Scan Magazine, Issue 90, July 2016

JULY 2016 ISSUE 90 PROMOTING BRAND SCANDINAVIA

KRISTOFER HIVJU: FROM NORWAY TO THE THRONE EXPERIENCE THE NORWEGIAN RIVIERA MADE IN SWEDEN AND FINLAND ROBERT WELLS: THE SWEDISH BOOGIE-WOOGIE VIRTUOSO

Welcome to an unforgettable nature experience!

Every year since 1992, thousands of visitors had the pleasure of experiencing the BirdSafari at North Cape.

Booking/info: (+47) 416 13 983 / (+47) 78 47 57 73 Address: NygĂĽrdsveien 38, NO-9765 GjesvĂŚr, Norway http://birdsafari.no Ola Thomassen - olat@birdsafari.com

Scan Magazine | Contents

Contents COVER FEATURE

30

30 Kristofer Hivju

– from Norway to the throne He is not just the man behind one of the most-loved characters in Game of Thrones; Kristofer Hivju also has one of the most-coveted beards in the world right now and has featured in a number of awardwinning films and TV series. Scan Magazine spoke to the Norwegian actor about filming in Belfast, wanting to be a rock star, and playing Tormund Giantsbane.

19

39 Made in Sweden Electrolux, Absolut, Västerbottensost… the list of Swedish brands taking the world by storm goes on, and who better to boast about them all than Scan Magazine? We spoke to the people behind Sweden’s greatest and coolest to find out what the secret is.

61 Made in Finland From healthy forest fruits to pioneering sustainability development, Finland has its fair share of brands to be proud of too. We caught up with the brains behind some of the most fascinating inventions and solutions.

DESIGN 11 A bazaar of beauty From functionalist Wegner pieces and childish design classics to bags and jewellery embracing ethnic glam, there are many brands featured in this month’s design section that belong to a bazaar of beauty.

67 Danish Enterprise We continue our journey to the heart of Denmark’s business savvy, exploring the best places to do business and the most fascinating new ideas and products produced by the Danish business scene.

SPECIAL FEATURES 34 Ready for Rio

BUSINESS 66

SPECIAL THEMES 14

23 55

22

CULTURE

Highlights from Norway’s art scene We revisit an old favourite, Galleri Cylindra, and familiarise with a few more of Norway’s most fascinating art hubs. From an art and culture centre in an old listed building to a promising ceramicist, here is whom to watch in Norwegian arts right now.

Experience the Norwegian Riviera Why build up unnecessary air miles in the search for seaside relaxation? Norway boasts everything from hotels with beach views to charming cafés and exciting festivals. Here is your guide to the Norwegian Riviera.

All hail the journalists Summer may be a quiet time for the keen networker, as evidenced by this month’s business calendar, but the current political climate makes life eventful for many businesses. All the more reason then to honour the pen, as Steve Flinders proposes in his keynote about the importance of good journalism. And how could we disagree?

As the Euros draw to a close, all Nordic teams beaten, we look to Rio and the upcoming Olympic Games. Read about the preparations and expectations of an Olympics newbie and a former gold medal winner alike, alongside, as always, our best picks from the Nordic food scene.

93

Boogie-woogie and Danish summer fun If you thought the long-haired piano boogie-woogie virtuoso Robert Wells was on a break, think again.

We spoke to the Swede about Rhapsody in Rock and growing up a child prodigy. Why not combine a taste of the concert tour at a castle in southern Sweden with a trip across the bridge to one of this summer’s cultural highlights in Denmark?

REGULARS & COLUMNS 7 78 86

We Love This | 8 Fashion Diary | 74 Conference of the Month | 77 Inn of the Month Wellness Profile of the Month | 80 Hotels of the Month | 82 Restaurants of the Month Attractions of the Month | 89 Activity of the Month | 90 Experience of the Month | 92 Humour

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 3

Scan Magazine | Editor’s Note

Dear Reader, Scan Magazine exists to promote brand Scandinavia – proudly, loudly and with panache. We love every last bit of it, from the fjords and heritage sites up north to the beaches, arts centres and festivals down south, from award-winning tech start-ups to quietly confident design brands.

But now more than ever it seems clear that we promote far more than that which is our own.

A magazine available on flights and ferries, at embassies and the headquarters of multinational brands, in expat strongholds and churches where the doors are always open, we would be nothing without togetherness, collaboration and a curiosity of that which we do not yet understand.

How do we cope at times of uncertainty and upheaval? “The ability to express who and what you are helps bridge the gap between societies, which ultimately decreases the differences between us and shows us that we have far more in common than that which divides us,” Arnstein Haakonsen, head of culture at Vennesla Kulturhus, told one of our writers. I think that he is onto something.

clothing manufacturer Woolpower, who told me that it would be near impossible for them to produce the 100 per cent Swedish handmade garments if it was not for the recent immigrants and their sewing expertise. And behind the Copenhagen Irish Festival is a Copenhagen-based Irishman who realised that Nordic musicians discovered their own musical heritage by playing Irish trad.

“It would do many politicians a great deal of good to go on a tour bus and learn to cooperate, listen to each other, to reconcile and communicate,” Swedish virtuoso pianist Robert Wells told me.

Whether you are leaving Scandinavia this summer or visiting, take those words with you. It may well make your experience that bit richer.

Linnea Dunne, Editor

Few brand ambassadors sound as genuinely proud of their heritage as Annja Wikberg, marketing coordinator at wool

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Scan Magazine | Design | We Love This

We love this…

It is finally time to wrap up those work tasks that have been nagging you for weeks and bring your favourite people out to the beach, the wilderness – the Scandinavian paradise that is the summer house! There is something quite special about time spent away from the stress of the rat race, fully engaged with your surroundings and the company of your loved ones, enjoying a game of Scrabble with some freshly picked strawberries and perhaps a home-brewed cider. The setting of these moments is part of what carries them, which is why the summer house decoration is a key ingredient in bringing the cosiness to life.

By Mette Hindkjær Madsen | Press photos

You may have a slice of gorgeous nature right outside of your door, but it is still nice to have some fresh flowers or plants to admire when you are cuddling up inside.

With this floor vase, if you opt for something that is tall enough, you will still almost feel like you are outside.

Kähler floor vase, approx. £320 www.kahlerdesign.com

Sit back. Relax. Let the calm consume you while you eat a handful of fresh blackberries fetched from the garden on your way in. You have finally made it to your summer house for some well-deserved chill time – and for that you need a comfy place to sit as you dig deep through the pages of Murakami’s latest.

Fjordfiesta Scandia Senior chair, £1,600 www.northernicon.com

Except for the odd stroll down to the local shop to stock up the fridge, you will probably be running around barefoot most of the time. So, naturally, you will need a soft rug to keep your toes snug. Why not get one that is as picture perfect as the wilderness that surrounds it?

Hay colour rug, £549 www.nest.co.uk

You need plenty of huggable cushions around your summer house: in your bed, on the sofa, for the garden furniture. Park your bum on one for a Japanese-style meal on the floor or hold one close to keep you safe during a round of scary tales. Pick one in an eye-popping print for a fresh, funky feel. ferm Living cushion, £49 a piece www.fermliving.com

We Scandinavians love our cosy time, and nothing does the trick like turning off the lightbulbs and opting for some real candlelight.

With room for four candles, this beautiful marble ring gives you quadruple effect when you strike a match.

Design By Us Sons of Marble candleholder, approx. £149 www.design-by-us.com

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 7

Scan Magazine | Design | Fashion Diary

Fashion Diary…

A wedding is sometimes considered the bride’s big day and her chance to flaunt a stunning white gown. But along the aisle, be it in a church, on a sandy beach or hanging next to the bride and groom in a string of wedding party parachutes, there is a bunch of carefully chosen outfits. You know you cannot under any circumstances wear white, but that still leaves you with quite a few options. If you have yet to decide what to wear for a big day that is closing in, consider this ensemble suggestion.

By Mette Hindkjær Madsen | Press photos

Some eye-catching jewellery will boost any outfit. These beautiful pieces from Maria Black are sure to make you stand out in a classy, stylish way. An edgy choker and cuff made in a sleek, clean-cut design, they are a little bit daring, making a statement without being too garish.

Maria Black choker, £362; ear cuff, £87 www.maria-black.uk

Prints are perfect for summer, so if you are not going for the classic black-tie look, a summer wedding is the place to spice up your fancy attire with some colourful patterns – and do your part to make the wedding look stunning.

Tiger of Sweden blazer, £299 www.tigerofsweden.com

Print on print is still happening for another reason.

It looks unbelievably cool, and if you are not too keen on the full-length gown, a two-piece set is exactly what you should go for. Pairing this skirt with its twin-print blazer will give you a formal look, and when the wedding party has retired you can always mix it with a white t-shirt for another summer day.

Tiger of Sweden skirt, £169 www.tigerofsweden.com

Airing your latest summer manicure in some peep toes is always satisfying. These will do the job and add a little bit of the ‘90s twist that is oh so popular at the moment, without being too Spice Girls.

Filippa K shoes, £215 www.filippa-k.com

8 | Issue 90 | July 2016

For added boldness, grab a pair of extra shiny shoes to give the traditional formal leather shoe a twist.

The black colour balances out the look, to avoid you stealing the entire show. God, after all, is in the detail.

Soulland shoes, approx. £190 www.soulland.com

Another item that is perfect for a detour from the black and white classics is the tie – or a bow tie. Use bold colours, wild prints or experimental materials – or all of the above. This piece is poised with a fun print in calm blue colours that go with any suit.

Tiger of Sweden tie, £59 www.tigerofsweden.com

A classic black belt can never go wrong, and balancing out your look with some less attention-seeking pieces to make the whole outfit come together is key for a chic ensemble.

Norse projects belt, £70 www.norseprojects.com

Some will say that, as a man, you do not have that many options in terms of formal wear. But if you are up for being a tad bold, there is absolutely nothing stopping you from standing out in the crowd and cementing what a fashionable creature you are.

Sometimes all you need is a popping colour to make you shine.

Acne suit jacket, £550; trousers, £310 www.acnestudios.com

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 9

Scan Magazine | Design | Street Style

Nordic Humans of Lisbon Scan Magazine’s brilliant Sanna Halmekoski has hit the streets of Lisbon to find out what the Scandinavian fashion fanatics are wearing. Cool, sleek and full of statements, this is a little piece of Scandiland in Portugal.

Text and photos by Sanna Halmekoski | www.nordichumans.com

Leyla Avsar, Finnish art director and photographer

Eirik Billingsø Elvevold Norwegian freelance journalist

(www.leylaavsar.com)

(www.eirikelvevold.wix.com/elvevold)

“I like mixing minimalistic clothes with some bolder items. I shop in secondhand stores and wherever I travel. My jumpsuit and bag are from second-hand shops, the sunglasses are by Fora, and the shoes are by Guimarães.”

“My style is a constant identity crisis stuck between hipster and hipster killer. The Nordic side of me doesn’t want to stand out too much. My shoes are by Zara, shirt and trousers by Pull & Bear, and the jacket is vintage.”

Leyla Avsar

Eirik Billingsø Elvevold

Kristoffer Hansen Kindt, Danish student

Kristoffer Hansen Kindt

10 | Issue 90 | July 2016

“When I was younger I wore hip-hop clothes, but now I am trying to look more civilised. My style is also very Christiania, the area in Copenhagen I am from. My shoes are by Adidas, shorts by Vissla, t-shirt by Pull & Bear and my headphones are second hand.”

Scan Magazine | Design | Povl Kjer / Møbelhuset

The sheep that became a Danish design classic In 1981, the Danish wood carver Povl Kjer decided to create a special present for his newborn niece. Today, the resulting Rockingsheep has become a Danish design classic sold in 20 countries all over the world.

Half stylish furniture, half toy; the material, the design or the craftsmanship of the Rockingsheep has not changed from the first prototype created in Kjer’s workshop.

Even today, every single Rockingsheep is assembled and finished by the 62-year-old wood carver himself. The quality, classic design and longevity are what make the Rockingsheep more than just a toy, he explains. “The first Rockingsheep I created has been handed down to my niece’s daughter, who is now nine years old. That’s what is so fantastic about it: it becomes a family heirloom and a reminder of special experiences and stories. What people tell me is that every time they look at it, it brings back memories from their childhood.”

Recently, inspired by the troll-like tufts in the Danish meadows, Kjer created the Rockingsheep’s first companion: the Tuft

By Signe Hansen Photos: Povl Kjer, www.minifotografi.dk

stool. While made in the same high-quality materials as its sheep friend, the Tuft stands on three legs and is not created to resemble a specific animal but rather to spark the imagination of the individual owner.

For more information please visit: www.povlkjer.dk

From Wegner to Juhl, all under one roof Design is synonymous with Denmark, and the furniture icons that the country’s designers have produced can be found worldwide. Getting your hands on the originals can be difficult, but at Møbelhuset 2 in Tønder you can find the famous pieces all under one roof.

By Josefine Older Steffensen | Photos: Møbelhuset 2

In the centre of the historic Danish city of Tønder, situated only three kilometres from the German border, you will find Møbelhuset 2. This family-run furniture shop is situated on the main shopping street in three old buildings, spanning 5,000 square metres.

Just three houses down, the Tønder-born Hans Wegner learned carpentry and built his first chairs.

“What’s fantastic about the furniture we sell is the handicraft, skill and thought behind it. It’s also made out of incredible materials and always has an intriguing story behind it,” says Bo Jacobsen who, alongside his brother Anders, is the third generation to manage the shop.

The brothers run the shop alongside qualified staff who are all experts and can

help with the interior design of your next home or room. Most of their suppliers can even modify furniture or custom-build it to ensure the perfect fit. If you live outside Denmark, Møbelhuset 2 arranges for the furniture to be shipped worldwide.

Boasting the world’s largest Wegner collection, a huge range of Fritz Hansen chairs and the world-renowned Finn Juhl

range, Møbelhuset 2 has everything you could possibly desire within Danish and Scandinavian design. The functionalistic design tradition of these designers means that the furniture is not only astounding, but also useful.

“There’s a reason why Danish furniture and design is as famous as it is. It’s the high-quality and intricate design behind it that makes it exceptional both now and in the future,” Jacobsen sums up.

For more information please visit: www.mobelhuset2.dk

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 11

Scan Magazine | Design Profile | Pipol’s Bazaar

A bazaar of Scandinavian ethno glam Take a good dose of care and a sense of belonging, and add a combination of Scandinavian simplicity and ethnic spark. What you get is a bazaar of jewellery, fashion and interior items, bursting at the seams with warmth and a glamorous soul. Pipol’s Bazaar, as Scan Magazine discovered, is much more than the sum of its products.

By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Pipol’s Bazaar

the done thing. Yet she was well-planned and calculated. “There are plenty of really talented creatives out there, but the thing that separates the wheat from the chaff is often that combination of an aptitude for form and business savvy,” says Fehrm. “In addition to the creative side of my work I can – and have to – spend all night over an Excel spreadsheet to get the financial side to work out or thinking about strategic ways to reach our customers. If you don’t reach your customers, it doesn’t matter how good your product is.”

“At times of upheaval, when things rupture, it opens your eyes to the fact that you can affect change, that change is possible,” says Pia Fehrm, founder of Pipol’s Bazaar. She had two small children and was newly separated when, ten years ago, she decided to leave her job as a business developer to start a design brand. Pipol’s Bazaar was in part a response to a gap in the market for a type of product she kept looking for but could not find, but also an outlet for a desire to work with colour and design. “My mother, who is now an artist, worked as a buyer and I grew up watching her work with colour swatches,” Fehrm recalls.

A feeling of belonging

That said, she describes her family as being of an academic tradition, where setting up a business was not exactly

The product, in the case of Pipol’s Bazaar, is described by her as Scandinavian ethnochic. “Us Scandinavians in general and Swedes in particular have quite a clean,

12 | Issue 90 | July 2016

strict look where we actually don’t want to differ too much from our neighbour.

Being a Scandinavian brand of origin means adapting to this environment but also staying true to the real reason we as a brand exist and keeping that ethno feeling in the designs,” Fehrm explains.

“We’ve got that ethno-glamorous element of working with patterns where there’s a clear North African or Asian streak, and if you take an otherwise very plain item there’ll be a detail that gives it that spark, that feel.”

While Fehrm initially had her mind set on bags, the exact assortment in itself was always secondary to that feeling. “You buy something bigger than a product, a feeling of belonging,” she says. That feeling has since been extended to also envelop interior items and jewellery, but the connection to that original ethnoglamorous universe has remained intact.

Think craft meets luxury, worn meets sparkly. Luxury, as the designer puts it, does not have to be expensive. From beaded headbands and gold earrings

Scan Magazine | Design Profile | Pipol’s Bazaar Founder Pia Fehrm.

with gemstones to leather bags in earthy colours and coasters with exotic patterns, Pipol’s Bazaar has struck a chord with women of all ages, and now the brand is taking steps to move beyond the borders of Sweden and out to the customers all over the world, who also inspire it. The customers, the founder ponders, are urbane and have a metropolitan worldview, and they care about themselves as well as the world around them. As such, where and how the products are made is far from a detail in the periphery.

‘You have to care’ “There’s a consciousness that permeates everything we do,” says Fehrm, who has been to every single Pipol’s Bazaar factory in person. “Of course it’s difficult and we all struggle to be 100 per cent in control and always do everything right, but we work with small producers and always meet them beforehand to make sure that we’re on the same page. You have to care – it’s absolutely essential, not least when, like us, you work with an expression that’s all about being a small part of something bigger and feeling like part of that world.”

The idea of a sense of collective and belonging was present from the day Fehrm founded the brand. “Pipol is what it looks like, almost like how a Swede would phonetically write ‘people’ and also linked to my name,” she explains.

