. Feel either a connection or repulsion. This tentative, implicit aspect renders Kvium’s work even more compelling. “I’m communicating a stage where my characters are like actors in a performance. Suddenly people see things they didn’t see before. I show them a mirror of what’s underneath this well-dressed society.” The beauty in the ugly It begs the question, “Then what is beauty?” As Kvium sees it, “If we have to be tall, blonde with perfectly proportioned features, then we have to destroy everyone who isn’t. Wasn’t that the agenda during WWII? What does that ‘ideal’ actually create? An ugly monster.” Of course, society is back on that dangerous track with the unprecedented popularity of plastic surgery. The vanity behind apps that help you Photoshop yourself before posting your selfie. Then there’s the ability to edit DNA, resulting in designer babies. In contrast, Kvium strips away everything that hides people’s imperfections in order to accentuate them, unflattering flaws and all. So the concept of contrived, controlled, imposed beauty … “It’s so scary,” says Kvium.
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The result is a massive compilation of work and a devout following beyond the borders of his native Denmark. Including his personal depiction of the Seven Deadly Sins "SALIGIA" (an acronym of the first letter of each sin in Latin), on exhibit at Dunkers Kulturhus in Helsingborg, Sweden. Each sin is considered a form of “idolatry of self”, conceived back in the sixth century. Although today “sins” like lust seem rather tame and not necessarily sinful as such, the idea of sins is still riveting. “I painted blindfolds on each character representing the sins,” explains Kvium. “They don’t want to see. We have everything before our eyes but we just don’t see people, society or ourselves as we actually are.” And for Kvium, that’s a sin.
But why are people so drawn to the dark side and the macabre? Like a car crash, where onlookers line up for miles causing other potential crashes, just to see if anyone got maimed, mutilated or died a painful death. There’s a similar fascination with Kvium’s work. “I think it comes from enjoying the fact that it wasn’t you in the car crash,” notes Kvium. “Our reptilian brains. It’s only fun to be beautiful if others are ugly. It’s only fun to be rich if others are poor. And it’s only cool if you have the newest iPhone to capture it all.” It’s just a piece of cloth “Art is innocent. It’s innocuous,” smiles Kvium. “So why do so many politicians and extreme parties hate art? Because it allows people to think for themselves. To come to their own conclusions. Politicians want to have power over people. For them, art is dangerous.” With a few brush strokes of colours on a blank canvas, Kvium invites us into his subconscious to understand what it’s like to be human. Beyond our self-centred, emotional inclinations in order to feel universal feelings. Embracing our own duality and contradictions. The good and bad twins who co-exist within each of us. “In our subconscious, everything is open and allowed,” remarks Kvium. “It’s almost a dream state where everything is possible. Once we enter our consciousness, that’s when we start to judge what is good or bad.” Like sanity vs. insanity, the latter being the place where Kvium sees his work. The one which society denigrates the most is the one he finds most interesting and honest. The eyes are a dead giveaway Some of Kvium’s characters wear hats. Others have some kind of mask. What prompts him to add glasses to a character? “If I would want to blind them,” laughs Kvium. “To hide their own eyes as they look at others. Eyes are a scary weapon. If you meet a schizophrenic, don’t look into their eyes. You can see if someone is lying by their eyes. They look away.”
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“I painted blindfolds on each character representing the sins. They don’t want to see. We have everything before our eyes but we just don’t see people, society or ourselves as we actually are.” - Michael Kvium
SALIGIA By Michael Kvium. 31 October 2015 – 20 March 2016. Dunkers Kulturhus, Helsingborg, Sweden. Dunkers Kulturhus proudly presents SALIGIA, an exhibition based on the Seven Deadly Sins as expressed by one of Denmark’s most prominent artists Michael Kvium. The exhibition, which is the first major exhibition of Kvium’s work in Sweden, features seven new works, including a 17-metre long mural painted by the artist on site in the gallery, along with three sculptures. Michael Kvium graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1985 and his work is represented at numerous museums in Denmark and elsewhere around the world from US to China. In 2010 he was appointed Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog by HM Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
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Food
Photos by Oscar Meyer & Kasper Ponker. Illustration by Bo Lindegaard
I'm a KOMBO
Please (don’t)
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be seated Imagine walking through a refrigerator door to enter an eating experience with a group of total strangers. Where you’re invited to lick edible purée of grass sprayed on a wall. Or to cut open a cardboard box to discover a delicious foie gras emulsion inside.