The add-on of bazaar is self-explanatory: more and more, the brand is growing into a multi-faceted mishmash of exclusive products and warm impressions.

there across borders. But that’s not to say I’m not completely genuine in my knack for design and products,” says Fehrm. “And not just in terms of sales – it has to have a heart and a soul. That, I really believe in.”

For more information please visit: www.pipolsbazaar.com

Likewise, to return to the business development aspect, the company is branching out to communicate its rich ethos through, among other things, meaningful stories from women in Scandinavia and many other parts of the world. Instagram, Facebook and other online platforms will benefit from a more international focus embodied by the real women behind the design items.

“For me, setting goals and being strategic is all about finding ways to reach out with what I truly believe attracts so many out Issue 90 | July 2016 | 13

e:

S ’S T GH WAY cia I e L R E Sp H O N G HI M N SCE O T FR AR m he

lT

Bella Rune’s 3D sculpture, which was only visible through an app for mobiles and tablets, as part of the exhibition Nordic Delights at Oslo Kunstforening.

Photo: Christine Leithe Hansen, Oslo Kunstforening.

In Anne Cecilie Lie’s performance, the artist enacted a column in the underground of Heimdal train station.

Photo: Christina Undrum Andersen.

Musician Bergmund Waal Skaslien performed his work, The Dead Violaplayer, in various locations during the performance festival in Heimdal. Photo: Christina Undrum Andersen.

Art societies explore local and national identity through contemporary art In May 2016, Heimdal Kunstforening hosted a three-day performance art festival in the public spaces of Heimdal, an industrial suburb of Trondheim. This marked the beginning of the art project Tatt av Heimdal, in which the local art society, in collaboration with curator Helga-Marie Nordby, uses performance art to explore the identities of Heimdal and its inhabitants.

remote locations, which are based purely on voluntary work. In spite of their differences in size, budget and exhibition profile, the art societies share the goal of bringing art to the public.

By the Norwegian Association of Art Societies

Read on to find examples of some of the finest designs from Sweden at the moment.

The exhibition Nordic Delights is part of Oslo Kunstforening’s 180th anniversary.

The featured artists all live and work in the Nordic countries, yet most of them have their roots elsewhere. The exhibition has its starting point in camera-based art and is a collaboration between Oslo Kunstforening (NO), Fotografisk Center (DK), The Finnish Museum of Photography (FI), and Kalmar Konstmuseum (SE). The next stop for Nordic Delights is Kalmar Konstmuseum, showing from 1 October to 20 November this year.

These events are among the projects that the Norwegian Association of Art 14 | Issue 90 | July 2016

Societies initiates and supports in order to give the public access to professional contemporary art, regardless of where in Norway they live. For many Norwegians, the closest art museum is hours away.

Norway’s 160 art societies are scattered all over the country, and are therefore vital for introducing a wide audience to contemporary art. Since 1836, the art societies, which are non-profit organisations, have played an important role in the Norwegian art scene.

Today the art societies range from leading professional art venues in the major cities, to galleries in more

The Norwegian Association of Art Societies comprises 160 member societies. The main goal is to give everyone access to professional art. The organisation offers the member societies workshops and seminars, project funding and a range of initiatives to professionalise the art societies.

For more information, please visit: www.kunstforeninger.no www.tattavheimdal.wordpress.com www.oslokunstforening.no

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Highlights from Norway’s Art Scene

Floating on a balloon fairy tale Who has not dreamt of being able to fly or, at the very least, hanging onto a hovering balloon? Perhaps this dream is why suited bankers as well as eager aunts on the hunt for a perfect Christening present turn to Kristin Antonsen’s Pottery Workshop.

Renowned for her colourful and cheerful works, she has taken the world by storm with her balloon stoneware.

various galleries and museums across the country. You may also order products directly for international as well as domestic delivery.

By Helene Toftner | Photos: John Erik Kristensen

Your first reaction when you see Kristin Antonsen’s work may well be an overwhelming sense of happiness.

With colourful expressions and youthful shapes, Antonsen makes pottery suitable for private homes as well as hospitals; but regardless of the customer, she wants people to feel mentally boosted by her work. “The sculptures are easy to make sense of, but all have an element of surprise, which is particularly evident in the balloon series with the person holding onto a rope from the balloon,” she says. “I am happy when the works make me chuckle.”

While Antonsen has been in the crafts industry since she was 20, she has worked with pottery over the past 11

years to great success. Few artists can boast of such wide-reaching exposure nationally and internationally, and her bird houses are found in homes both near and far. While she creates a wide range of sculptures, there is no doubt that the balloon series is the clear favourite.

“I have never made anything that has been so widely popular with customers ranging from nurseries to banks. I take particular pleasure in knowing that the suited number crunchers have the colourful balloons hanging on their walls,” she smiles.

Kristin Antonsen’s Pottery Workshop is located in the idyllic southern Norwegian town of Mandal, but her pottery is showcased and available for purchase at

For more inspiration and to purchase, please visit: www.kristin-antonsen.no

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 15

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Highlights from Norway’s Art Scene

Workshop.

Man from Rapa Nui.

Cylindra Gallery of Norway – experience the function, beauty and inspiration of Cylindra Objects With Norway’s beautiful mountains as the backdrop, Cylindra furniture materialises almost as part of the mythical landscape and, in a way, it is. Many of the pieces are inspired by the stunning, wild nature in western Norway, in particular the alps around Sykkylven.

By Galleri Cylindra | Photos: Galleri Cylindra and Arild Solberg

“I have been working together with Peter Opsvik for almost 30 years now, and it has been the most interesting time of my life,” says Kjellbjørn Tusvik.

Besides being an industrial designer, working with ergonomic sitting solutions such as Capisco, the Balans concept and adjustable children’s chairs like Tripp Trapp and Nomi, Opsvik is deeply concerned about the environment and has designed a foldable kick scooter, the Citrus, to reduce the use of cars in cities.

“I work with his more artistic side, the Cylindra Objects. More than 200 16 | Issue 90 | July 2016

different objects have come to life in this collection, and they have been exhibited throughout Asia, the US and Europe. In a way, the Cylindra Objects have been building bridges between art and design throughout the world,” says Tusvik. “My favourite? Well, I very much like the Mountain Peak chair, table and cupboard. They are inspired by the landscape of this area and look like sharp, craggy mountains. Like the other pieces in this series, the top of the cupboard represents a majestic range of mountain peaks, which in this case rises

up to two metres in height. Inspiration comes easily when you live like this.”

Workshop and gallery At Cylindra Gallery in Tusvik, visitors can experience not only the objects but also the landscape that inspired them.

Over the last few years, the ground-floor workshop has become part of the gallery.

Many objects can be admired in this part of the building too.

Recently, a 120-square-metre terrace was added to the workshop, from which you can admire the beautiful view. 200 cruise ships pass by every year, bringing tourists into the famous World Heritage Site of Geiranger.

Upstairs, in the main gallery, a myriad of objects are exhibited. In a quiet

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Highlights from Norway’s Art Scene

atmosphere, you can stroll around and admire the objects and learn more about Opsvik. “The cabinets in the workshop are handcrafted out of solid wood, but in the gallery we create visions and dreams,” says Tusvik. “From time to time, we bring objects out into the nature. Countless beautiful photos have been taken in this stunning, wild nature.

We care about nature and the objects are born out of nature. My friend, Jens Moe, a US-based author and musician, once told me that ‘nature and culture are our shared responsibility’. And I agree.”

From barrel to furniture Cylindra was founded to produce the wooden-barrel-inspired objects by Opsvik in 1989. “We call them objects, because they are somewhere between art and furniture,” Tusvik explains. The idea for the unique design came about when Opsvik was experimenting with the cylindrical shape at the beginning of the 1980s. “When I worked in graphic art with paintings on paper or canvas with only two dimensions, I often wished to have a basic form which could be shaped freely and yet be functional,” says the artist. “The solid wood cylinder made my wish come true. If we roll up a sheet of paper or a canvas, we get a cylinder.

The surface has no end horizontally, only vertically.”

In 1984, Opsvik’s desire was fulfilled when a Norwegian barrel maker contacted him about a furniture venture. Instead of using the barrel shape, Opsvik crafted the straight cylinders that still make the basis of his playful, slightly provoking yet functional furniture designs. “Most of the things we surround ourselves with should be designed with usability in mind. But in a hall, for instance, where you sit down and tie your shoelaces every day, you don’t need an ergonomic chair. It is more important that this chair bids you welcome home, like the Embracement chair,” stresses Opsvik.

the human body. But the gallery is not just about buying objects, stresses Tusvik.

“We have always had a dream of running our own gallery – a place where we could meet people with an interest in our sculptural objects, listen to their opinion and test our theories on how to work with our pieces. You see, working with objects that are both art and craft is something special. We are not just offering an object; we are also selling a story.”

Whether you are looking for a new object for your home, an inspirational art exhibition or an alternative evening out, Cylindra Gallery might just be the place.

What people said about Cylindra Objects

“Beautiful objects! I definitely need to have some chairs!”

Femi Oke, former anchor for CNN Int. World Weather Service

“The cylinder is a creator of tonal character and quality.”

Jens Moe, US-based author and musician

“Scandinavian design and workmanship.

Stunning pieces!”

Colin Whittock, cartoonist for Punch, Private Eye and Birmingham Evening Mail

Wooden Cathedral.

For more information, please visit: www.cylindra.net

Gallery.

An extraordinary experience At the gallery in Tusvik, visitors can buy many of the exhibited pieces, including Two Servants, a wardrobe that consists of two vertical boards taking the form of

Photo: Arild Solberg

Passion.

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 17

Top left: Villvin Arts & Crafts Market surrounded

by Risør harbour and white wooden houses.

Photo: Christian Ellingsgård. Below left: Latimeria pasta server, designed by Juha Luukkonen. Photo courtesy of the artist. Below right: Redesign by Maria Rodrigues. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Above: Vase by Villvin co-founder Bibiche Mourier.

Photo: Mona Rhein.

Craft is cool Forty years ago, a group of young craft artists settled in Risør, a small town on the southern coast of Norway. They created Villvin, an arts and crafts centre that would develop and expand over the years while putting its mark on the city.

By Marte Eide

“Craft is cool at the moment; we are experiencing a renaissance for crafts in Norway where people seem to grow more interested in eco-friendly, locally produced, quality products,” says ceramist and co-owner Nina Gresvig, who joined Villvin in 1980.

In 1988, the group established Galleri Villvin, where currently more than a hundred Norwegian and Scandinavian artisans are exhibiting ceramics, glass works, jewellery, textiles and artwork in many other materials. “The gallery has customers all over Norway and we arrange for the craft works to be sent directly to your home,” explains Gresvig. “By doing so, we are able to provide high-quality art and crafts to people all year round.”

18 | Issue 90 | July 2016

Risør harbour and the surrounding white wooden houses create a beautiful backdrop for Villvin Arts & Crafts Market every year during the second weekend in July, inviting craft artists from throughout Norway as well as the other Scandinavian countries. This is the largest arts and crafts market in Norway and a unique arena for direct contact between the participating artists and a large number of visitors. This weekend, Risør is the place where you find more high-quality crafts than any other place in Scandinavia.

Every year the Sparebanken Sør Award is handed to a standout craft artist. “The award is meant to serve as an inspiration for the artists,” says Gresvig, who has

been a member of the jury several times.

Daily workshops for children are popular and this summer textile artist Maria Rodrigues will lead a workshop where the children will embroider a heart onto an old linen napkin. She will also host an art performance as part of the market.

Villvin was awarded the Risør Municipality Honorary Award in 2015 for its contribution to the local community.

“We are continuously working to ensure high quality throughout both the Villvin Arts & Crafts Market and Galleri Villvin,” says Gresvig. “We have a strategy to involve more of the younger generations, and one way of doing this is to approach students. By looking to the future, we are challenging ourselves to think about the next 40 years to come.”

For more information, please visit: www.villvin.no

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Highlights from Norway’s Art Scene

Main image: Path of Silence by Jeppe Hein, 2016.

Photo: Thomas Reining. Top left: All of Nature Flows Through Us (2011) by Marc Quinn, Kistefos-Museet, 2012. Photo: Kistefos-Museet / Vegard Kleven.

Above: Detail from the pulp mill. Photo: Bård Løken.

Industrial reflections By successfully combining Norway’s cultural heritage with contemporary art, the Kistefos Museum has become a unique oasis for contemplation of the past, present and future.

By Eirik Elvevold

“Visitors can go directly from seeing old machines in motion, made possible by the project Living Factory, to interacting with artworks and discovering new sculptures,” says exhibition coordinator Hege Elisabeth Johnsen. “Past and present really blend together.”

In the late 19th century, a Norwegian consul by the name of Anders Sveaas had a business idea. He wanted to use the forces of the river Randselva to produce pulp from timber. The consul’s dream became reality and his factory, constructed at Kistefos in Jevnaker municipality about an hour northwest of Oslo, kept producing pulp up until 1955.

The joy of silence

Nowadays, the pulp mill is a hotbed for contemporary art. Restored as the Kistefos Museum in the 1990s, the estate is now brimming with thoughtprovoking sculptures by renowned artists like Bjarne Melgaard, Marc Quinn, John Gerrard and Anish Kapoor. A total of 35 sculptures, many created specifically for the site, permanently adorn both sides of the river. The old factory, in which the machines were left standing when production ended, has been preserved as an industrial museum.

On the opening day of this year’s season, the museum unveiled the new sculpture Path of Silence by Danish artist Jeppe Hein. The large mirror labyrinth, tailored for the sculpture park, is based on the movements of water; and while traditional labyrinths weaken our sense of direction and place, Path of Silence plays with different dimentions of silence to strengthen visitors’ awareness.

Through his sculpture and this year’s exhibition Reflection, Hein invites the audience to interact with his artworks through active play.

“Hein’s mirror labyrinth is named Path of Silence, but it’s not exactly silent.

Children and adults alike play in the artwork’s fountain and everyone shouts of joy,” Johnsen says and laughs. “But that’s exactly what the artist wants.”

The 2016 season brings yet another large artwork to Kistefos, namely The Horse by Norwegian artist Kristin Günther. Showing a real horse filmed from beneath a Plexiglas bridge, The Horse has been permanently installed in the roof of the industrial museum, symbolising the Kistefos Museum’s rare mixture of distruptive art and well-preserved past.

The Kistefos Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 5pm.

The season lasts from 22 May to 9 October.

Follow the Kistefos Museum on Instagram and Twitter: @kistefosmuseet #kistefosmuseet

For more information, please visit: www.kistefos.museum.no

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 19

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Highlights from Norway’s Art Scene

Hå gamle prestegard – where contemporary art meets ancient history Hå gamle prestegard offers a truly authentic experience of local history and culture, having been an established cultural centre for several hundred years. Today, it presents everything from contemporary art exhibitions to ancient burial sites, as well as Stone Age settlements dating back over 8,000 years.

Beili Liu’s Where Winds are Gaining Speed.

Photo: Hå gamle prestegard, image courtesy of the artist.

By Sven Riis Houston | Photos: Hå gamle prestegard

Located in the southern coastal region of Jæren, an area renowned for its links to age-old civilisations, Hå gamle prestegard prides itself on its wide range of exhibitions displayed in elegant, traditional buildings. A key component is the diversity of artists, both local and international, spanning several generations in what is a truly unique display of cultural heritage amidst the tranquil settings of the Prestegard, which has been operational since 1637.

View across the lighthouse.

Photo Elizabeth Croft.

The Prestegard has been a fully fledged art gallery since 1983, and now hosts cultural exhibitions and events throughout the year. This summer there are three international exhibitions showing contemporary art. One is IKON – Religion in Russian Contemporary Art, showcasing a group of Russian artists; another is the installation Where Winds Are Gaining Speed by American-Chinese artist Beili Liu, which expresses her impression of the nature in the area; and finally, Danish Julie Nord’s exhibition Domestic Disturbances.

In the past, the Prestegard has featured an exhibition on the trade and artefacts exchanged between Jæren and Russia, 20 | Issue 90 | July 2016

from the Viking Age through to the Oil Age, as well as freshwater pearls, turf harvesting, toys and t-shirt exhibitions.

Another appealing yet unorthodox feature is the nearby lighthouse, Obrestad Fyr. In addition to the permanent lighthouse museum, this summer brings the Bunker of Mysteries with Russian artist Andriy Bazyuta as well as Galina Manikova’s exhibition Frozen Music.

Those wishing to learn more about the area’s history can head to the beach, just a stone’s throw away, where one can explore burial sites dating back to 500 AD. Glass pearls and weapons have been found here in the past, in what is considered to be one of Scandinavia’s finest burials.

Kate Moss, Sacred Figures by Olga Tobreluts, from the exhibition IKON – Religion in Russian Contemporary Art. Photo: Hå gamle prestegard, image courtesy of the artist.

Overnight stays are also on offer at Obrestad Fyr, with two apartments and a guest house available for booking, making it an ideal option for those wanting to extensively explore the area and its ever-changing natural beauty.

Elisabeth Soyland, marketing consultant at Hå gamle prestegard, believes the variety of art and culture on offer is the key to attracting upwards of 50,000 visitors a year. “What is so special about us is the wide scope of art we have – from both young and old generations of modern art. There is always something new and fresh for visitors to enjoy.”

For more information, please visit: www.hagamleprestegard.no

Momoyo Torimitsu exhibition

Painting by Kira Wager: Oslo 4, oil on PVC, 187 x 500cm, 2011-12, belongs to the Parliament’s art collection.

Art and film go hand in hand during the Norwegian International Film Festival The Norwegian International Film Festival is the event of the year within the cultural elite, attracting big names from home and abroad. Unsurprisingly, this has contributed to other cultural events popping up; most notably the Film Festival Exhibition, which showcases outstanding paintings. This year’s big name is Kira Wager, widely regarded as one of the most interesting painters of our time.