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Food
These are the types of interactive culinary events which I’m a KOMBO create. Spearheaded by founders Lasse Askov and Bo Lindegaard as part of their experiential approach to dining and food design.
Askov and Lindegaard are high-end head chefs who share a background in classical gastronomy. Initially rivals with a mutual dislike for each other, they joined forces based on their shared dislike for the limitations of the kitchen. Filling orders wasn’t fulfilling enough for them or for guests. So they expanded their scope to become creative directors of an interactive culinary experience. Inspiration came when they visited The Faurschou Foundation in Copenhagen, a privately owned art institution exhibiting the work of Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang. As Lindegaard explains it, “There was a big boat stranded on a sea of broken porcelain. Cai used gunpowder to create explosions directly onto the enormous canvases surrounding the boat. The uncontrolled remains of a very controlled artistic act. It was poetry. The impression it gave was astonishing – a tiny revelation. Later, while eating at a sleazy sailor joint down the road, we defined our principle of control and coincidence as a tribute to Cai's gunpowder paintings and as a cornerstone principle of I'm a KOMBO's work.” It’s not a question of being different just for the sake of it. It’s about radically re-defining dining to be a social experience, where guests are more than simply spectators being served. Lindegaard and Askov are so passionate about it they’ve even created a manifesto.
The Social Act As a declaration of their intention, the essence of their manifesto reads: “With The Social Act, it is our ambition to reintroduce the guest as a participant of the meal to restore the social space of mealing. In doing so, we work with unpredictability and create a new space of possibilities. We retain control but create the conditions for coincidence. The meal is the culmination of craftsmanship, cooperation and participation.” In practice, The Social Act is a scheduled, occasionally spontaneous event spanning several days. A creative playground for experimentation where no rules apply. Combining their culinary skills with imaginative expressions for mealing with meaning. (Hence the term KOMBO.) Of course, the “controlled” part of these culinary coincidences stems from certain guidelines. “A meal has to be fun, playful, have humour, be imaginative, have people lose track of time,” says Askov. Add to that curiosity, discovery, interaction, function, contrast, comfy food and other key principles. “It also has to be tasty, otherwise we’re not friends with our guests anymore,” laughs Lindegaard. Impressive Exposure So far, this dynamic Danish duo has received loads of accolades and high-profile exposure. Such as showcasing their food designs at Paris Design Week. Orchestrating a collaborative dinner at cool Colette in Paris. A promotion dinner for Wallpaper Magazine. A pop-up concept at Copenhagen Airport. Sponsored projects by giga food giant Hellmann’s. And most recently, hosting a snack party for Adidas. In their quest to surprise, engage and amuse guests beyond their ordinary expectations of merely a meal, I'm a KOMBO have served up some unexpected food and flavour combinations. For example, lobster and bitter chocolate, tapioca poles flavoured with horseradish, spaghetti made from cabbage, Lamb heart and kale chips, smoked vegan beetroot sausages, cucumber wit-bier (a beer cap concept they created in a collab with Mikkeller), and their fave flavour kombo: green sour olives marinated in espresso... More than anything, I’m a KOMBO want their guests to wake up the next morning still savouring the experience they had the night before - in a gastronomic afterglow.
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Sun Collection
Shades of Summer Music continues to rock our world, so we decided to dedicate this season’s sunglasses to some favourite albums that we see as forever classics. From British new wave and glam rock to trip hop, grunge, hip hop and electronica. Some have lyrics that epitomise an entire era. Others have the coolest guitar riffs to groove to. They all have something - that means something.