By Helene Toftner | Photos: Haugesund Kunstforening/Haugesund Billedgalleri

Both the festival and the exhibition take place in the charming town of Haugesund on the west coast of Norway.

Every August the town is transformed from a quiet coastal spot to a glamorous venue under constant spotlight. While the entertainment elite most certainly thrives under such conditions, so does the arts.

This year, the Film Festival Exhibition runs from 20 August to 18 September, and gallery manager Grethe Lunde Øvrebø at the Haugesund Museum of Fine Art is excited to announce the name of the year. “Kira Wager is an outstanding painter, and her paintings are largely inspired by photographs,” she says.

“Wager’s paintings, for example, are about how we deal with reality, and our perception of time.”

Haugesund is located in south-west Norway and has its own international airport. The oil capital of Stavanger is approximately a two-hour drive away, with ferry links to the continent and numerous international flights to all over Europe.

For more information, please visit: www.haugesund-billedgalleri.net

While the Film Festival Exhibition is the core event of the year, it is perfectly possible to experience great art in Haugesund throughout the rest of the year too. Haugesund Art Society hosts monthly sales exhibitions while Haugesund Museum of Fine Art offers permanent exhibitions. “New this autumn is Art Young, a project to inspire and welcome youth into the world of arts either as onlookers or as artists themselves,” says Lunde Øvrebø.

The exhibition is a collaboration between the Film Festival, Haugesund Art Society and Haugesund Museum of Fine Art, which means that all visitors to the festival are also cordially invited to the exhibition. “The exhibition is certainly a part of the celebrations, however the actual works aren’t necessarily linked to the world of film,” Lunde Øvrebø says.

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 21

e:

E N C EN GIA cia I e R WE Sp E A P R EX NO IER E RIV H T m he

lT

Photo: Terje Rakke

Fishing, forests and old seaside charm The southernmost part of Norway is known for its mild climate and a beautiful archipelago with coastal outports and countless islets. It is the perfect destination for a family holiday.

By Visit Sørlandet

Boating, fishing and kayaking are popular activities along this stretch of coastline, which is also known as Norway’s Riviera. Not far from the coast, you will find an inland landscape of forests, rivers, lakes and valleys. These areas are great for short or long hiking trips, inland fishing and skiing.

Southern Norway is the natural first choice for families travelling to Norway on holidays. Outdoor activities such as

biking, climbing, rafting and wildlife safaris are perfect for the adventurous visitor. Learn about Norwegian wildlife at Norway’s largest zoo and amusement park, Dyreparken, or meet the king of the Norwegian forest, the elk, at Elgtun.

The coastline of southern Norway is dotted with old, white wooden cottages and narrow streets with a charm unique to Norway. These are former timber

ports that grew as shipbuilding became an important industry for the country.

Coastal outports like Lyngør, voted the best-preserved village in Europe, and Ny-Hellesund are easily accessible by sightseeing boats. A visit to these unique settlements from the Age of Sail is truly something special. Visit Norway’s southernmost point, Lindesnes Lighthouse, which hosts the country’s last remaining full-time lighthouse keeper.

Throughout the year and especially in summer there are many festivals in the south of Norway, including Risør’s famous chamber music festival; Scandinavia’s largest beach festival, Palmesus, in Kristiansand; the electronic Punkt festival; and Mandal’s seafood festival.

For literature lovers, both Henrik Ibsen and Knut Hamsun have ties to southern Norway and even have festivals named after them.

Photo: Adam Read

22 | Issue 90 | July 2016

Photo: Terje Rakke

For more information, please visit: www.visitsorlandet.com

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Experience the Norwegian Riviera

Find inspiration just like Roald Dahl Idyllically located on Norway’s Riviera, Strand Hotel Fevik has been a popular venue for plenty of holiday makers over the years. While modern conference facilities and the nearby beach tempt many, the much-loved author Roald Dahl came for literary inspiration summer after summer.

By Helene Toftner | Photos: Strand Hotel Fevik

“Dahl himself said that he found much of this inspiration during his summer stays at the hotel,” says Strand Hotel Fevik’s hotel manager, Anja Beisland. While this is perhaps not the first place that springs to mind when reading The Witches and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, it is easy to imagine feeling the urge to write after a stay. Beautifully located in the old fishing village of Fevik in southern Norway, the stunning hotel is built in a functionalist architectural style and enjoys easy access to the beach.

key part of many children’s summer, just a short trip from us,” Beisland says.

While leisure travellers run the show during the summer, conference and meeting guests are the venue’s most frequent visitors for the rest of the year.

Up to 180 delegates can be catered for in modern facilities. “The surroundings provide an added benefit and a relaxing atmosphere for the meetings. And there

is no doubt that many appreciate the great kitchen, where we emphasise the use of local products and the chefs pick their own berries and herbs,” Beisland says, adding that the hotel is also a popular destination for weddings. “Most weekends in 2017 are already booked up, so it’s all about making plans now!”

Fevik Strand Hotel is easily reached from Kjevik Airport in Kristiansand and just a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Oslo.

For more information and to book, please visit: www.strandhotelfevik.no

Every summer, families from near and far make their way to the hotel as it offers spacious rooms and flats for a good night’s sleep while excellent boating or fishing activities keep guests occupied during the day. “The zoo and amusement park, Kristiansand Dyrepark, is also a Issue 90 | July 2016 | 23

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Experience the Norwegian Riviera

Quality across the board in Arendal Steenhuset caters to visiting tourists and locals alike, with the goal to provide innovative twists to traditional dishes. Locally sourced and organic food is the cornerstone, while cooperation between the chefs and small-scale producers offers a unique experience in a historic building.

By Pernille Johnsen | Photos: Steenhuset

“We share a passion for great food and service; it is thoroughly enriching to give visitors a memorable experience. It makes every day at work a joy and the interaction we’re able to have with guests outweighs the ambition to make loads of money,” head chef Herman Fredrikson explains.

When deciding on a menu at Steenhuset, you can choose between complementing the meal with wine or beer. The restaurant has an in-house beer sommelier who will skilfully recommend a selection of beers suitable to your chosen menu.

Something for everyone Every Thursday, at the affordable price of 175 NOK (around £15), guests can enjoy a traditional Norwegian meal. Steenhuset’s clientele is made up of both well-travelled tourists and locals, and 24 | Issue 90 | July 2016

Fredrikson and his staff work hard to introduce everyone to an unforgettable culinary experience.

Prior to the launch of the à la carte menu, the restaurant underwent refurbishment and there is a colourful exhibition of work

by Lise Fløistad. The restaurant was built in 1725 and is one of the oldest and most unique constructions available in Arendal. It is predominantly built using brick, to ensure fire safety, and has three floors constituting a bar, a conference room and, naturally, the restaurant.

The ultimate goal is to become the premier fish restaurant in Arendal, and, to seamlessly transition towards more seafood, Steenhuset plans to execute this strategy over a two-year period.

Location, location, location Steenhuset is a popular venue for weddings and company parties alike.

Its mission is to host events where food, entertainment and atmosphere work in perfect harmony. Catering for external events is also a possibility and a growing area for Steenhuset. “Our aim is to excel at everything we do, and that’s why our focus is on one or two things at a time; we shift priorities every so often,” Fredrikson explains.

For reservations and more information, please visit: www.steenhuset.com

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Experience the Norwegian Riviera

Unbeatably cosy atmosphere Want to feel at home when going out for a coffee? Then TAJ Kaffe & Chai Hus (TAJ Coffee & Tea House) in the heart of Kristiansand is well worth a visit. With stylish and carefully selected interior pieces, the café radiates a cosy and intimate atmosphere.

on their way to work. “We have special breakfast offers with pastries and homemade sandwiches.”

By Marte Eide | Photos: TAJ Kaffe & Chai Hus

The café is deeply rooted in the local community, focusing on handmade, locally produced products. “The cakes we sell are made in the local patisserie,” says Naman, and the focus on locally produced food certainly allows for a great deal of healthy options. “We are constantly trying to offer our customers a greater variation of healthy options, such as our salmon sandwich made of wholegrain. This is something we will keep focusing on.”

The café opened as a family business back in 2008. “My mother always wanted to have her own business and now most of my family is involved,” says administrator Yashar Naman, explaining that the word ‘TAJ’ means crown, which inspired the logo, adding coffee beans and tea leaves to the visual.

The café specialises in a unique selection of barista coffee and high-quality teas from around the world. “This has always been my mum’s main focus,” Naman explains. The drink selection includes the popular spiced Chai Latte, made from spiced tea and topped up with steamed milk with the option of adding the sweetness of fruit sugar. “Our customers often point out that it is our unique spice combination that makes our Chai Latte stand out,” Naman continues. Other specialties include a Rocky Road made

of mocha, almonds and marshmallows, making it a favourite especially amongst the younger guests. “We also have our very own drink named after the café, TAJ Mocha,” says Naman. “It is made with chili, spices and orange peels.”

The café’s slogan, ‘Your barista in town’, seems to have done the trick as the café is attracting plenty of locals and tourists.

“Our location is ideal,” says Naman, “as we are located at the top end of Markens gate, the pedestrian area of the city, which is hugely popular especially during summer.”

With a seating area outside, the café is a popular place to relax all year around.

“Our clients appreciate that we are one of the few places open on Sundays,” says Naman, explaining that their opening times also allow for people to pop by

TAJ Kaffe & Chai House is open: Mon-Fri 8am-7pm Sat 9am-6pm Sun 11am-4.30pm

For more information, please visit: www.tajkafe.com, follow @TAJKafe on Instagram or like www.facebook.com/TAJKafe

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 25

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Experience the Norwegian Riviera

Plenty more than just horse racing Sørlandets Travpark in Kristiansand in southern Norway does what it says on the tin: it is the horse racing park of the south. But over the years, the horse racing venue has developed to encompass a great deal more than just horse racing, now accommodating an extensive range of events and activities.

By Marte Eide | Photos: Sørlandets Travpark

“Despite what many people might think, we’re not all about betting and races; there’s a lot more to us than just the horse racing part!” says general manager Kjetil Olsen. “Since horse racing actually only takes up 30 days a year, we have other activities going on throughout the year to keep us going.”

Back in 2012 they initiated Travskolen, a trotting school allowing children aged four to 18 to participate on a weekly basis and learn all about trotting as well as how to take care of the horses. “It’s like any 26 | Issue 90 | July 2016

other leisure activity,” says Olsen. “They come here every week and develop their skills and knowledge over the seasons.”

The leisure activity is not limited to the school year. “During the school holidays we offer camps for children where they spend their days here with us, take care of the horses in the stable and outside, go riding in the woods, have barbecues and so on. The end goal is of course for the children to have a good time and build their interest in trotting,” Olsen explains. With small groups, they make

sure that everyone gets enough time with the horses as well as individual feedback from the instructors.

Food, catering and festivities As well as offering entertainment and interaction with horses, Sørlandets Travpark has a restaurant serving food throughout the day. Olsen highlights that they accommodate bigger parties as well as small groups. “We are experts on catering and serving food for large groups of people,” he says. “It is one of our main priorities throughout the year, and we adapt the menu to our clients’ wishes.”

The venue has already hosted successful events for larger parties, such as Christmas parties, company parties and conferences, and the food has always been a central part of each occasion.

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Experience the Norwegian Riviera

The catering business is thriving and continuously developing, and it now boasts a wide range of clients, from lunch bookings to bigger parties. “We receive a lot of positive feedback from our clients,” Olsen says. “They appreciate the fact that they can have access to everything.”

There are several hotels within walking distance of the venue, and with a music system and equipment for slideshows in place, Sørlandets Travpark is also well-equipped for occasions such as confirmation celebrations, receptions, fairs and exhibitions.

and collaborators. “This is an important part of our business,” Olsen points out. “These are mutually beneficial relationships, and we always strive to do our best to keep our partners happy with what they gain from working with us.”

facilities, it will without a doubt attract even more clients. “Our main focus going forward will be on developing an even larger range of activities and events,” says Olsen, “and to assure good quality and customer satisfaction – that’s the number one priority.”

In a couple of years, Sørlandets Travpark will be celebrating its 30-year anniversary; and with such a range of ongoing activities in addition to the expansion of the existing

For more information, please visit: www.sorlandets-travpark.no

Brand new events and conference facilities While Sørlandets Travpark’s facilities are already catering to a range of different needs, the venue is now taking things to the next level. “We are refurbishing new facilities we just bought, to be completed by mid-August this year, and we are really excited to be able to expand the range of meetings, conferences, gatherings and celebrations that we can host,” says Olsen. The 1,400-square-metre space is an impressive facility, previously hosting automotive exhibitions and perfect for larger events and fairs. Arriving by a car is not a problem as there is parking space for over 1,000 cars. “We envision that the space will be a great addition to the existing facilities and increase the number of events we can accommodate,” says Olsen.

The fascination of horse races Although the range of events and facilities are increasing, Sørlandets Travpark’s history is embedded in horse races and activities connected to such events. “Every summer we arrange a weekend packed full of horse races, free activities such as face painting for children, and concerts,” says Olsen.

This year the Stage Dolls will perform, and previous years have seen DDE and Hellbillys take to the stage. “Then we finish it all off with the Norwegian Horse Racing Championships, which attracts around 1,500 people.”

Over the years, Sørlandets Travpark has built up an extensive network of partners

Sørlandets Travpark is well-equipped to host conferences as well as receptions and fairs, and now they are expanding their events and conferencing facilities.

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 27

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Experience the Norwegian Riviera

A festival for everyone

By Helene Toftner

Every year the SAND Festival challenges the traditional conception of theatre, as it brings children and youth together to take part in innovative and engaging performing arts. One of last year’s highlights was a big forest made of paper, while the upcoming festival will boast dancing curtains and a bird’s nest, allowing the audience to be a part of it all.

SAND International Festival of Performing Arts for a Young Audience has become something of a must-see in Kristiansand, the jewel of the Norwegian southern coast.

While traditional theatre is typically characterised by a quiet audience and performing artists on stage, the SAND Festival’s foremost aim is to engage. “The festival is playful, exploratory and experimental, and while it is targeted at children and youth we see that grown-ups are just as excited,” says Hilde Annette Aakre, general manager at organiser ASSITEJ Norway.

This year’s festival takes place from 15 to 17 September, with big names such as Rimini Protokoll from Germany, who will be performing music by John Cage on audio instructions from a group of young asy-

lum seekers in Athens. “Many of the performances combine entertainment with real-life issues,” Aakre explains.

One visitor and participant from last year’s festival who is likely to return is 11-year-old Marcus. “We were taught not to smile or laugh as our roles were to scare the grown-ups. It was quite difficult but it was a great experience to be on stage, and I would definitely recommend others to go.”

Photo: Sivert Lundstrøm.

Time and place: Kristiansand, 15-17 September 2016 Venue: Kilden Performing Arts Centre

For more information and booking, please visit: www.sandfestival.no Pop-up art with local children. Photo: SAND Festival.

The cultural capital of the Norwegian Riviera After a 40-year wait, a brand new library was opened in 2011, making Vennesla a mecca for cultural understanding.

By Pernille Johnsen | Photos: Vennesla Kulturhus

“The ability to express who and what you are helps bridge the gap between societies, which ultimately decreases the differences between us and shows us that we have far more in common than that which divides us,” says head of culture at the centre, Arnstein Haakonsen.

Representing history

The building itself is a great example of how architecture can develop a community.

Vennesla has a long history of forestrybased industry, making the choice of predominantly wooden structures simple when deciding on materials for the massive 1,900-square-metre building.

Vennesla Kulturhus is a meeting place that hosts concerts and theatre shows for children as well as readings, conferences 28 | Issue 90 | July 2016

and a culture school for 250 students. The different venues are available to book for events of all sizes. An adult learning centre, catering to asylum seekers and refugees, is located right next to the library and adds to the core mission of offering a space for everyone.

Vennesla also sports a new swimming pool, which adds to the objective of offering a wholesome range of activities and catering to tourists and locals alike.

“Culture is the most important bridge in mitigating the gap between people and the society and the cornerstone of every library and culture centre,” Arnstein concludes.

For more information, please visit: www.venneslakulturhus.no

Vennesla is strongly rooted in the forestry industry, which is evident in the chosen materials.

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Visit our webshop www.eben.no Eben: Sustainable luxury from the North The Norwegian brand Eben evolved from the idea of using material connected to the region, and developing sustainable premium accessories that also tell a story of life in the North.

This led to handbags and accessories, where the choice of using fish leather is a sustainable and exotic option.

Nordfyns Museum The history of the town of Bogense and North Funen, in words, artifacts, paintings and pictures.

Nordfyns Museum Vestergade 16, DK-5400 Bogense, Denmark Phone: +45 6481 1884 E-mail: nordmus@mail.tele.dk www.nordfynsmuseum.dk

The result is slow fashion with substance and proximity to nature and origin.

Scan Magazine | Cover Feature | Kristofer Hivju

Photo: Asger Mortensen

30 | Issue 90 | July 2016

Scan Magazine | Cover Feature | Kristofer Hivju

Kristofer Hivju: From Norway to the throne As one of the most-loved characters of Game of Thrones and undoubtedly one of the most instantly recognisable faces on screens around the world right now, Kristofer Hivju brings a little bit of Norway to global audiences. Scan Magazine spoke to the actor from Oslo about cultivating a beard, following in the footsteps of his parents, and embracing the muck and darkness of Belfast.

By Linnea Dunne

“I didn’t want to get into acting at all – I wanted to be a rock star,” says Hivju, whose parents were both actors, as was his grandmother. “I grew up watching them and never connected with it, so I played the guitar and went to music school. But then to study music you had to do a year of music, drama and dance before you could choose, so I went in and they cast me as Hamlet,” he laughs.

“Anyway, turns out that watching other people do it and acting yourself are completely different things, and I loved the connection with the audience. So straight after the last performance I ran through the school corridors to tell the teacher I wanted to change.”

Playing Hamlet made Hivju realise that his talent for acting was greater than his talent for music. With hindsight that is hardly surprising, considering the Norwegian actor has since played leading roles on stage at the Trøndelag Theatre, featured alongside Stellan Skarsgård in In Order of Appearance, starred in three episodes of the celebrated Swedish crime series Beck and, for a few years now, explored the wildling lands of Westeros as Tormund Giantsbane in Game of Thrones.

Not that he would not have made a good rock star; his trademark beard alone makes him a standout candidate for any rock ‘n’ roll outfit. In fact, the actor

has made his facial hair into more than just a visual feature, shooting beard tutorials and sharing tips on how to grow the perfect beard on YouTube, top tips including beer and meat consumption and a wait of four months and 16 days.

Of course he would know, because he has had to chop it off for parts more than once. “Most recently I was doing some shooting in New York with Will Smith and someone came up to me as said ‘alright, we’re going to cut your beard off’ and I said ‘no, I don’t think so – this is my trademark!’ But they threatened to recast, so off it went,” he says.

“The funny thing about the beard is that if the fashion trend was for women to cut their hair short and then someone let their hair grow, then that’d be the big thing,” says Hivju. “But I’m the natural thing, I’m the guy who’s not doing anything – it’s the others who are going through the effort of stopping nature and cutting themselves in the face!” He laughs again. “There’s copyright in my beard – owned by HBO.”

Playing Tormund Hivju joined HBO’s Game of Thrones cast in the third season as the ferocious but charismatic wildling leader, Tormund Giantsbane, a role which he says was fundamentally life changing. “Suddenly people know me wherever I go. I grew up with it because of my parents and my

granny, so I had to deal with it early, but you know actors have a gene that says they want attention – you live for attention – so it’s great. But then, after maybe 15 months or so, it wears off and it’s not that fun anymore. It’s just a job you do like any job, and you’re an ambassador for whatever project you’re working on,” he says. “But I enjoy it. The attention is quite a lot more than I’m used to but this kind of thing is stable: it’s five months a year, and then I have seven months to do other stuff.”

Perhaps the attention really is, as he says, wearing off, or he is not much of a rock star at heart after all; he certainly does not seem all that bothered by HBO big-budget glam anyway. When asked if he ever wishes he would get to shoot on the south side of the wall, in the sunnier locations, he says: “Well I love Belfast.

The nice thing is that we only have each other. If we were in LA or London, suddenly we would be out partying and there would be this massive pressure to be everywhere…” he pauses. “Some people’s biggest challenge is sun cream, whereas for us it’s that we’re always sitting in mud, the tent is blowing away and the heater doesn’t work; but it’s nice, we’re sitting there playing Risk in our tent. And you know, even if Tormund ever sees Kingsland it’ll be winter, so I’ll still be in Belfast!”

He says that he always loved the darkness of the show, even long before he got the part, though he admits it is not for the faint-hearted. “It took me four years to convince my wife to watch the show because it’s so heavy,” he says. “My mother never did, and if she ever will she’ll stop after five minutes.” That is also, he Issue 90 | July 2016 | 31

Scan Magazine | Cover Feature | Kristofer Hivju

thinks, why Tormund’s exchanging glances with Brienne made Game of Thrones fans everywhere go haywire. “There’s so much darkness, so when you see a glimpse of light… You know, I asked the creators when we were shooting the episode Hardhome and the whole Free Folk population was there, Tormund’s referred to his daughters so many times so where’s his wife, his woman? They just said he’s the bachelor type, but it’s interesting anyway to finally get to concentrate on something other than war.”

From Nordic Noir to Hollywood Earlier this spring, Hivju was seen in three Beck episodes, playing Norwegian homicide investigator Steinar Hovland, and he certainly is no stranger to Nordic screens and stages more generally. He

also starred in the Swedish production Force Majeure, a performance for which he won a Guldbagge award last year, and recently played the lead in The Last King about the illegitimate son of a Norwegian king. As the name suggests, he figures it is that inclination for darkness that has made Nordic Noir such a global success.

“In Scandinavia we don’t have that polished look the American shows have.

Like The Killing and The Bridge, they all have that darkness,” he says. “The same goes for all the bad guys in big action films suddenly being Scandinavians rather than Russians. There’s something about the looks, and of course that there are a lot of very good actors from Scandinavia – but there’s also that unpolished quality, a non-posing kind of acting style. Also, you can cast a Scandinavian in a bad guy role

and you won’t defend Russia, or China – it’s politically safe.”

Up next for Hivju is something completely different, far from the murkiness of Westeros and fully embracing that American polished production. Starring alongside actors including Dwayne Johnson, Nathalie Emmanuel and Charlize Theron, he is currently filming as a supporting role in Fast 8, the eighth instalment of The Fast and the Furious, which is due out in 2017. “I grew up with the franchise and always loved all the films,” he says. “It’s a funny thing to come into a universe as a fan of the show and then suddenly you’re there with all the people you’ve been watching on screen.

It was the same with Game of Thrones and Beck. It’s a magical experience.”

Photo: Björn Terring

32 | Issue 90 | July 2016

Julie Kepp Jensen. Press photo

Dreams are made of Olympic gold They start young. They work tirelessly. They hope to be Olympians; that is their dream and their goal. But even if you put in the magic 10,000 hours to excel at your sport, you may still never get the chance to don the national flag and join the stadium as the Olympic torch signals the opportunity to make Olympic history.

How will you celebrate if it goes well for you?

With a well-deserved summer holiday!

By Mette Hindkjær Madsen

This is what makes the Games so special; the honour of wearing an Olympic medal is only for the few – it is what an athlete’s dreams are made of. Whether competing for their first or defending a medal, this is where the athletes give it their all.

Scan Magazine caught up with two Olympians at very different stages of their sporting careers. As the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio are about to begin, one athlete prepares for her very first Olympic Games at the tender age of 16 and one sets sail to defend his gold medal won in London four years ago.

DANISH SWIMMER JULIE KEPP JENSEN The Olympics in Rio are closing in. How are you preparing, and how can you make sure that your performance will peak at the right time?

When I return from EJM (the European Junior Championships), I’ll move straight 34 | Issue 90 | July 2016

what it’s like to be a part of the Olympic Games – being able to cope with the pressure and all that.

on to a training camp as part of the preparations for the Olympics in order to practise in a long pool lane. Then I simply follow the training plan I’ve created with my coach.

How does it feel to be competing in your first Olympic Games, and what are your expectations?

I’m really happy and proud to be going to the Olympics! It’s a dream come true, so naturally I’m extremely happy about it and look forward to everything about it. I expect nothing but that I will do my best – I always do. But I don’t have a goal per se for a certain time or particular ranking; if I know that I’ve done everything that I could, I’ll be happy.

What is your goal for your first Olympics?

Like I said, I don’t have a specific goal, but my main goal is of course to swim as fast as I possibly can, and also to learn

How do you feel about the attention from the public and media in the build-up to the Games? Is the attention you are getting now different to that ahead of other competitions?

I don’t see it as a problem. I deal with it little by little, as it comes. Of course the Olympics is the biggest thing an athlete can be a part of, and therefore the attention on me is different to what I’m used to. But it is not something I pay too much attention to – I’m trying to take it easy. There have of course been a lot more things that I have had to participate in, like television segments, but it hasn’t taken up that much of my time.

Julie Kepp Jensen is a swimmer and is, at 16 years of age, the youngest Danish contestant at the Olympic Games in Rio – her Olympic debut where she will join the team race for Denmark.

Scan Magazine | Feature | Olympic hopefuls

Max Salminen. Photo: Roberts Deaves

SWEDISH SAILOR MAX SALMINEN What is your ultimate dream as an athlete?

Within my sport, my ultimate dream is to become the best version of myself I can be – to be as skilled as I possibly can. And then I’ll have to see how far that version can go. But naturally I want to swim in competitions for Olympic medals.

The Olympics in Rio are closing in. How are you preparing, and how can you make sure that your performance will peak at the right time?

Well, it’s been four long years of preparations. I was in Rio for the first time in May 2014 and will have spent 150 days there by the time the Olympics kick off. The preparations involve spending a lot of time there to get to know the water and the wind, of course, and then just having a good plan for the season – not doing too much but still enough.

it’s been all about – the race! At the last games I couldn’t make it to the Opening Ceremony, but this time it fits into the schedule so I’m looking forward to getting that experience as well.

How will you celebrate if it goes well for you?

I don’t know, I haven’t been too good at celebrating my achievements; it’s still something I’ve got to work on!

What is different for you, going in to the Olympic Games in Rio compared to when you went to the Games in London?

I have quite a bit more experience this time around, but then on the other hand I’m missing my partner from the 2012 Games, Fredrik Lööf. But I’ve had four years to learn to cope on my own, so it’ll be fine.

At the London 2012 Games you won a gold medal. What is your goal for Rio? Another medal – I’m really happy to be in with a chance to win a medal.

Do you have higher expectations of yourself now that you are defending a gold medal?

Yes, I suppose, but that pressure has been with me ever since 2012, so I’ve learnt to work with it.

What are you looking forward to the most at the Olympics in Rio? What I’m looking forward to most is to start racing. It’s been four years of practice and finally it will come to what

How do you feel about the media attention in the build-up to Rio? For a sport like sailing, which doesn’t get all that much attention usually, the buildup to the Games is a good opportunity,

especially in a country like Sweden, where sailing has been bringing home a good few medals over the years.

How is the media attention different now that you have a medal to defend? Do you get more attention? More pressure?

I suppose a bit of both. You can turn the attention into something good – a better chance to get your sponsors more exposure, for example. The pressure that comes with it you just need to deal with.

Many athletes dream of competing at the Olympics and of course winning a medal, preferably made of gold. You already have one Olympic gold medal, so what do you dream of?

Another one, one of my own that I don’t share with anybody. But the truth is that all medals are shared between many people like coaches, sparring partners, physical trainers, masseuses, physiotherapists, chiropractors – the list goes on.

Max Salminen is a renowned Swedish sailor who won a gold medal with his former partner Frederik Lööf in star class. He is 27 years old and competing in his second Olympics in Rio, where he is chasing another medal but in a new boat, sailing solo.

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 35

Scan Magazine | Culinary Feature | Ravintola Harald

Embrace your inner Viking Whether you are looking for a romantic dinner for two or a feast for 50, Viking Restaurant Harald offers plenty of treats to tempt your taste buds. The restaurant, inspired by Viking mythology and history, offers diners a fun way to let their hair down and find the Viking within.

By Ndéla Faye | Photos: Viking Restaurant Harald

The first Viking Restaurant Harald opened 18 years ago in Tampere, Finland. Since then, six more branches have opened in Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Lahti, Oulu and Turku – and another is opening in Espoo in August. “The idea is for our guests to switch off and leave their busy everyday lives at the door, while enjoying great-quality food and drink. We offer diners an all-round experience where they can delve into the Viking world,” explains Raine Verho, development director and partner at Viking Restaurant Harald.

To encourage even the shyest of guests to partake in the Viking role play, staff members are dressed in Viking outfits 36 | Issue 90 | July 2016

and have a Viking name complete with a backstory of their ancestry. “Our main focus is providing great, friendly service.

And when your dinner is served by Lovely Ljúf or Smiley Sigrid, you can’t but have a smile on your face,” laughs Verho.

Ranging from animal pelts to horn helmets, every detail has been thought of to add to this unique dining experience – and humorous limericks and Viking puns on the menus add to the playful atmosphere.

Time travels for taste buds Restaurant Harald is not afraid to push boundaries when it comes to culinary experiences: from moose sausages to

veal osso bucco and Baltic herring, the menu offers something a little extra for those who want to try new taste combinations. Aptly entitled Voyages, the restaurant’s menu takes customers on a culinary time travel – and dishes are served on shields, swords and handmade clay pots to give a fierce Viking feel to complete the dining experience.

The menu draws inspiration from Nordic food and puts a unique twist on many traditional Scandinavian dishes. “We pride ourselves on using fresh, seasonal Scandinavian and Finnish produce, and we’re launching a brand new menu this autumn,” says Verho. Serving fish from the northernmost fishmonger in Finland and organic yoghurts from small local dairy farms, the ingredients showcase a wide range of fresh Finnish produce. “One of the customers’ all-time favourites is our tar-flavoured ice cream from nearby Peltola farm, served with

Scan Magazine | Culinary Feature | Ravintola Harald

cloudberry and apple jam, a blueberry sauce and cinnamon biscuit. It’s all about pushing diners’ taste buds to try new and exciting things,” Verho says. “We’ve created a selection of the best tastes northern forests and lakes can offer, and we use good-quality ingredients and try to source our produce from local producers as much as possible.”

The restaurant’s drinks menu includes a number of beverages garnished and flavoured with seasonal fresh berries and the signature drink, Harald’s Strength Ale, is a special beer made out of honey, brewed to the restaurant’s own recipe.

The drink pays homage to a so-called ‘strength ale’, distributed by Viking chiefs on long journeys to keep the villagers’ spirits high.

Baptisms, candle-lit dinners and feasts From intimate candle-lit dinners to large corporate parties, Restaurant Harald has set menu packages for every occasion.

For groups of up to 50 people, the Chief’s Feast is a special evening programme with tasks and riddles, culminating in Harald’s Viking Baptism, which involves eating a piece of fermented shark meat, an Icelandic delicacy. Harald and Helga’s Love Package is ideal for couples; it includes a Love Drink as well as a number of shared dishes served by candle light.

In addition to providing diners with a good laugh, the restaurant’s aim is to give guests a multi-sensory experience from start to finish. The quirky setting along with the unique taste combinations on the menu make Restaurant Harald the ideal spot to try something a bit different and enjoy great food in great company.

To counterbalance what must have been quite a tough existence, Vikings liked to celebrate every occasion with no expenses spared on the food and drink.

“In the age of Vikings, hearty meals, drink and great hospitality highlighted festivities, and we’re continuing the tradition here,” Verho concludes.

For more information, please visit: www.ravintolaharald.fi

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 37

Scan Magazine | Culinary Feature | Huset Blom

Share your food and a good experience A meal should be an enjoyable and social event, which is why Huset Blom in Sønderborg only serves food that can be shared.

By Nicolai Lisberg | Photos: Flemming’s foto

‘Sharing is caring’ goes the old saying, and at Huset Blom they take that very literally. You will not find a buffet or any of what they call ‘selfish plates’; instead, all the food served is food that can be shared.

“We got the idea for the concept from Spanish tapas bars, where everything is served on small plates and in small bowls. It allows you to enjoy your food in a more relaxed way and the food becomes the centre of the table. You talk about the food and how it tastes and it’s a more relaxing and cosy way to eat and be together,” explains Pia Bartholin, who owns the restaurant together with her husband.

Huset Blom was originally built in 1924 as a family residence and, until Bartholin and her husband Klaus turned it into a restaurant in 2014, only the Blom family had lived in the house.

“It’s a completely unique house centrally located in Sønderborg and all the interior is original,” says Bartholin. “There is also 38 | Issue 90 | July 2016

a garden and a terrace, where you can enjoy a glass of champagne when the weather allows it.”

A different, professional experience The restaurant has its roots in the local community, which is why the majority of the ingredients come from local suppliers. This past Easter, Huset Blom decided to host a market together with its local suppliers, which turned out to be such a success that they have already started planning a Christmas market.

“We enjoy using quality ingredients from the local community as it gives it all an extra touch. We aim to run a place that’s above the average café kind of place, so all the chefs and waiters here are professionals. We also have an excellent wine cellar with a range of quality wines.

When you come here we want to give you an extraordinary experience – but at an affordable price and without being too snobby,” Bartholin smiles.

For more information, please visit: www.huset-blom.dk

Sp

e

M cial T SW ADE heme ED IN : EN

Ylva Berg, CEO of Business Sweden

Zound Industries.

At the forefront of international business International companies are attracted to Sweden for numerous reasons. Sweden is one of the most competitive, productive and globalised nations in the world: a global leader in innovation with a highly skilled labour force, sophisticated consumers, openness to international ownership and host of a stable economy. We are a country of open skies and open minds, producing world-leading businesses across a large number of industries and sectors.

By Ylva Berg, CEO of Business Sweden

A key feature of the Swedish economy is its candidness and liberal approach to trade. Sweden has an international business environment that is modern and business-friendly. Skilled professionals, smooth business procedures and receptivity to international partnerships make it an easy country in which to operate.

Millions of hearts around the world beat with the help of a pacemaker. Millions of candles are lit with the help of safety matches. Innumerable lives have been saved with the help of the three-point seatbelt. These are just a few examples of Swedish innovations that have made a difference.

With R&D expenditure reaching 3.4 per cent of GDP, Sweden is a top investor in the innovations that will power the fu-

ture. The synergies generated by close ties between Swedish universities, research institutes and the private sector further leverage Sweden’s R&D output.

Swedish labour costs remain competitive as Sweden has one of the most well-educated workforces in the world, also amongst the most productive and hard working. Empowering staff through delegated decision making ensures a bottom-up consensus approach to management and problem solving that yields impressive results when it comes to both quality and productivity.

As home to a large number of multinational corporations, Sweden not only boasts an important domestic market; it has also developed a world-class infrastructure. Sweden ranks as the most

trade-friendly and logistically efficient nation in the world, moving goods and connecting manufacturers and consumers with international markets.

In short, Sweden believes in the idea of making business easy. With developed regional networks, combining a skilled workforce, cost-efficient practices and innovative clusters, we want to facilitate for international companies to expand to Sweden. By putting sustainability, competency and the adoption of new technologies first, Sweden has moved in to the 21st century as a global thought leader.

ABOUT BUSINESS SWEDEN Business Sweden’s purpose is to help every Swedish company reach its full international potential and help companies abroad reach their full potential through investments in Sweden. We help our customers through strategic advice and hands-on support.