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1 Apocalypse 91 2 Moon Safari 3 Blonde on Blonde 4 Sweet Dreams 5 Never Mind 6 Street Hassle 7 Blue Lines 8 Avalon 9 3 Feet High
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A Kind of Kink
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Peter Jensen portrait by Dante Fewster Holdsworth. Main menswear photo by Romain Sellier. Resort 14 "Paulette and Andy" by Tim Gutt. SS16 "Shirley" by Amy Gwatkin
Fashion
Alice in Wonderland meets airline stewardess meets Andy Warhol meets prep school boy meets Magritte.
Fashion
London-based Danish fashion designer Peter Jensen defies definition. Each season, he conjures up a different aesthetic arena to stage a story inspired by a muse with a dark side. What he’s most known for are his signature motifs. Witty, whimsical, idiosyncratic and endearing, appealing to the twisted inner child in all of us. Speaking to us from his studio HQ in London, Peter Jensen is surprisingly soft spoken, with a calm, gentle demeanour. Not your typical self-fabulist, narcissistic, enfant terrible that most fashion designers are famous for. But then again, Jensen isn’t your typical fashion designer. While his silhouettes are cleverly conceived and crafted classics with delicious details inside, there’s always a childlike innocence there somewhere, with an element of irony that’s slightly askew.
Peter Jensen
More than anything, it’s Jensen’s prints, ranging from his iconic rabbit to bulldogs, bows, ice cream cones, a cabin in the woods and op art patterns which have earned him a devout following from around the globe, particularly in Japan. Not to mention celebs like Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rihanna, Dakota Fanning, Lindsay Lohan and Nina Persson of The Cardigans.
“As a child, my friend would force me to watch scary movies, insisting that I never sleep with my back to an open door,” says Jensen. “That would probably explain the childish aspect of my work tinged with a bit of paranoia. A touch of humour but with the occasional mean streak.”
Bemused by his muses Muses are an intrinsic part of Jensen’s design process. Not based on their style but on their personality or persona. And they have to have a kind of kink. Like artist Cindy Sherman. Photographer Diane Arbus. Actress Shelly Duvall from the horror film, The Shining. The disgraced, scandalridden Olympic ice skater Tanya Harding. Pop artist Andy Warhol. Cult film director John Waters. Not your typical seductive sirens or style icons. “They’re usually sad, strange, tragic, slightly bizarre or damaged somehow,” explains Jensen, who spends about six months immersed in the world of these unlikely cult figures. Their attitude, their art or episodes from the life they lead or led. In fact, Designmuseum Danmark hosted an exhibition of Jensen’s Muses to celebrate the release of his book, Peter Jensen’s Muses, as well as a retrospective of his work featured in another book, Peter Jensen 10 Year Anniversary Book. “I’ve had over 20 different muses since 2000,” adds Jensen. “Each one tells a twisted story.” Other special projects include a solo presentation at the Victoria & Albert Museum. A group exhibition joined by Vivienne Westwood and Hussein Chalayan arranged by The British Council. As well as fashion collaborations with some of the coolest brands out there right now. About his compulsion to create, “I am absolutely convinced that, to a certain extent, it’s apparently some sort of disease inside of me that I can’t get rid of,” admits Jensen. “Sometimes I wish I were a normal person. But I do enjoy fashion. Sitting, drawing and figuring out the mechanics of a collection. Why it looks like this, what’s going to happen next.” Which muse can we look forward next? “It’s a secret,” laughs Jensen. No doubt someone with a kind of kink.
Jensen initially studied graphic design, embroidery and tailoring at The Royal Danish Academy of Design in Copenhagen before moving to London to study for his MA in Menswear at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, graduating with Distinction in 1999. He formed his eponymous menswear label immediately thereafter, followed by his womenswear label. Currently Jensen is Head of Menswear, MA Fashion at London’s Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and Associate Lecturer, BA, Fashion Menswear at Ravensbourne
peterjensen.co.uk
College of Design and Communication.