For more information, please visit: www.business-sweden.se

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 39

The future in home appliance design is in digitalisation and smart products, according to Electrolux.

Swedish home appliance designer, creating remarkable consumer experiences It started with vacuum cleaners. Today, Electrolux is the multinational home appliance manufacturer that is leading the way for a more enjoyable, sustainable future.

By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Electrolux

“The future is in digitalisation and smart products,” says Thomas Johansson, design director at Electrolux. “Things like remotely controlled kitchen appliances, downloadable cook books that interact with your oven, refrigerators that order milk from the local shop, washing machines that can check what you’ve loaded it with and let you know that a 40 | Issue 90 | July 2016

red sock slipped in with the whites – that kind of thing.”

It sounds crazily futuristic, but if anyone would know what the future of home appliances has to bring, it would likely be a design director of the Swedish multinational that is consistently ranked the world’s second-largest home

appliance manufacturer. Perhaps your favourite brand is AEG, Zanussi, Volta, Elektro Helios, or Frigidaire; the list goes on, but the parent brand is the same: Electrolux.

Putting user experience first The company, headquartered in the Swedish capital, was originally born out of a merger of Lux AB and Svenska Elektron AB, the vacuum cleaner being the common denominator.

As the organisation approaches its 100th anniversary, it runs with annual revenues of more than 120 billion SEK

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden

(around £10.7 billion) and employs close to 60,000 people. Back in the 1960s, the company gained infamy with the marketing slogan ‘Nothing sucks like an Electrolux’, a line thought by some to be a brand blunder and by others a clever ploy. Whatever the truth, Electrolux today talks less about vacuum cleaning power and more about products having to be thoughtfully designed, innovative and based on consumer insight.

“There’s always been a focus on the end user and their situation. For example, one of the very first vacuum cleaners was given runners in order to make it easy for the user to pull it along,” says Johansson. “That’s what I’ve always loved about Electrolux, even long before I joined the company: the company’s history of developing innovative and improved solutions that really make a positive difference in people’s lives and for our planet. The customer experience of the product really matters.”

In putting the user first, design, marketing and engineering teams will – based on consumer insight – work out an idea and description of a goal they are hoping to achieve, then run clinics to test the ideas with prototypes with different user groups. One key research method, Johansson explains, is filming people in action. “We go out and film people in their homes. No talking, just filming and watching how they behave,” he says. “People adapt their behaviour to the environment and the product reality they live with, so we’ll spot situations where a person is behaving somewhat unnaturally or strangely and then we’ll think about how we can address that problem and come up with a meaningful solution to it.”

Vacuum cleaners, old versus new.

Inspiring ideas Johansson was previously heavily involved with Electrolux Design Lab, an annual competition which for 13 years brought about a wide range of impressive product ideas and futuristic solutions for home appliances. This year, the competition takes a new guise under the Ideas Lab banner. “We want to diversify a little bit, what with all the Issue 90 | July 2016 | 41

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden

Adrian Perez Zapata Colombia’s Mab idea for Design Lab 2013.

Thomas Johansson, design director at Electrolux.

keen sustainability effort of the brand.

Johansson adds: “The sustainability work runs like a constant theme throughout everything we do, say in regards to steam ovens that help preserve the nutrients of the food you cook. The great thing about competitions isn’t necessarily in the solutions presented, but in the way it shows what kind of future is possible. It can be really inspiring.”

In practical terms, what environmentally friendly thinking means is, for instance, looking closely at water and energy consumption, becoming aware of the type of paint used – or whether colour is needed at all – and making the most of the potential brought about by increasing web connectivity.

new opportunities opening up thanks to digitalisation and so on,” says head of media relations, Daniel Frykholm.

“We want to find out about the ideas of the general public and what they really want, and more specifically we’ve asked for ideas for how to help people cook healthier, more sustainable food.”

From smartphone apps and kitchen utensils to fully fledged business concepts, all ideas are welcome in the 42 | Issue 90 | July 2016

global competition that opens on 15 August. The winner will get €10,000 (around £8,400) as well as a five-day experience in Sweden with help and support on how to bring the idea to the next level.

The benefit for Electrolux, Frykholm explains, is not necessarily in concrete product ideas as such but in a greater understanding of trends more generally, as well as a potential boost for the

In putting the consumer experience first, Electrolux has flipped the process to start at the opposite end compared to traditional product development. “We think about the kind of experience we want to create, thereby expanding the notion of what a product can be,” says Frykholm, and Johansson agrees: “Instead of working with a concept, we work with an experience narrative – a different gaze that means we can work out solutions that enhance the user experience.”

For more information, please visit: www.electrolux.com

A memory for life.

The Birth Poster is a series of unique and timeless Birth Posters with illustrations that adapt in scale 1:1 to the baby’s actual length at birth.

Create, preview and order at www.thebirthposter.com.

THE BIRTH POSTER

Scan Magazine | Educational profile | Grenaa Gymnasium

The Zound of the future Function meets fashion at Zound Industries, a Stockholm-based brand incubator that set out to change the way we look at electronics, particularly headphones. Last year, they also launched their first smartphone: the Marshall London Phone.

to product development, packaging and marketing. The head office in Stockholm, with around 95 employees, is the heart of Zound Industries.

By Ellinor Thunberg | Photos: Zound Industries

Over the past eight years, Zound Industries has conquered the world of electronics in style with the three brands Urbanears, Coloud and Molami, as well as the licenced brand Marshall.

Last summer, the company took its first step into the world of smartphones with the launch of the Marshall London Phone – a dream come true for anyone wanting to mix, create and record music on the go.

“It’s been a great start, but we are still working on the magic formula to become a major brand in the smartphone space.

The smartphone project has helped us become a tech company and understand the future of connectivity technology,” 44 | Issue 90 | July 2016

says Konrad Bergström, president and co-founder of Zound Industries.

Bergström founded the company in 2008 along with seven other co-founders, because they noticed a change in the way we consume music thanks to the introduction of digital music technology.

“This opened a window for us to establish ourselves in the market, building a lifestyle trend with colourful, functional and welldesigned electronic products,” he says.

Scandinavian design meets global inspiration The company has a total of three offices in Sweden, USA and China, and everything happens in-house – from new strategies

“Stockholm is the best foundation for us, with great, knowledgeable people. Putting together a well-designed product is like a puzzle – many things have to come together in order for it to become a hit,” says Bergström.

It is fair to say that Zound Industries has revolutionised the world of headphones and portable sound. “Most important to great design is aesthetics in combination with functionality. And then it needs to look good and be made of the right materials and so on,” says Bergström, adding that Urbanears definitely has a Scandinavian touch, while Molami, for example, is more inspired by the global scene. “Each project has its own bricks to put down, while our team always delivers excellence in many

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden

The new Coloud collection – engineered to play.

The Marshall London Phone is a must for anyone wanting to record, mix or create music on the go.

Left: President and co-founder Konrad Bergström and his dog Vilda. Right: Molami - crafted and designed by women for women, a tailor-made experience.

different aspects of the process. I think that is a very Swedish characteristic, the ability to understand the bigger picture.”

Expansion and constant evolution Zound Industries has won multiple awards over the years, many of them highlighting the company’s successful approach and rapid growth. They were, for example, awarded Supergasellen by Swedish business paper Dagens Industri for being the fastest-growing company in the country in 2013, and Company of the Year 2015 at Swedish Telekomgalan.

“Running a company successfully requires constant evolution. You have to be innovative and curious, and love products. We, as a company, are starting a revolution and will never stop questioning products and how they can be improved,” Bergström says.

So where does the president himself get his dose of inspiration? “Nowhere and everywhere,” he says. “I’m better outside the office travelling – that’s when I feel really inspired.”

Zound Industries is launching several new products over the next 24 months and Bergström is “super excited”. He sees a bright future ahead. “Basically, every gadget will become smart and help you live a more convenient life.

Zound is going to be a major brand in the electronics industry, and one of Sweden’s most profitable companies – famous for its design and cool brands.”

For more information, please visit: www.zoundindustries.com

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO ZOUND INDUSTRIES Urbanears: A brand that has humanised technology and changed the world of headphones for good, now available in over 90 countries worldwide.

Coloud: Headphones that do not break the bank, despite their ergonomic design, high quality and attention to detail.

Molami: The first feminine electronics brand designed by women, for women.

The brand is distinguished by its exclusive materials and tailored design.

Marshall: 50 years of rock ‘n’ roll have influenced everything from headphones to speakers and smartphones. The big stage presence, wherever you are.

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 45

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden

The award-winning Assistent Original® kitchen assistant meets all of your kitchen needs, from making milling and baking easy to helping you make sausages, pasta and smoothies.

Swedish-made retro design for all your kitchen needs “A lot of people think of our machine as being all about baking, but the awardwinning Assistent Original® can do so much more,” says Thomas Håkansson, CEO of Ankarsrum Kitchen AB. “It’s a multi-functional product that you can use for all your kitchen needs – from baking your cookies and bread to mincing your own meat, cutting vegetables, milling flour, making sausages, pasta and smoothies – it meets pretty much all your kitchen needs!”

By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Ankarsrum

The story of Assistent Original® has its roots in 1937. Civil engineer Alvar Lenning was given the task of redesigning the quite bulky machine that was then available for professional use only. In 1940 a neater, low-maintenance model with a streamlined alloy casing, a cream lacquered motor stand, a 46 | Issue 90 | July 2016

stainless steel bowl and wooden blade and roller was launched. The reception was overwhelmingly positive. “The design is extremely well thought out,” said one early user, Mrs. M. Tengvald. “In fact, it’s tempting to say it’s ingenious. I would count it as a good deed if I could persuade some men out here in the

country to buy it and thus make the lives of housewives a little easier.”

Ankarsrum, meanwhile, was founded in 1655 in a small Swedish locality by the same name. It was initially set up to, among other things, support the military force at the time with cannons and cannon balls from their grey iron foundry. With time, Ankarsrum moved on to produce cast iron stoves and, when electricity was brought in, electrical ovens – and the latter was what made Electrolux think of a new fruitful collaboration. At the end of the ‘60s, Electrolux acquired Ankarsrum and moved the production of the kitchen machine there.

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden

ANKARSRUM FACTS: Ankarsrum was founded in 1655.

In 2001, Ankarsrum was acquired by Traction AB, a publicly traded investment company, and in 2009 Ankarsrum took over the full rights to produce, market and sell Assistent Original®. Today Ankarsrum comprises three companies: Ankarsrum Kitchen AB, which markets and sells the classic household appliance, Assistent Original®; Ankarsrum Motors AB, which develops and manufactures electric motors as well as components and products where electric motors are used; and Ankarsrum Die Casting AB, which manufactures and sells highquality die-cast products in aluminium.

Global player with local heart “Having in-house, lean motor development and production as well as die casting capabilities gives us immense flexibility,” says Håkansson, “plus it gives us supply security that’s way beyond what our competitors can rely on.” The all-Swedish production line is unmatched and something he is hugely proud of. “We want to show that it’s possible to be a global player while keeping everything local.”

Assistent Original’s streamlined design and retro touch is as unmistakable as it is unique on the market today. In terms of functionality, Håkansson explains, it is unparalleled. “We’ve got the motor and gearbox in the base, making the bowl rotate. This makes the machine immensely strong and stable, with a great torque. Others have a rotating whisk in the overhang, so-called planetary mixers. The rotating bowl gives the whole machine a completely different drive. It’s a science in itself.”

At present, Ankarsrum’s focus is on expansion and making the Assistent Original more widely available on a global scale.

In addition, the possibility to buy the Assistent Original® on the domestic market was recently introduced on their web shop. The website also hosts a wide range of recipes and tips to inspire Assistent Original® fans and users worldwide; whether you need tips on how to make your first ever sausages or you are attempting a sourdough baking session, Ankarsrum is there to help. As Håkansson says: “The possibilities are endless!”

The production of the Assistent Original® was moved to Ankarsrum in 1969.

Assistent Original® meets all your kitchen needs, from baking cookies and bread and blending smoothies to making sausages and milling flour.

The shortage of materials after World War II meant that the kitchen assistant had an estimated delivery time of three years, and only a doctor’s note of hand disability or weakness would allow you to jump the queue.

The 100,000th Assistent Original® was sold in 1957, the 250,000th in 1974.

The Assistent Original® is known for its retro look, originally in a cream lacquer paint and since the 1970s also in a number of other bold colours.

Ankarsrum now consists of three companies: Ankarsrum Kitchen AB, Ankarsrum Motors AB, and Ankarsrum Die Casting AB. The company has been owned by Traction AB since 2001.

For more information, please visit: www.ankarsrum.com

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 47

Creamy sauce with Västerbottensost.

Västerbottensost quiche.

Say ‘cheese’! Celebrate like a Swede Flying in at number seven amongst Sweden’s most-loved brands in 2015, Västerbottensost has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1872. The cheese was first created by accident as dairy maid Ulrika Eleonora Lindström was distracted from her duties by a young man wooing her. The recipe for the cheese remains a wellguarded secret, but its rich flavour takes centre stage during Sweden’s big festivities.

By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Fabian Björnstjärna

Every year, before each big food holiday, Västerbottensost sees a significant spike in sales. Together with researcher and ethnologist Richard Tellström, who contributed to the celebrated TV shows Landet Brunsås and Historieätarna, and chef Filip Fastén, dubbed Chef of the Year 2014 and Rising Star 2016, Västerbottensost commissioned a major YouGov study to find out more about the festive food habits of Swedes.

While Midsummer and Christmas, unsurprisingly, turned out to be central, the study also revealed that crayfish parties and New Year’s Eve celebrations are on the up – and the much-loved Västerbottensost quiche has a crucial role to play.

“What we’ve seen is that Swedes pay special attention to the products and ingredients they buy for special occasions,” says brand manager Helena Ahlgren, who reveals that more than a third of all Swedes have a habit of buying Västerbottensost at least once a year. “It’s hardly surprising that Västerbottensost has become such a popular addition 48 | Issue 90 | July 2016

to these feasts as it adds flavour in so many simple ways, whether on a cheese platter with some bread or grated and used in cooking.”

Available across Scandinavia and northern Europe, Västerbottensost is now joining forces with Fastén to help Swedes with their growing urge to eat more vegetarian and sustainable food. “Filip has developed some really exciting new interpretations of old Swedish classics, including a new take on the Västerbottensost quiche and an amazing new sauce that goes really well

with barbecued fish and meet,” Ahlgren explains.

It started with a love interest and a cheese that was given time. As the Swedes gather in their gardens and kitchens to celebrate long-lasting traditions and food produced with love and care, what better symbol to put bang at the centre of the table than a nutty, rich Västerbottensost?

CREAMY SAUCE WITH VÄSTERBOTTENSOST Recipe by Filip Fastén 6 eggs 400 ml cream 100 ml sour cream 1 cup grated Västerbottensost (room temperature) 3 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil Salt Lemon Heat eggs and cream in a saucepan while stirring.

When it scrambles, add to a blender.

Blend along with the sour cream.

Add the cheese and blend until smooth.

Add salt and lemon according to taste.

Return to the pan and cover with a lid, leave beside the hob to keep warm until serving.

When serving, stir in the rapeseed oil.

For more information, please visit: www.vasterbottensost.com

Honest and ethical warmth, nature’s way ‘There is no such thing as bad weather – only bad clothes’, goes a well-known Scandinavian proverb. Woolpower’s clothes are certainly good, but not just in that they keep you warm and dry; they are ethical all the way from idea to finished product.

By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Gösta Fries

“If it was all about maximising profit, the production wouldn’t still remain here in Östersund,” says marketing coordinator Annja Wikberg. Woolpower was founded in 1969 by two brothers with their eyes set on responsibly and ethically produced quality garments, and not much has changed since – bar growth, of course.

The brand’s own fabric, Ullfrotté Original, is made using a blend of merino wool and synthetic fibre stitched in loose, wide loops to create air channels that support your body’s natural heat regulation. The wool is sourced from the Argentinian part of Patagonia and Uruguay through sustainable trade, allowing the sheep to graze in a way that is good both for them and for the environment. Mulesing, naturally, is completely off the cards.

Once the wool is cut in South America, it is shipped to Germany where it is transformed into yarn. The yarn, when it reaches the factory in Östersund, then makes the OEKO-TEX® certified Ullfrotté

Original fabric, which is used for the collections of base layers and thermal underwear for adults and children alike.

Seamstresses owning the craft The creation is entrusted to a team of highly skilled seamstresses, all given complete control over their work and attaching a label with their name to each garment as they sign off on it. “It’s like a seamstress’s stamp of approval,” says Wikberg. “That kind of responsibility is hugely rewarding.”

Wikberg goes on to explain that the company has hired quite a few new seamstresses recently. “It’s not easy to find employees with sewing experience up here in the county of Jämtland,” she says.

“We’ve ended up employing a number of recent immigrants from places such as Latvia and Afghanistan. Naturally they all get training in working with the Ullfrotté fabric, which is something quite different, but being able to put to use the skills and expertise of these people is wonderful.”

Local production comes at a cost, of course. “One seamstress wage equals the entire production cost in some of the standard production countries,” says Wikberg. “But the Woolpower motto is that it’ll pay off in the long term. We wouldn’t have it any other way: it’s responsibly made in Sweden.” Considering the qualities of wool, which not only keeps you warm but also prevents smell and keeps you dry when you get warm, you could do worse than living by that motto.

Remember, there is no such thing as bad weather – only bad clothes.

Responsibility and ownership are hugely important at Woolpower, and each seamstress will attach a label with their name to every garment made as a stamp of their personal approval.

For more information, please visit: www.woolpower.se

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 49

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Sweden

50 | Issue 89 | June 2016

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden

Issue 89 | June 2016 | 51

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden

High-end gear for extreme conditions Gear specialist SnigelDesign develops high-quality carrying equipment and clothing for paramedics, the police and armed forces – professionals who work under extreme circumstances and need a flexible kit for fast, safe and comfortable use.