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Art
Moments
Frozen in time
A Darth Vader mug. A voodoo brush from Cuba. Old Playboy magazines. A vintage Jack In The Box musical wind-up toy. A half eaten ham and cheese sandwich. They’re just some of the personal paraphernalia from artists’ studios found in Rose Eken’s amazing life-size ceramic recreations.
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Art
For Danish artist Rose Eken, objects tell a story. In her Tableau series, Eken demystifies this sacred space of artists’ studios where magic supposedly happens, comprised of hundreds of objects, like paint brushes, cups of coffee, laptops, ghetto blasters, etc. She crowdsourced images from artists around the world, including Michael Kvium, also profiled in this issue, whose taxidermied magpie is the signature focal point in her rendering of his universe. Warped and weird Initially modelled by Eken in 1:1 scale, when fired each object ends up shrinking about 15%, resulting in a slightly warped and weird shape that captures the essence of the object, rather than an exact rendition. “This makes them appear slightly off and yet more hyper real,” says Eken. “Allowing people to compensate for the imperfections and to project their own thoughts onto the objects. There are a lot of aspects you can’t control in the process and in the firing. So you never truly know what the piece will look like until you open the kiln the very last time.” Everything louder than everything else Prior to this concept, which recently appeared as a solo exhibit at V1 Gallery in Copenhagen, Eken has done extensive work exploring behind the scenes of musicians. The before-and-aftermath of a performance, replete with guitar picks, cigarette butts, squashed beer cans, gaffa tape, drum sticks, mics, Marshall amps and all.
There’s an incidental anthropological aspect there, with Eken immortalising a lost culture of cables, electric cords and audio components. Relics of a 3D era vs. today’s invisible, updatable data, Wifi and Bluetooth - visible only as logos on your screen. “I’m very analogue in my process of creating, very tactile and I like modelling,” explains Eken, who also works with cardboard, prints, tinsel painting, embroidery, photography and videos. “I’m interested in our past and how it shapes us. How these objects trigger memories and associations.” Suggesting what might happen or did happen Empty rehearsal halls and recording studios were Eken’s stomping ground as a teenager, having worked in the underground punk scene as a stage technician, handling the lighting and touring with bands. So she’s been fascinated with theatre venues for ages. Add to that the fact that her mother is a voice coach for opera singers and you have a fan of punk and rock, who grew up with Mozart in her living room.
Rose Eken
“I got interested in empty spaces intended for an audience,” notes Eken. “Spaces suspended in time. All the objects left behind suggest what might happen or did happen. By recreating these scenarios, I’m freezing these moments in time. And creating a narrative where viewers fill in the blanks to the story.” She invited Metallica to her opening. And they came. In fact, Eken did an exhibition in San Francisco featuring miniatures of all the gear of heavy metal group Metallica over the past 30 years, consisting of 12 different drum kits and 198 guitars and bases. She found out that they actually lived nearby, so she invited them to the opening. And they came. Drummer and fellow Dane Lars Ulrich, his dad Torben, bassist Robert Trujillo and their entourage. The material as a metaphor “What I like about clay is that it’s such a clumsy material,” adds Eken. “It’s kind of stupid, with a warped reality. It always reminds me of a Christmas decoration. Something you did as a kid in kindergarten. Yet clay can be incredibly poetic and thin. Delicate like the finest China.” When working with music scenarios, it struck Eken how much clay mirrors music itself, from a heavy, thick consistency akin to heavy bass beats to the thin, high-pitched end of the sound spectrum. “A ceramic drumstick is so fragile. Just like the life of a musician or an artist, for that matter. It’s the fragile, make-it-or-break-it state between success and failure.” And what interesting relic would someone find if they portrayed Eken’s own studio? “My 1960’s portable record player,“ laughs Eken. Enjoy her clever journey back in time and behind the scenes at roseeken.dk
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Architecture
BIG is the acronym for Bjarke Ingels Group, a high-octane team of architects conquering new continents with their bold ideas and bravado. But BIG isn’t about size. It’s about the fearlessness of its founder, Bjarke Ingels, and his relentless quest to transform surreal dreams into reality. Resulting in BIG’s meteoric rise and the chance to tackle teeny, tiny low-profile projects like Two World Trade Center and Google’s HQ.