By Malin Norman | Photos: SnigelDesign

Since 1990, this small Swedish company has been providing equipment such as belts, slings and holsters, bags and backpacks, holders and pouches, vests and overalls in particular to military and police forces. Over the years, SnigelDesign has grown to its current expert team of engineers, designers and user specialists and has won key 52 | Issue 90 | July 2016

contracts with the Swedish National Police and the Swedish Army, as well as a number of special forces and tactical police units across Europe.

The story of the company is a somewhat unexpected mix of army and design intertwined. It all began with founder and creative mind PH Magnusson developing

his first backpack as a mere 14-year-old.

Over the next ten years, he made over 200 backpacks for friends and others who had heard of his practical and durable designs. He later pursued a degree in industrial design and also served as an airborne ranger in the Swedish Army, where his interest in professional equipment grew and he ended up making gear for his army colleagues as well.

During his first 15 years of business, Magnusson simultaneously worked as head of design at Snickers Workwear, advancing his skills in making functional clothing and accessories for craftsmen.

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden

Professional carrying systems Comfort, security and flexibility are important components in the development of SnigelDesign’s carrying systems and they also need to be lightweight and durable to facilitate the task at hand for the users. “Our clients are specialised in their field and with incredibly advanced requirements,” explains CEO and joint owner Carl Jonasson. “Usually, they carry a lot of equipment on their missions and need superior solutions made of lighter materials that work well together.”

An example is special units in the Swedish Army, which are regularly engaged in international assignments. This puts higher demands on the gear used to suit a range of different environments and climates, for example with specialists positioned on challenging missions in the desert, jungle or mountains. It is essential for the equipment provided to be not only mission-specific, with practical and adaptable pieces to minimise the size of the kit, but also securely stored and not harming the user in any way.

for personal equipment and has the opportunity to work with selected clients on an international level as well. “We have strict internal values and are very careful about who we do business with.

For example, we only work with stable and democratic countries and won’t do business with people, companies or states whose practices or politics go against our values. And as we also provide some strategic products, part of the assortment is of course not available for private use.”

Production currently takes place in three locations. At the head office in Farsta, the team develops and tests prototypes.

SnigelDesign also has a factory in Latvia for smaller volumes and short lead times, as well as large-scale production in Asia.

Authorities or businesses interested in its products can contact the company directly or the distributor in their country,

and individuals can order certain gear from one of the retailers or the webshop.

But how about that company name, what does it really mean? Snigel is Swedish for snail, the little creature that lives in the forest and carries its house on its back.

It symbolises what the owners started with, developing protection for forest creatures. “It’s quite a humble name, almost anti-marketing,” says Jonasson.

“But our clients are so tough in their profession, sometimes placed in extreme and dangerous situations, and they appreciate the safety and comfort we provide. They don’t want us to showcase a cool attitude; they need us to provide gear that works.”

For more information, please visit: www.snigeldesign.com

In addition to the founder himself, several other team members have served as soldiers on missions in Sweden and abroad, and they know what might cause frustrations. SnigelDesign’s niche products are made of high-quality and sustainable materials, carefully tested and also actively used by the inhouse staff. Every week, the expert team meets with users from the police or army to get specific feedback on prototype products and to hear suggestions for improvements. Jonasson stresses the importance of involving them in the design process and explains that after major incidents such as riots or other attacks especially, there are even more ideas for how the gear might need to be tweaked according to those specific situations.

Organic growth with integrity At the core of SnigelDesign is integrity in the development of its products, and the company has been allowed to grow organically. After more than 25 years in the industry with continuous progress, SnigelDesign now has a complete system Issue 90 | July 2016 | 53

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden

Photo: Petra Sestak

Jimmy Ek, Nordic sales manager at Axis Communications.

Breaking ground for a smarter and safer world Axis Communications invented the very first network camera in the ‘90s and has been constantly breaking ground since. The Swedish company is the global market leader in network video products and innovation.

By Malin Norman | Photos: Axis Communications

In 1996, Axis Communications initiated the shift from analogue to digital by introducing the first network video camera, building on ten years of experience in the network industry.

“Our main competitors back then were in analogue technology and we made a number of innovations to push the market forward. We have a strong culture that encourages innovative and outsidethe-box thinking,” says Jimmy Ek, Nordic sales manager at Axis Communications.

Mikael Karlsson, Martin Gren and Keith Bloodworth founded the company in 1984.

Today, Axis Communications has a global presence with 2,200 employees, 1,200 of whom are based at the headquarters in Lund in southern Sweden.

Innovations solve problems All research and development takes place in Sweden and there is always something new going on. For example, when the company heard that clients were having trouble storing and handling the large amount of data from multiple network video cameras, they found a 54 | Issue 90 | July 2016

solution. “The enhanced Axis Zipstream technology can distinguish where in the image the interesting data is and where we can lower the image quality. Suddenly, bandwidth is less of a problem,” Ek explains.

an empty room. This type of technology and smart functionality is something we will see more of,” says Ek. “We want to keep challenging ourselves, listen to our clients and be ready to develop products to solve any worries and problems they might have.

Middle right: The IP Video Door Station combines intercom, surveillance camera and door control in one. Bottom right: Network video camera outside a train station.

Axis is also exploring new segments within physical access control, such as the IP Video Door Station, combining intercom, surveillance camera and door control, all in one device. With an Axis network door station, you can identify a visitor and open the door regardless of where you are.

Video surveillance – and beyond Video cameras can help provide a safer public space and the percentage of solved crimes is higher in areas with surveillance. But cameras can also be used to oversee unmanned production lines or help improve sustainability.

“In new housing and property developments we can work a lot with technology, not only for surveillance but for example to save energy by turning the lights off in

For more information, please visit: www.axis.com

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden

Wear again and again Celebrating 40 years in fashion, Scandinavian brand Boomerang is still going strong with its stylish and classic wardrobe of garments and accessories for men and women. Keeping with the symbolism of a boomerang, the company encourages the recycling, reusing and rewearing of its clothes for more sustainable living.

By Malin Norman | Photos: Boomerang

Entrepreneurs Kenneth Andram and Peter Wilton launched their brand back in 1976. With a passion for quality and craftsmanship, they released their first spring collection of casual and timeless piqués, sweaters and Oxford shirts, as well as trousers in corduroy and canvas for men. It was inspired by the sea, sky and nature, still important elements for the brand’s soul, and came in simple yet classic monochrome and stripes. Many of these items have formed the base of the popular range to this day.

In the 1990s, Boomerang opened its first shop in Örebro and more followed in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Jönköping. The first women’s collection with chinos, sweaters, blouses and jack-

ets was launched in 1999 and became an instant hit, and a junior collection with more durable clothes for kids followed in 2008. Today, the brand has around 20 stores and more than 200 selected distributors in five countries.

The boomerang effect Over the years, the founders have deepened their focus on sustainability, from the ideas stage to the production and all the way to the stores and its customers.

By introducing the Boomerang Effect concept, an initiative aimed to discourage over-consumption and instead promote a more long-lasting type of fashion, the company encourages customers to return second-hand Boomerang clothes to the stores in exchange for a discount on

new items. The old clothes may appear in the Boomerang Effect Vintage collection or be recycled for Boomerang Home, which was launched in 2009 with an interior collection made of reused clothes for furniture seating and rag rugs. Either way, these clothes tell a story as they have been worn and loved and now get a new life.

The company celebrates 40 years in fashion this year, but its creative expression remains and the brand stays true to its Scandinavian heritage, values and belief in timeless and classic fashion.

The new Boomerang collection with yet more stylish clothing will be available in stores at the beginning of August.

For more information, see: www.boomerangstore.se and facebook.com/boomerang.se.

Also follow @boomerang1976 on Instagram.

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 55

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden

Thirst for Swedish origin and innovation The world’s most iconic vodka is famous for its high quality and groundbreaking advertising campaigns. Sweden’s biggest food export is still locally produced and maintaining a focus on sustainability, innovation and design.

By Malin Norman | Photos: Absolut Vodka

Absolut Vodka is the world’s fifthlargest premium spirits brand. Owned

by Pernod Ricard since 2008, the Absolut Company is also responsible for production, development and marketing of Malibu, Kahlúa and Our/Vodka. The company produces an impressive 120 million bottles of Absolut Vodka per year and, with 600,000 bottles leaving the distillery every day, an optimised workflow and logistics are a must. 99 per cent is exported, the majority of it to the US, while other big export markets include Canada, Germany and Brazil.

The vodka is produced in Åhus using only natural ingredients, and the bottles are made of 45 per cent recycled glass.

“We have a long tradition of working with local farmers and glass manufacturers, and we recognise our responsibility as a 56 | Issue 90 | July 2016

large producer,” says Anna Schreil, VP operations. “Even though we have grown tremendously, we continue to make the same high-quality product according to the same craftsmanship principles, with a sense of pride and in harmony with the environment.”

Absolut Vodka is a climate neutral company, and another example of its commitment to this stance is a recent revamp of the celebrated Absolut Vodka bottle design, emphasising its origins and with a lighter weight to reduce the climatic impact. Every bottle now comes with the message ‘One Source. One Community. One Superb Vodka’.

“In our efforts to be a responsible business, we continuously look at what is required of a large corporation

producing alcohol,” says product development manager Anne Enger, who works on the company’s sustainability projects. “We also look at our impact strategy to see how we can make a difference and engage with our consumers through initiatives and campaigns.” Absolut Vodka is continuously working with Eco Design, which focuses on how the packaging can be improved from an environmental perspective, and the company is about to launch a complimentary Eco Design Handbook with information for both internal and external partners.

Sharing is caring Absolut Vodka has been supporting design and art since the very start, with the first collaboration in 1985 when Andy Warhol created a series of revolutionary ads for the brand. Thirty years later, its pledge to design continues as the company celebrates and supports artists, writers and institutions across the world, including partnerships with brands and stars such as Versace,

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden

Lenny Kravitz and Swedish House Mafia.

One of its initiatives is the biannual Absolut Art Award, given to artists and writers as a platform to pursue their dream projects and to make art more accessible to the public, and Absolut Vodka also works with music, fashion and digital media. Absolut Nights is a new global campaign with four unique interactive events taking place in New York, Johannesburg, Berlin and Sao Paulo. Related is also new limited edition Absolut Electrik with cuttingedge metallic bottles in cobalt blue and silver, evoking a feeling of energy, flashing lights and pumping beats.

Innovation is also encouraged internally, with projects such as Creative Space in the Stockholm head office, where a number of shipping containers were transformed into think tanks with teams competing in a three-day hackathon focused on new sustainable solutions for packaging and recycling.

“According to one of our suppliers, we have shaken up the whole industry, which was one of our goals,” Enger says about the continuation of this initiative and the Sharing is Caring event held for suppliers, with a further challenge for them to create actual prototypes of tweaked existing packaging or completely new packaging solutions.

“We truly believe that we can make a difference, but it requires collaboration, engagement and passion.”

Crafts and flavoured launches While the best seller is the original Absolut Vodka, representing 80 per cent of the total production, classic flavours Absolut Peppar, launched in 1986 as the first flavoured vodka, and Absolut Citron are also popular. Product development is an important area and dedicated sensory experts are constantly looking at current consumer trends and experimenting in their lab to develop new flavour combinations.

The latest fashion is crafts, with Oak by Absolut as an example of a new crafted product for consumers who like dark spirits. It is made of Absolut Vodka, rested on Swedish and American oak

Anne Enger, product development manager at Absolut Vodka

barrels and selected Bourbon barrels, blended with Absolut Vodka that has rested on French and American oak chips with different toasting degrees.

This unique blend brings a new depth and character with hints of vanilla, caramel and toasted oak. Limited edition Absolut India is another new creation. The mango and pepperflavoured vodka with artwork by young

creative Shaheen Baig from Mumbai captures the diverse culture and vibrant colours of India, and the well-balanced tropical flavour combination is perfect for mixing summer drinks.

For more information, please visit: www.absolut.com

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 57

Scan Magazine | Educational profile | Grenaa Gymnasium

From rag rugs to Armani Swedish design company Bolon is managed by sisters Annica and Marie Eklund, the third generation to run this successful, family-owned flooring business. With heaps of passion and commitment, they have challenged conventionality and transformed the traditional weaving mill into a modern and cutting-edge brand, praised by top design houses.

By Malin Norman | Photos: Bolon

Bolon offers a combination of design, durability, ease of cleaning and sustainability. Its contemporary focus on innovative flooring and creative interiors has attracted global brands such as Armani, Google, Mercedes, Adidas, Reebok and Sheraton. The company also collaborates with leading architects and designers who are interpreting concepts for their flooring collections, with renowned French architect Jean Nouvel, design legend Giulio Cappellini and iconic 58 | Issue 90 | July 2016

fashion house Missoni as just a few of its creative partners.

The sisters’ grandfather, Nils-Erik Eklund, started the company back in 1949, born from an idea of making use of leftover textiles and creating rag rugs for homes. His son Lars took over as a mere 22-year-old in 1967 and, from a love of camping, developed awning mats tailored for caravans, which were launched abroad and became a big success in the camping domain.

Production eventually expanded to also include flooring for offices in 1991, and two years later the wall-to-wall vinyl flooring was launched.

And so, in 2003, the two sisters took over. Both had a keen interest in fashion and design from an early age and saw a space for further development. Their plan was to change the traditional and conservative view of flooring into a modern product to attract the world of fashion, design and architecture.

“Flooring was a neglected industry and considered quite unsexy,” says Annica Eklund. “We had lots of ideas of how to change this and many exciting meetings followed. Some people were quite suspicious but others really understood what we were trying to achieve.”

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden

Annica and Marie Eklund.

Fearless green innovators As it turns out, flooring can indeed have a key place in architecture and interior design. After 13 years under the management of the brave Eklund sisters, Bolon now has more than 100 employees and revenue of 285 million SEK (around £25 million), with 95 per cent of its production going on export. “It’s great to be able to start with an existing company, invest in the right competence and add new creative ideas to help it grow. We’re proud of lifting Bolon to another level altogether, with many inspiring clients and fantastic awards as a result.”

Similarly to their grandfather, who was ahead of his time, the sisters are keeping the innovative spirit alive and constantly strive to create better opportunities. “We want to be the leader in environment, technology and design,” Annica explains.

For instance, the company has invested 90 million SEK to transition into a more viable business and launched Bolon Green, its sustainability concept. ‘Flow’ is Bolon’s first recycled flooring collection and a result of the green initiative, with backing made of recycled material from the on-site recycling plant in Sweden.

Just recently, Bolon introduced a process that grinds and modifies old bits of flooring into granules that can be bound and reshaped into a new material.

Another novelty is ‘Bolon by You’, a new collection that provides customers with the opportunity to take part in the design process by using an online tool that al-

lows them to choose from six patterns of diverse character, 12 all-new weft colours and four different warp colours to create their own personal design flooring. The annual magazine Projects We Love is yet another interesting initiative, launched in 2013 with Bolon’s most beloved projects, including exciting interviews and interesting facts about the company.

Committed grand leader Over the years, the company has received a range of prominent awards for its inspiring entrepreneurship, innovative design and continuous focus on the environment. One highlight was the Swedish Trade Council’s Stora Exportpriset (the Grand Export Prize), as presented to the sisters by King Carl XVI Gustaf in 2014. It is awarded to outstanding Swedish businesses demonstrating strong growth and positive trends abroad. “This was of course fantastic praise and something everyone at Bolon can be incredibly proud

of,” says Annica. Other honours adding to the company’s credibility include, for example, FX Surface of the Year Award, Red Dot Design Award, Good Design Award and Beautiful Business Award.

When asked about the key factors to the company’s ongoing success as an industry leader for over 60 years, “our commitment, passion and drive” is Annica’s immediate response. She also talks about their pledge to remain a local business, with production, warehouse and administration all kept in Ulricehamn, Sweden. “We have an honest product, made of the highestquality materials and with plenty of heart and soul. And we’re having lots of fun!”

For more information, please visit: www.bolon.com and facebook.com/bolonflooring.

Also follow @bolonflooring on Instagram.

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 59

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden

Freedom and uncompromised safety KORI is a family-owned business with a genuine passion for freedom and adventure.

Its products ultimately aim to enhance the experience for the user, be it a motorcyclist, skier or other extreme sports enthusiast.

By Malin Norman | Photos: KORI

Industrial designer Sophie Dessalles is a keen motorcyclist herself and often felt frustrated with the limitations of the equipment available on the market. Could there be a way of making the gear smarter, safer and suitable for different climates?

She founded KORI in 2010, starting with a new innovative concept of back protectors that can be transformed into a backpack.

The KORI Coyote back protector and backpack won the international Red Dot Design Award in 2014, praised in particular for its neat and elegant design. The bestseller is the standard back protector, which is available in nine different sizes, and the line-up also includes other equipment such as socks and hats. The idea is to provide adaptable solutions; for example, a tall and thin person might need one size for

the back protector and another for the belt.

With KORI’s range they can have gear that fits their body type.

Today, KORI’s products are used by plenty of motorcyclists but also in alpine skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking and horse riding. “We talk to a lot of different types of users,” says Dessalles. “For us, it’s not about making products for a specific sport. It’s about providing meaningful, safe and flexible equipment, regardless of the context.”

KORI is based on Swedish quality and handicraft, with its heart and soul at the very core of the family business.

“Everything we do is done with a great sense of commitment and enthusiasm. We base our decisions on what feels right and works in reality.”

For more information, please visit: www.kori.se

Sp

ec

M ial Th FI ADE eme NL I : AN N D

From campaign symbol to successful brand Finland’s best known mark of origin, the Key Flag Symbol, is enjoying its 50th anniversary this year. The anniversary has been celebrated around Finland with a pop-up container, furnished and decorated with Finnish Key Flag products.