Celebrating their 10-year anniversary with a champagne toast to the sound of Frank Sinatra singing New York, New York, the Manhattan office of BIG is buzzing with enthusiasm. Since 2008, the firm has experienced a 500% growth, increasing from 50 to a staff of over 250 people from 30 different nationalities - just to address the avalanche of architectural opportunities coming their way. Opportunities that have spread Ingels’ ethos beyond his native Denmark to projects elsewhere throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America. Yes is more Ingels’ work is characterised by a mix of other worldliness and downto-earthiness. Merging mutually exclusive ideas in sustainable solutions that are at once utopic and pragmatic. Yes is More is the title of one of his Taschen books and the essence of the company’s credo. It’s led to unconventional, hybrid concepts where contradictions co-exist. Comparing architecture to World of Warcraft, Ingels sees architecture as “the craft of making our world. Where our knowledge and technology doesn’t limit us but rather enables us to turn surreal dreams into inhabitable spaces. To turn fiction into fact.”
Bjarke Ingels Group
All photos used with permission from BIG
Two World Trade Center Terraces. Photo by DBOX
big.dk
VM Houses in Copenhagen. Photo by Johan Fowling
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Architecture
Monumental Google North Bayshore, photo by MIR for BIG. Heatherwick and Google
BIG’s conceptual solutions include a Copenhagen power plant that turns waste into electricity by emitting non-toxic “smoke rings” of steam and CO2 from the ski slope he designed as a roof, so the top will feel like fresh mountain air. To expand Google’s campus in California, Ingels is collaborating with Thomas Heatherwick to enhance the experience of nature outside – inside. And to re-vamp his former high school, Ingels formed the roof from the mathematical equation of the trajectory of a thrown ball. In homage to his former maths teacher and as a wink to handball, one of Denmark’s national sports. High-rise highlights Ever since the Egyptians constructed the Pyramids, architects have been intrigued by the design. Ingels brings his unique angle to the pyramidic apartment building called VIA West 57. A fusion of a courtyard with a skyscraper, where one side is the height of a handrail and the other side is the height of a high-rise. With the VM Houses in Copenhagen he redefined modern family housing – from white picket fence to a futuristic 11 storeys high urban nature residential area. Two times awarded the world’s best housing. For Two World Trade Center, truly an epic coup for any architect, Ingels envisions turning a form that’s vertical and hierarchical into a place for horizontal interaction. Emphasising that “The Memorial is about the memorial. The tower should be about the living city.” Amager Bakke Waist to Energy Plant. Photo by BIG & MIR
"If BIG had been founded with the purpose of building only one single building, it would be The LEGO House,” admits Ingels, describing his plans for the upcoming visitor centre in Billund where the Danish toy was invented. "LEGO is a good way of explaining what architecture, at its core, is really about. It's the rigour and rationality of the LEGO bricks that create these infinite possibilities of combination." Considered the most sought-after starchitect in the US right now, Ingels has high-altitude ambitions. “Coming to America we were given the opportunity to try to re-imagine the skyscraper, which is one of the great inventions of American architecture.” It’s where BIG set up its first foreign office in 2010. And where the lyrics to Sinatra’s song sum up the spirit of Ingels and his BIG team: “If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere ...“ VIA West 57th street, photo by Alan Tansey
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NIKOLAJ HĂœBBE Artistic Director of the Royal Danish Ballet
ORGREENOPTICS.COM
Danish Design
Life as a road trip
Søren Rose
Søren Rose is a Danish-born designer based in TriBeCa. A self-confessed serial entrepreneur. And an adventurer. Infatuated with the American mobile home and the idea of life as a road trip, he bought a classic 1974 AirStream trailer, totally revamped the interior and customised it with iconic Danish brands within lifestyle and design. The result is an American icon of mobility on the outside with a Nordic sensibility on the inside.
Having driven in the Paris Dakar Rally in 2002 and the East African Safari Rally in 2005, both gruelling races across tens of thousands of kilometres in temperatures as high as 40° Celsius / 104° Fahrenheit, Rose is no stranger to the road. “The plan is to take the family out on a major test run along Pacific Coast Highway from Alaska all the way down to LA. It’s the longest stretch of scenic highway in the US, measuring over 2,400 kilometres.” For Rose, it’s already been a thrill to leave the city that never sleeps for the great outdoors. “America is built for this. Enormous state parks and natural forests are open to the public. You can park for $25 a night, right next to a waterfall or the mountains. Or high tail it to catch a desert sunset or a midnight swim in the ocean.” Living with less is more But Rose’s concept goes way beyond any Easy Rider re-run. The new zeitgeist is living with less. The idea that office is anywhere. And home is wherever you hang your hat. “There’s a whole societal shift towards living small and self-sustainability,” explains Rose. “That’s why we incorporated high tech amenities to make it sustainable, with all the appliances running on solar power. It’s for people to be able to live 100% off-grid.” Of course, the overriding emotional appeal is the freedom to spontaneously get up and go. To drive anywhere at any time and bring your home with you. The trade-off for downsizing your living space to fit the interior of the 27-foot trailer and minimising your must-haves to be more compact is that you’re expanding your horizons. Literally. As Rose views it, “After years of living in New York, I want my kids to experience more than just which treat to get at Starbucks.” Next stop? “We’re going to approach AirStream with our DanishAmerican dream,” smiles Rose. Fingers crossed that the answer is that other American icon in the form of an ism: “Just do it”.
“It’s a passion project. Like Bauhaus on wheels. In the city, the AirStream reflects the skyline. In California, it reflects the ocean. On the road, it’s freedom.”
Partners on the Rose AirStreamer Dinesen (oak wood floors) Kvadrat (fabric called Canvas) All photos by Thomas Loof
Københavns Møbelsnedkeri (cabinets & furniture) Roblon (lighting) Bisazza (tiles) VOLA (all faucets) B&O PLAY (audio equipment) Kay Bojesen (cutlery) Mercedes Benz (the car used for towing the trailer)
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Music
I am never gonna get MØ is the Danish word for virgin and it’s also the stage name of Danish singer-songwriter Karen Marie Ørsted. Yet at the young age of 27, MØ is already making headlines with her electro soul, street-vibe indie pop style. Her mash-up tomboy look. Her primitive stage presence. And the recent release of her song Kamikaze, which BBC Radio 1 premiered as The Hottest Record of the Year. Not to mention her huge hit Lean On that earned the prestigious title as the most streamed song of all time with more than 500 million plays worldwide! Obsessed with the Spice Girls as a child, MØ started writing songs at age seven and was crushed when Geri left the group, admitting that she would love to have replaced her as “Awkward Spice”, even though there’s an undeniable resemblance to Mel C. In fact in 2014, when MØ won the Danish Music Awards for Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Solo Artist of the Year, Record of the Year and Music Video of the Year, the organisers of the event flew in Mel C to personally present MØ with the awards.
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Random & androgynous MØ’s stage presence oozes primitive, unpredictable power. On purpose. As she sees it, “It’s about letting go and engaging people in madness. Being someone people can relate to. Being a human being instead of a doll.” Actually, authenticity and imperfection define much of what MØ is all about, reflected in her quirky, chaotic, androgynous look. Along with her feisty girl power attitude. Major breakthrough Her big breakthrough came when she liased with LA-based DJ/producer Diplo of Major Lazer, who’s behind MØ’s single Lean On. Diplo has worked with the likes of Madonna, Beyoncé, Usher, Snoop Dogg, Shakira and more. They joined forces with Grammy-nominated Parisian DJ/producer DJ Snake. Lean On is climbing the global music charts as we speak, along with the music video that got over a million views in the initial three days of its release.