By Hanna Malinen, communications manager of the Association for Finnish Work

The iconic symbol was born in 1965 when the nation needed an appealing campaign for domestic products to balance the nation’s economy. Finnish companies were encouraged to use the Key Flag in advertisements and products.

granted for 3,000 products, product groups or services, such as Genelec’s speakers, F-Secures internet security solutions for home, Timberwise’s parquets, Vallila’s decoration service and UPM’s Biofore fuel.

In 1975, the Key Flag symbol became an official mark of origin for the Finnish products guaranteed by the state. The first Key Flag products were Norlyn tights, Finnmatch matches and Nokia toilet paper.

To say that the figure is well known is an understatement: over 90 per cent of Finnish consumers recognise the Key Flag symbol. The symbol also increases appreciation of Finnish work and knowhow internationally.

Today, the Key Flag symbol is one of the most well-known and prestigious brands in Finland and its use has been

A recent study of the Association for Finnish Work shows that up to 82 per cent of Finnish people say that they are

proud of the quality of work in Finland.

High quality and distinct products and services are one of Finland’s most important triumphs in the domestic and international market.

The Key Flag symbol can be granted to a product that has been manufactured in Finland and a service that has been produced in Finland. The degree of domestic origin must be over 50 per cent. On average, the degree of domestic origin of products using the Key Flag Symbol is over 80 per cent.

The Key Flag Symbol is governed by the Association for Finnish Work.

For more information, please visit: suomalainentyo.fi/en

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 61

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Finland

Left: iStockphoto Right: Julius Pohjola, director, Middle-East (left) and Antti Pohjola, CEO (right). Photo: Solar Water Solutions

On a mission to create sustainable fresh water Finland is known for its innovations and blossoming start-up scene, so it will come as no surprise that there is yet another Finnish technology start-up showcasing its innovative approach, this time in the renewable energy sector. Introducing: Solar Water Solutions.

producing fresh water powered by solar energy. The company’s commercial phase will start in autumn 2016 after the pilot project has been successfully completed.

By Nina Lindqvist

Founded in 2015, Solar Water Solutions is a newcomer in its field but has already attracted significant interest from key actors. The company has received funding from the European Commission amongst others. As the name implies, the company produces fresh water from sea water in a sustainable way using only solar or wind energy.

“Sea water desalination with reverse osmosis is the best way to produce fresh water, as around 80 per cent of the world’s population live relatively close to the coast line. Current processes for sea water desalination are very energy-intensive and produce large CO2 emissions,” Pohjola explains.

“We develop solar-powered desalination plants for remote islands and locations.

Our mission is to create sustainable fresh water in environments where it is difficult or even seemingly impossible,” says Antti Pohjola, CEO of Solar Water Solutions.

The biggest potential market for Solar Water Solutions is currently the Gulf region, which accounts for around 50 per cent of the global desalination market. In line with market demand, the company is opening an office in Abu Dhabi in the city of Masdar, an eco-city and world leader in renewable energy desalination technology development. The Solar Water Solutions office will be part of the Nordic Innovation Hub, described as a business incubator designed to bring Nordic clean technologies and solutions to the UAE.

The key driving demand for the company’s innovation is the number of people lacking access to clean, safe drinking water, which currently stands at around 1.1 billion globally. Furthermore, by 2040, half of the world’s population will live in water-stressed areas. Solar Water Solution’s patented technology allows exceptionally efficient fresh water production, all while keeping operating costs at almost zero.

62 | Issue 90 | July 2016

A vision of a less polluted future

Solar Water Solutions has recently opened its first pilot plant operating in a real environment, in the Port of Hanko in Finland. It is a mobile unit in a container

With big innovations come big plans, and so also for Solar Water Solutions.

“We aim to become an international manufacturer of environmentally friendly solar energy-powered small-scale desalination plants. The long-term aim is to replace the polluting diesel-powered desalination plants and diesel as a power source in remote islands and locations,” Pohjola concludes.

Solar Water Solution targets the smallscale desalination plants segment, meaning from one up to 500 cubic metres per day.

On many remote islands the cost of water is over seven dollars per cubic metre. As the operating costs with solar energy are low, the cost of water from the Solar Water Solutions systems will be under one euro per cubic metre.

In technological R&D development, the company has worked closely with Aalto University in Finland.

For more information, please visit: www.solarwatersolutions.fi

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Finland

Berry goodness

By Ndéla Faye | Photos: Arctic Power Berries

What started as a simple idea has flourished into a thriving business. Inspired by the rich nutritional content of berries grown in Finland’s unpolluted forests, Arctic Power Berries is making berries trendy, easy to store and quick to prepare.

Inseparable since the first day of primary school, Eveliina Suoyrjö and Anna Ojutkangas grew up by the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland and spent much of their childhood eating and picking fresh berries from their backyard. “When we moved abroad, we found that supermarkets’ farmed berries didn’t taste the same and were expensive,” says Ojutkangas.

A solution came in the form of raw berry powders, which the best friends would fill their suitcases with and bring back from Finland. Soon after, they wanted others to be able to reap the benefits of the berries too.

The five berry powders – cranberry, blackcurrant, lingonberry, blueberry and sea buckthorn – are all rich in nutrients, antioxidants and vitamins. “The berries are hand-picked and they grow and mature under the midnight sun of the Arctic, so they absorb all the goodness

from Lapland’s clean and unpolluted air,” explains Ojutkangas. As the berries are air dried in a low temperature, they do not lose their nutritional values and one teaspoon of berry powder is equal to a handful of berries.

“The berry powders are available from our website as well as selected shops including Whole Foods, Harrods, Selfridges and Ocado,” Ojutkangas adds. From sprinkling onto breakfast bowls and smoothies to using them as flavouring in cakes, there are endless ways to make use of the powders.

“Ideal for those who travel a lot and lead busy lives, the compact packaging means that a vitamin boost is never too far away,” Ojutkangas smiles

Founders Eveliina Suoyrjö and Anna Ojutkangas.

For more information, please visit: www.arcticpowerberries.com

A drop of Arctic magic

By Ndéla Faye

Inspired by Lapland’s stunningly beautiful landscapes and untouched nature, MOODAG® combines a modern look with traditional silversmithing techniques. Each silver piece is hand-made in Finland and offers visitors a piece of Arctic mysticism.

Katja Lettinen was named Artisan of the Year in 2014 and her first collection, A Drop of Inari, showcases the supernatural beauty of Finnish Lapland. “I designed the collection for those drawn to the beauty of Lapland’s untouched nature. I also wanted to offer tourists luxurious souvenirs: jewellery that lets visitors take a piece of Lapland and the spirit of the Arctic home with them,” she says.

Each piece in her collection draws inspiration from the shapes and everchanging scenery of Lapland. “In Inari, the seasons present themselves in extreme ways: from ice-covered landscapes in the winter to 24-hour daylight in the summer,” Lettinen explains.

“I’m constantly recreating what I see in the surrounding nature in my jewellery: whether it’s a crystal clear, smooth surface of a frozen

lake or a birch tree casting a shadow onto snowy mountains, I use matte surfaces, engraving, hammering and oxidised silver to reflect shapes and textures around me,” she adds.

The name MOODAG® comes from the word ‘mood’ and the chemical symbol for silver, Ag. “I think of my creative process as being in a ‘silver mood’,” Lettinen laughs.

With an invitation to attend the Copenhagen Jewellery & Watch Show later in the summer and exciting new plans in the pipeline, her creative process, combined with a bit of the Arctic’s magic, will without a doubt take the world by storm.

For more information, please visit: www.moodag.com

Photo: Stoorila

Photo: Janne Savon

Photo: Stoorila

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 63

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Finland

Unwrapping waste The cost of sourcing, storing and sending cardboard boxes and plastic bags can be a real headache for e-commerce companies – only for consumers to throw the packaging away once their goods have been delivered, adding to the growing amount of waste we generate. Finnish start-up RePack is on a quest to make us all think outside the box.

The feedback from businesses as well as consumers has been overwhelmingly positive. We’re trying to change people’s attitudes when it comes to consumerism, recycling and waste.”

By Ndéla Faye | Photos: RePack

RePack has a great deal of potential for furniture, electronics and food companies.

“We believe that RePack can also be used for conducting delivery chain analysis for electronics and logistics companies, for example,” Hellgren says. The product is already being used by 20 different companies – predominately clothing stores in Finland and the Netherlands – but the company is also launching in Belgium, Germany and Sweden after the summer.

RePack is fully flexible and the packaging can be customised to suit each company’s needs. And with an increasing amount of e-commerce companies choosing RePack packaging, the possibilities for the future are endless.

With a worldwide boom in online sales, the amount of packaging and wrapping consumers throw away has also increased. Inspired by bottle recycling systems that use cash deposits as an incentive, RePack wanted to apply the same concept to packaging. “Finland has a 98 per cent return rate on bottles and cans, so we wanted to apply this to enable online retailers and customers to return and reuse delivery packaging,” explains Jonne Hellgren, CEO at RePack.

The concept is simple: at selected online stores, customers can choose to have their order sent in RePack packaging for a small deposit fee. They will then receive their order in returnable and reusable RePack packaging, which can 64 | Issue 90 | July 2016

be returned – with no postage fee or stamp required – by simply dropping it into a local letterbox. Once the RePack has been registered as returned, the user will receive a digital voucher, which can be used towards future purchases from RePack-supporting online stores.

A single RePack can be reused around 20 times, and they are made from recycled and upcycled materials that are 100 per cent recyclable. “The big draw for companies is that RePack encourages repeat customers, and the benefit for consumers is that they get something back for choosing an environmentally friendly packaging solution,” says Hellgren. “We offer a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable solution for companies.

For more information, please visit: www.originalrepack.com

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Finland

Verdure calling Research suggests that not only do plants have stress-reducing abilities, but they also promote creativity and inspiration. InnoGreen designs and provides interior decoration solutions from living plants. And what better way to de-stress than to kick back, relax and be transported to a rainforest?

By Ndéla Faye | Photos: InnoGreen

Specialising in indoor plant design, InnoGreen’s portfolio includes everything from small plant installations to ‘green walls’ and their customers include government institutions, big corporations and small businesses. “Each project begins by assessing client needs. We always aim to find the best solution for each space and have a unique approach to each job,” says Oula Harjula, CEO at InnoGreen.

InnoGreen provides a wide selection of high-quality plants, flowers and herbs, sourced from Finland and central Europe.

“Our service covers everything – from the initial planning and design stages through delivery and installation, all the way to the upkeep and maintenance of

the plants. All our customers need to do is just sit back and enjoy the green beauty,” says Harjula.

From sprucing up a dull reception area to improving acoustics in spaces, plant installations can have several functions.

“We’re reinventing indoor plant design: it’s no longer just a plant pot shoved into an office corner – our designs are refreshing and a part of the overall space,” Harjula says. Plants are not confined to the floor level, or even walls: InnoGreen also integrates plants into furniture, ceilings, as well as lights.

“With our team’s expertise and our innovative watering solutions, we’re able to be extremely creative and put plants in entirely new places,” he continues.

Research suggests that having plants in the workplace has many health benefits and can reduce stress levels and blood pressure. They also encourage job satisfaction and are said to drive creativity and inspiration. “In an almost instinctive way, nature is part of us all, and plants influence our everyday lives by providing us with the air we breathe and food we eat. Our passion is for all things green and growing, and we want everyone to be able to enjoy the beauty of nature,” Harjula concludes.

For more information, please visit: www.innogreen.fi

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 65

Scan Magazine | Business | Keynote

Scan Business Keynote 66 | Enterprise Denmark 67 | Conference of the Month 74 | Business Calendar 76

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Honour the pen

By Steve Flinders

During a visit to Milan recently, I was impressed and rather moved to discover a park close to the centre named after a leading Italian journalist, Indro Montanelli, who died in 2001. You can see his statue close to the spot where the Red Brigade shot him in the legs in 1977. He was a fearless writer and a courageous man – he was also sentenced to death by the Germans in the war. He was independent and cussed: when the ownership of Corriere della Sera became too authoritarian, he quit and started his own newspaper, Il Giornale, in 1973. His was an extraordinary life.

Does the UK honour its journalists in such a way? Do the likes of William Russell, The Times correspondent who covered the Crimean War; Walter Bagehot, an editor of The Economist; C. P. Scott, the great editor and owner of The Manchester Guardian; or George Orwell, journalist and author of 1984, simply have to make do with a blue plaque somewhere? I cannot recall any major public places named after a journalist in Scandinavia either, although readers should correct me if I am wrong. In Malta, where I live, there is a children’s playground named after a Times of Malta cartoonist.

66 | Issue 90 | July 2016

I applaud the Italian example. Journalists today are under attack – more often than not by governments who, like the President of Egypt, think that the maxim ‘don’t listen to anyone but me’ is best.

In China, Russia, Turkey and the Philippines, to name just a few, journalists can be subjected to arbitrary arrest, imprisonment, torture and murder. In Bangladesh they may be hacked to death by fanatics. We must honour the pen loudly and vigorously as Italy does, and proclaim the work of those who wield the pen to protect our freedoms.

The Montanelli statue in Milan.

Steve Flinders is a freelance trainer, writer and coach, based in Malta, who helps people develop their communication and leadership skills for working internationally: steveflind@aol.com.

S

EN pecia l DE TER Them NM PR e: AR ISE K

Left: CEO Lars Schrøder has an ambitious plan for Aarhus Vand to be energy neutral and CO2 neutral by 2030. Photo: Ole Hartmann Schmidt Right: Thanks to efficient waste and rain water management, the water around Aarhus is clean and perfect for swimming and water sports. Photo: VisitAarhus

Turning wastewater into green energy In traditional wastewater treatment plants, the energy produced is nowhere near enough to actually run the plant. But in Aarhus it is. The Marselisborg Wastewater Treatment Plant is now in fact a power station, a bio refinery where energy is produced from wastewater.

By Signe Hansen

In Aarhus, Denmark’s second-biggest city, wastewater is no longer a waste product; it is a source of green energy.

Marselisborg Wastewater Treatment Plant has been transformed from an energy consumer to an energy provider.

The plant is developed and managed by Aarhus Vand, a Danish water utility and world leader in the development of green energy production using wastewater.

our wish is to expand our position as the powerhouse to clever and efficient water solutions on a global scale,” explains Lars Schrøder, CEO of Aarhus Vand. “As such, we create growth and Danish jobs, and we assist other countries in reaching their targets for reducing pollution and improving water use efficiency. In turn, we discover new findings and ideas that help to further our efficiency back in Denmark.”

Production of energy from wastewater is no new invention. However, it is new that a wastewater treatment plant can produce as much as 192 per cent energy based on normal household wastewater.

Scaled up, this means that the huge energy consumption from water and wastewater facilities could be avoided, turning the single-largest electricity consumer in municipalities into an energy-neutral party. Acting as a showcase for this potential, the Marselisborg plant is visited by energy experts and decision makers from all over the world. “In Denmark,

The plant is part of Aarhus Vand’s general strategy to be energy neutral and CO2 neutral by 2030. The wastewater treatment plant produces enough energy to cover 94 per cent of all the energy used for the whole water cycle in the catchment area, from water production and water distribution over wastewater pumping to wastewater treatment. In the very near future, it is expected that the plant will reach 100 per cent and beyond, thus making this otherwise hugely energy-consuming industry completely energy neutral.

Unsurprisingly, this has grabbed the attention of people in the industry all over the world, and Aarhus Vand is happy to share its expertise. For instance, the company is working with a delegation from Chicago to achieve similar results in their city. The hope is that many more will follow suit because, according to the World Economic Forum, lack of water and climate change are among the top three global risks. “Energy scarcity is a global challenge we have yet to solve,” says Schrøder and rounds off. “However, pioneering solutions that can help meet these challenges are ready to be replicated.”

Photo: Ole Hartmann Schmidt

For more information, please visit: www.aarhusvand.dk

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 67

Green, healthy and cheap – it is obviously a KIWI As the latest budget store to enter the Danish market, Norwegian KIWI has had to fight for its place and has successfully done so by applying a bold and attentiongrabbing strategy. During a chat with Scan Magazine, sales director Thomas Nielsen explains how the chain, which currently has 98 stores all over Denmark, plans to continue its expansion with a targeted 20 new stores a year.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: KIWI

Founded in Norway in 1979, KIWI today controls more than 20 per cent of the country’s grocery market. KIWI Norway is part of Norway’s sixthbiggest conglomerate, NorgesGruppen.

In Denmark, KIWI, a part of Dagrofa, opened the doors to its first stores in 2008. Since then, the chain has been growing continuously with ten to 18 new 68 | Issue 90 | July 2016

stores opening every year for the last three years.

One of the main components to KIWI’s success has been its bold move to deduct 20 per cent – the equivalent to the government-added VAT – from the price of all fruit and vegetables. The offer is available to anyone with a KIWI

loyalty card, which is available for free in all stores. “A couple of years ago, we went through a long process to decide where we wanted to position ourselves on the Danish market. What came up as the only thing that made sense was our special VAT-free fruit and vegetables; it was something that hadn’t been seen before and which, at the same time, wouldn’t alienate anyone,” explains Nielsen and adds: “On top of making it easier for our Danish customers to make a healthy choice – everyone should be able to afford a healthy diet – we are also trying to put some pressure on Danish politicians. Denmark is one of only a few countries in the EU that does not have a

Scan Magazine | Business | Enterprise Denmark

differentiated VAT on food; in our opinion, the health of the people should be much higher up on the political agenda.”

Despite the focus on healthy produce, KIWI’s name does not refer to the fruit; it derives from the first two letters of the surnames of its founders, Thor Kirkeng and Svend Wike.