Tune in and turn up the volume at momomoyouth.com
MØ
All photos by Petra Kleis
Kamikaze is the first single from MØ’s upcoming album. “What I really like about this video is that it embraces the friendships and the craziness - but also the darkness and the doom,” adds MØ. ”Pop needs to bring something new to the table. To go beyond boundaries.”
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Travel
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Project Pressure
Project Pressure is on a mission. To document and publicise the vanishing glaciers around the globe reflecting the impact of climate change, as a wake-up call to citizens and decision-makers around the world. We caught up with Peter Funch, an award-winning Danish art photographer involved with the project. Funch just returned from a hike up Mount Rainier in Washington State, where he captured the dramatic glacial decline via a special photo technique juxtaposing postcards from the past with the present. The effect is truly eye opening. Working with internationally renowned artists, Project Pressure is not only making waves in the media, they are amassing a unique, open source database of archival images to educate and inspire action, while contributing to the scientific community. Resulting in the first crowd-sourced glacier atlas, a touring photo exhibition, film documentary and book. Since 2008, Project Pressure has geotagged photos in over 20 countries spanning six continents. From Alaska and Chile to Kenya, New Zealand, Norway, Greenland and Switzerland. Enter Peter Funch. Armed with a degree from the Danish School of Journalism, Funch is an accomplished, New York based art photographer whose work has been featured in art galleries and exhibitions worldwide. He’s also Co-Founder of V1 Gallery in Copenhagen, the first of its kind in Scandinavia to exhibit global street art pioneers such as Banksy and Shepard Fairy. A gallery dedicated to the idea of art as a medium for social and political discourse.
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Travel
Seeing with synchronicity To document the glacial decline from Funch’s perspective, last year he initiated a Project Pressure expedition to Mount Baker, which received coverage from global media such as The New Yorker, M and Le Monde. This year he ventured up Mount Rainier. Funch’s concept involves re-visiting the exact same vantage points as postcards from 80 years ago to portray the past vs. the present simultaneously using a special tri-colour separation technique. Making the changes in the landscape acutely obvious.
project-pressure.org
Pressure
Given the fact that Mount Rainier reaches heights of 14,411 feet and is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, we were thrilled to get Funch’s first hand account.
is on What sparked your interest in Project Pressure? First of all, it’s non-profit and it’s for a very good cause. I had done a project called Last Flight, based on the implosion of the Amelia Earhart Bridge in Kansas. It was no longer a bridge or a ruin. It was something different. I’m fascinated by transitions. With glaciers, it’s about what humans are doing to the environment. What it’s becoming and what our lives are becoming as a result. Of all the effects of climate change – from rising temperatures and drought to rising sea levels, flooding and eroding coastal life to wildlife at risk - why glaciers? The focus on glaciers came from Klaus Thymann, the artistic director behind Project Pressure. When you think of glaciers, they are the tip of the iceberg – literally and symbolically. The starting point where the ice melts, which then affects the entire eco system. I’m interested in man vs. nature. We come from nature, we destroy nature. What happens as a result. With my photo technique I’m trying to highlight the impact of the mistakes we humans are making. How has this opened your eyes personally to the issue of climate change? Of course, as individuals and collectively as global citizens we can all make changes. But it’s much more about the bigger picture. How we use energy. It’s up to politicians to make radical changes. Especially at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris. On my expedition to Mount Baker, It was shocking to see how much the glacier has receded, compared to postcards from 1908 – 1980. You can see a dramatic change from miles away. How much it has melted. How thick the glacier was and isn’t anymore. For this trip to Mount Rainier, what were your impressions? The process of re-creating old postcards involves hiking the mountain to take photos from certain vantage points. The snow was at the top, but climbing up the temperature was about 21° Celsius / 70° Fahrenheit. It’s bear territory up there but all we saw were wolverines, who are pretty fierce. When we finally arrived at the same vantage point as the vintage postcards, it struck me that these postcards used to be happy stories sent to friends and family. Now they’re serving as a scientific document telling stories of devastation. And the outcome? Normally my photos hang on a wall in an art gallery, whereas these will become part of a global research archive to help prevent a climate change catastrophe. Ørgreen Optics is a proud sponsor of Project Pressure
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Inspiration
XX/XY A double perspective
What inspires our designers? They each add their own unique angle and together they bring a balance of masculine and feminine to the minimalism that characterises each collection. With an appeal that’s edgy and contemporary - yet timeless.
When Olivia Delorme first met Tobias Wandrup, they were instantly on the same wavelength. That was over three years ago. Since then, Delorme has risen up the Ørgreen Optics ranks to become Senior Designer. She brings a subtle feminine factor to our designs, as the Yin to Wandrup’s Yang. I’m inspired by people on the street, at an art exhibition, in a café or bar. Creative people doing something out of the ordinary or living a unique lifestyle. Because they have this special energy about them. There’s no such thing as a boring face. Especially once you put a frame on it. For me it’s all about creating a frame for one-of-a-kind faces. As a woman, I’m much more sensitive to curves and round shapes. Without a doubt, curves make women look more glamorous or more girlie. And definitely more seductive. Everything in a woman’s style world fascinates me. Fashion shows, magazines, clothes, shoes, handbags and all kinds of accessories. Eyewear is an accessory that’s part of a woman’s style statement, so fashion is essential.
Kvadrat by Raf Simons. Photo by Anne Collier
Women who radiate an aura of inner strength and self-confidence inspire me. Icons in films and the music industry. Big personalities who take a feminine stance in a masculine world.
I love collaborating with Tobias and the team behind us. His approach is somewhat different than mine. He uses strong, sharp lines, expressing dynamic power. I work with soft lines and curves. As a team, there’s a terrific chemistry between us and we truly compliment each other.
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Inspiration
As Co-Founder and Partner of Ørgreen Optics, Tobias Wandrup has been the Head Designer since the start together with Henrik Ørgreen. Leading the minimalistic, Nordic look that runs deep in our brand DNA. Tobias brings a subtle masculine factor to our designs, as the Yang to Delorme’s Yin. I’m inspired by different types of people and their faces. Your most important feelings are conveyed through your eyes and eyebrows. Change the top line of a frame and it changes the entire expression on your face. If the shape gives me energy, I go for it. I follow my intuition. Good design feels just right. And when it’s right, there’s no confusion. It just works. A lot of my shapes come from nature, as well. Some shapes signify attraction while others send a warning. Nature has a universal language and here I learn a lot. I enjoy clean lines, sharp edges and strong, simple design. The kind you find in sports cars old and new and various types of aircrafts. Gear from extreme sports. Especially things that exude a sense of motion. We made a name for ourselves when we started up the brand with aerodynamic, open temples as a reference to the 1956 Corvette. We still use it as a design departure point till this day.
Collaborating with Olivia adds a softer, more feminine feeling that really completes our product line, resulting in a bigger palette of styles that our reps really enjoy. It’s great to share the spirit that Olivia brings. Both in her personal style and way of being.
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Special Collection
Grand Danois This exclusive collection of frames represents Ørgreen Optics' dedication to state-of-the-art craftsmanship, elegantly combined with our design philosophy. Expressed in a selection of precious metal plated frames - with and without diamonds. As with all of our products, we are committed to using only the most premium materials, the most professional crafts people and suppliers, handpicked with the greatest care.
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Online
For news, updates and an easy overview of all styles and colours in our current collections, visit:
orgreenoptics.com
Get social with us! Facebook: Orgreen Optics Instagram: @orgreenoptics #orgreenoptics Vimeo: Orgreen Optics YouTube: Orgreen Optics Pinterest: Orgreen Optics Twitter: @orgreenoptics #orgreenoptics
The statements and opinions contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors, interviewees and contributors and not of the publisher and the editor.
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NIKOLAJ HÜBBE Artistic Director of the Royal Danish Ballet
ORGREENOPTICS.COM