Loyalty and rewards KIWI’s success is not just based on its special prices on fruit and vegetables, but also its focus on quality and loyalty rewards. This means, for instance, that parents not only get a free piece of fruit for their kids while shopping; they also get every fourth pack of Libero nappies for free. Besides, says Nielsen, the stores offer a selection of high-quality products unmatched by other budget

stores. “When it comes to our range of groceries, we distinguish ourselves in a way that is mainly possible because we do not have as many stores as some of the bigger chains. For instance, thanks to an exclusive deal, all the beef sold in our stores is from Himmerland cattle, and that has enabled us to provide a quality guarantee to our customers: if they’re not happy with the quality of the beef, they get their money back.”

Likewise, instead of the commonly sold bake-off bread, KIWI sells freshly baked quality bread from GuldBageren (a Danish artisan bakery).

Moreover, the chain has, as the only budget store in Denmark, added a number of up-sized stores to its portfolio. KIWI+ is double the size of a regular budget store and offers an even wider assortment of products. “It’s sort of like a hybrid between a regular supermarket and a budget store, which means that you get the best of both worlds,” Nielsen explains. “For our customers the advantage is obvious – they can do all their shopping easily and cheaply, and that’s something many other concepts struggle to achieve because, for the majority of customers, time is their most valuable resource.”

ABOUT THOMAS NIELSEN:

Quick and easy With around 3,000 products in their regular stores, KIWI is one of the broadestassorted budget stores in Denmark.

Age: 36 Position at KIWI: Sales director (COO) Education: E-MBA, DTU (on-going) Bachelor of Economics & Leadership Started in his career as a Management Trainee in 2001.

THE KIWI MISSION AND VISION: Vision: KIWI aspires to be Denmark’s healthiest budget store.

KIWI sells all fruit and vegetables VAT-free and also lobbies for Danish politicians to remove VAT from healthy produce.

All beef sold in KIWI’s stores is from Himmerland cattle.

Mission: KIWI wants to ensure that everybody can afford a healthy diet easily, cheaply and quickly – and with a smile.

For more information, please visit: www.kiwi.dk

Sales director Thomas Nielsen has built a strong brand for KIWI with a bold and attention-grabbing strategy.

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 69

Scan Magazine | Business | Enterprise Denmark

Easy, cost-efficient and flexible phone solutions Combining four usually separate entities in telecommunications – sale, buy-back, insurance, and usage – Nordic Business Center provides complete, flexible and economically sound package solutions for companies of all sizes and requirements.

Through its e-shop, which operates with several suppliers per product, the Danish company also provides the lowest possible price on bundle packages – including mobile phones, WePhone subscription, insurance and buy-back – for both corporate and private clients, and a special tax-rate reduction on products for employees.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Nordic Business Center

Nordic Business Center was founded in 2009 as a telecommunications sales and assistance enterprise. However, with 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry behind him, founder and CEO Torben Krogh soon realised that there was a big gap in the 70 | Issue 90 | July 2016

market, and thus he began to put together the components for the company’s all-inclusive package solutions. The product, which was launched in 2013, today constitutes a completely priceproof package, which makes it easy for companies to calculate the exact cost

of employee phone benefits per annum.

“Our focus is to protect our clients completely from extra costs. Once they’ve signed up for one of our solutions there are no unforeseen expenses. Everything is included – products, subscription usage and insurance – it’s all covered by one set price per month. What you see is what you get. By founding our own phone company, WePhone, we’ve made it possible to offer something that no one else can in Denmark – or the rest of Europe for that matter,” says Krogh. “It’s the package that I, after almost two decades in the telecommunications industry, realised that no one else was offering, and that’s why I started my own company: to do

Scan Magazine | Business | Enterprise Denmark

what no one else did.” For the greatest possible success, Krogh headhunted one of the biggest sales professionals in telecommunication and teleindustries from Telenor Denmark: Mr. Michael Grøn, who is to be CEO of WePhone.

Resell your old equipment Nordic Business Center not only offers a complete product that guarantees a set price for up to 36 months; the insurance included in the package also means that if something happens to a phone, it will be replaced or repaired immediately.

And this, stresses Krogh, applies to both private and corporate clients. “If your phone is broken, we will pick it up and get it repaired, and that’s regardless of where in Europe you are and whether you are a private or a corporate client.”

Nordic Business Center also offers further savings for companies as well as private clients with a backlog of old mobile phones. “Through the Drop n’ Shop concept, it is possible for us to offer our clients an additional upfront 40 per cent discount on their phones if they send in their old ones. It’s all a part of the package and part of what makes our solution unique – it’s all been compressed into one product: phone

subscription, insurance and resale – it’s one price.”

Nordic Business Center is located in Copenhagen and Frederikshavn.

Save your tax rate and more It is not just companies of all shapes and sizes that can benefit from the service offered by Nordic Business Center.

The company’s e-shop also includes a special section for client employees, who can buy products at the same discounted prices as their employers.

Krogh says: “Everyone can enjoy the benefits of our packages, but there is an extra advantage for the employees of our corporate clients: what we can offer them is the opportunity to save their tax on the price of the product by paying through a monthly deduction of their salary. This means that, if you’re employed in a Danish company, you save between 42 and 60 per cent.”

Apart from telecommunication solutions, Nordic Business Center also delivers mobile subscriptions from its sister company WePhone at the lowest cost in Denmark. Everything can be bought directly through the company’s e-shop, which has four or five suppliers per product and thus always secures the best possible price for clients. If you buy a bundle package, the saving is even greater.

The company combines the products of three companies, Nordic Business Center (telecommunications sales and advice), Drop n’ Shop (buy-back of used mobile phones), and WePhone (phone company specialised in business mobile communications).

Nordic Business Center’s complete packages make it easy for companies to calculate the exact cost of employee benefits per annum.

Nordic Business Center was founded

by Torben Krogh in 2009.

For more information, please visit: www.nordicbusiness.dk

WePhone was founded by Torben Krogh and Michael Grøn in 2016.

For more information, please visit: www.wephone.dk For sales of used mobile phones, please visit: www.dropnshop.dk

CEO Torben Krogh.

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 71

Scan Magazine | Business | Enterprise Denmark

Invest in Danish commercial property The financial crisis set off a harrowing time for property investment, and the impact can still be felt today. However, in 2010 the Danish company Blue Capital became a platform for private people and companies to invest in commercial property, and it has since gone from strength to strength.

By Josefine Older Steffensen | Photos: Blue Capital

Investing money in property can be a good way to ensure a solid return on your investment, and in Denmark the best company to invest with is Blue Capital. Having had the market mainly to themselves since 2010, Blue Capital is the first to be offered new properties and can pick and choose the best investments.

The benefits “Investing with us is a good way of spreading out the liability while at the same time gaining tax benefits,” explains Martin Kibsgaard Jensen, the director and owner of Blue Capital. By investing a minimum of ten per cent in a property you get the option of spreading out your investments and therefore the liability.

As the properties are commercial, long-term use of the property is usually guaranteed with shops renting for ten years at a time. This also means that your investment is more secure and a return is assured.

72 | Issue 90 | July 2016

Blue Capital ensures that lawyers and accountants have checked every investment opportunity to confirm that rules are adhered to. Blue Capital also provides insurance to further protect your investment.

The investment

the investor has to worry about as Blue Capital takes care of everything.

Their expertise, professionalism and prominence within the Danish property market mean that Blue Capital is the best company to invest with in Denmark.

In their six years of business they have handled properties worth a total of 650 million DKK. “We pride ourselves on being market leaders who are always on the lookout for the best investment opportunities for the best investors,” concludes Martin Kibsgaard Jensen.

To invest with Blue Capital you need to have an income of over 750,000 DKK per annum (around £85,000) and a fortune of over 1,000,000 DKK. By supplying the money yourself and not being reliant on a bank, the investment is further safeguarded from any future financial instabilities.

The six professionals who work at Blue Capital are at hand to help find the best solution for you. “The best way to get in touch with us is by giving us a call, and then we can arrange to meet and from there find the best solution for you,” says Martin Kibsgaard Jensen. Once the investment is made there is very little

For more information, please visit: www.bluecapital.dk

Scan Magazine | Business | Enterprise Denmark

Making business thrive Sønderborg Kommune, the municipality in the southern part of Jutland, has taken great initiative to make the area a frontrunner for businesses to bloom. Strong communication and valuable advice are crucial components to make running a business in Sønderborg smooth sailing.

By Mette Hindkjær Madsen | Photos: Sønderborg Kommune

In April this year, Sønderborg Kommune launched a brand new business service to help local businesses be the best they can be by ensuring that corporations have simple and easy access to the municipality and its services. Pernille Refshauge is spearheading the initiative as leader of the municipality’s business service.

“Our goal is to have an effective, smooth and service-minded approach to communicating with the corporations, where we always deliver good services and examine alternative options and suggestions for the companies,” she says. “Establishing a way into business life puts focus on the interdisciplinary cooperation and coordination for when companies turn to

us. It develops our internal capabilities to strengthen the contact between us and the corporations.”

Paving the way for businesses Sønderborg Kommune Erhvervsservice mainly targets the smaller and mediumsized companies who can have difficulty navigating what the municipality has to offer. Whether the company is interested in expanding their production or know more about sewerage, the business service will help connect the company in question with the best advisor to expedite their request as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“Speedy casework is important to the corporations, naturally. They want quick

answers because wait time can be annoying and stall business plans from moving forward. To accommodate this, we primarily have one person dealing with each company, someone who will be in contact with them and keep them updated throughout the casework,” explains Refshauge.

It is important for the business service to be visible for the corporations and show them how efficient they are in handling casework. To better themselves continuously, they focus on getting feedback and constructive criticism from the companies they work with.

“It’s the detailed feedback that helps us improve,” Refshauge maintains. And with that, the sails are set for making it easy for business to thrive in Sønderborg.

For more information, please visit: erhvervsservice.sonderborg.dk

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 73

The first thing visitors at Emmaus are met by is art; all visitors have free access to the exhibitions, which change five times a year.

Conference of the Month, Denmark

‘Our special atmosphere comes for free’ With its atmospheric interiors and green exteriors, Emmaus is the place to go if you are looking for a conference venue with a heart. Founded as a gallery focused on biblical art in Haslev’s old folk school, the grand old building is still saturated by the genuinely artistic, homely and open-hearted spirit that has characterised the place since its inception. Besides a professional conference venue, visitors will also find a distinct gallery experience, a special place to spend the night and a creative folk school.

of the folk school because art has also always been about challenging and debating the norms of society. At the same time, I wanted to create a convention centre based on Christian values, and a place where people could meet and connect to themselves – and to others,” says Olsen.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Emmaus

14 years ago, Grethe Olsen established Denmark’s first and only gallery dedicated to biblical art with a special focus on the great Bible stories. The idea garnered much attention from artists, many of whom also started showing interest in the old folk school which the gallery was located in. In 2010, the school and gallery were merged under the ownership of a 74 | Issue 90 | July 2016

non-profit fund and managed by Olsen.

As the beautiful 100-year-old building underwent a complete renovation, it also opened up to seminars and conventions.

This was something it seemed perfect for, with its many rooms and large surrounding park. “To me it seemed an obvious opportunity to pair up art with the traditionally liberal and open-minded culture

With 70 hotel rooms and a range of meeting rooms of all sizes spread out over 10,000 square metres of floor space, Emmaus can accommodate organisations and meetings of all kinds with up to 500 people.

Something extra With 30 artists connected to Emmaus and the gallery being the point of

Scan Magazine | Conference of the Month | Denmark

entrance to the building, guests are sure to be immersed in the venue’s special atmosphere of art and culture no matter the reason for their visit. “A lot of our visitors have been to many of the larger, more sleek hotels and conference venues; they’ve tried the luxury, the spa and all that, but what they are missing is something genuine. We get a lot of guests who really enjoy the fact that there are so many artists in the house.

You see them working and it is always possible to get someone to play the piano if you want to gather and sing a song,” explains Olsen and adds: “Many of our guests remark that they sense a special presence and thoughtfulness here. When you book a top-end hotel, of course, you know that everything will work and so on, but you don’t get that special atmosphere. Here, everything works as well, but you also hear laughter in the hallways, people singing and whistling. It’s not something you pay for but it’s a part of what we offer. We have a very high level of professionalism in everything that we do: the art, the folk school and the conferences – it’s all

exceptionally professional. All the rest is just something extra.”

A place for everybody One of the reasons for the special atmosphere at Emmaus is the presence of a large number of volunteers from the local community. They help out with everything from picking apples to trimming the hedges and preserving fruit. “A lot of our guests really enjoy meeting our volunteers, many of whom are pensioners who enjoy a nice chat, and that really makes a difference to the atmosphere,” explains Olsen. She adds that the volunteers also represent the inclusivity and openness which she wants the place to encompass by including people from all faiths, ages and abilities. Another special feature of Emmaus is the beautiful surrounding grounds, which offer plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities and peaceful relaxation.

Below left: Artist Simon Aaen. Many of Emmaus’ guests enjoy meeting the resident artists who often live and work in the house and include painters as well as musicians, composers, writers and film directors. Below right: With its many rooms and green peaceful surroundings, the old folk school is the perfect place to reflect and connect.

ABOUT EMMAUS:

Emmaus is located in the heart of Haslev, a ten-minute walk from the town’s bus and train station.

As a non-profit fund, Emmaus donates profits to causes within arts, culture and the church.

Emmaus comprises 74 hotel rooms.

The building can facilitate conferences of up to 500 people.

Emmaus offers a range of folk school courses including handicraft, singing and literature.

In August, Emmaus offers a special ‘grandparents and grandchildren’ resort, in which seniors and children get to enjoy five days of fun with a combination of separate and joint activities.

In March this year, Olsen was awarded the local municipality, Faxe’s, Culture Award for her creativity, initiative and passion and for turning the old folk school into a “vibrant and warm hub for culture, humanity and joyfulness”.

For more information, please visit: www.galleri-emmaus.dk

Above: Daily manager and founder of Emmaus, Grethe Olsen, has dedicated the last 14 years to the restoration and revival of the old folk school. Working seven days a week, she describes her role as a lifestyle rather than a job.

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 75

Scan Magazine | Business | Calendar

Scandinavian Business Calendar Dinner at Snaps + Rye Listen to Ms Jacqueline Skött talk about Snaps + Rye’s concept while enjoying some complimentary welcome drinks and canapés before sitting down to enjoy a Nordic prawn cocktail, seared Aquavit-cured salmon, pork and veal frikadeller, liquorice ice cream and much more at this special Danish Club event.

Date and time: 12 July 6.30pm-10pm Venue: Snaps + Rye, 93 Golborne Road, Notting Hill, W10 5NL London www.danishclub.co.uk

Manchester Swedish language meet-up Looking to improve your Swedish, or perhaps just get the chance to use your native tongue and enjoy the melody of the language? This regular meet-up gives you the chance to do just that, with a mix of new and familiar faces, beginners and native speakers. Come and go as and when you like, but do RSVP to reserve a seat.

Date and time: 21 July 7pm Venue: Premier Inn Piccadilly, 72 Dale Street, M1 2HR Manchester 2_0_3C_Online_Advert_half_page_Layout 2 07/05/2015 www.coscan.org.uk

By Mette Hindkjær Madsen

Snaps + Rye

Nordic Drinks Every last Thursday of the month members and friends of the Finnish, Danish and Norwegian Chambers of Commerce in the UK gather for Nordic Drinks in a nice venue somewhere in central London. August’s drinks will kick off the autumn season and the drinks will be held at Fraser Suites Queens Gate. The first 50 guests get a free drink, so hurry up and get networking!

Date and time: 25 August 6pm-8pm Venue: Fraser Suites Queens Gate, 39B Queen’s Gate Garden, SW7 5RR London www.fbcc.co.uk 09:34 Page 1

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Scan Magazine | Inn of the Month | Denmark

Inn of the Month, Denmark

Wine, dine and recline in beautiful surroundings Last year, Christiansfeld became the sixth place in Denmark to be included on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. The little town’s beautifully maintained 18th century town centre is worth a visit in itself, not least because of its ‘honey cakes’ which get Danish mouths watering across the nation. Within easy reach of the ancient city of Kolding, Haderslev and LEGOLAND as well as the German border, Tyrstrup Kro and Hotel provides the perfect setting from which to explore the bountiful nature, beachy fjords and traditional southern Danish culture of Sønderjylland.

By Louise Older Steffensen | Photos: Tyrstrup Kro

“We’ve been the lucky owners of Tyrstrup Kro for 30 years,” says Torben Schulz.

“We wanted to create a modern, luxurious inn experience with gourmet food in beautiful, welcoming surroundings.”

Tyrstrup Kro certainly had the potential that Schulz and his wife Annette were looking for, having already served as an inn for 350 years. Through careful and loving restoration, the inn’s large rooms and quirky historical details have now been brought together under an impressive and immaculate thatched roof; and the inn’s 15 suites and 12 double rooms have been decorated individually with the same care and attention as the outside.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner opportunities abound with the inn featuring three atmospheric dining rooms, including the large ‘Jægerstuen’ dining hall adorned with historical features to recall the

our delicious ‘rødspætte’ (plaice); it’s always a great summer choice.”

With the inn easily available by public transport or car, Tyrstrup Kro offers the perfect stop-off point for Danes and other Scandinavians heading south and Germans and Beneluxians exploring the sandy beaches, beech forests and ancient cultural heritage that Jutland has to offer.

dining splendour of the past. “We’ve always been as invested in the food and wine as in the rest of Tyrstrup Kro,” Torben explains. “Whether you stay over or visit us for a great meal out, we do everything we can to provide you with a thoroughly positive and memorable experience in terms of both quality and service. The best thing we know is guests returning to us year after year.”

Tyrstrup offers both gourmet menus in various set combinations and an à la carte menu to suit any palate or age. A new chef moved from Paris to Tyrstrup in January, reinforcing the relationship between fine Danish classics and the world-renowned French kitchen and adding new and interesting dishes to the menu. “The excellent Danish dishes are still there,” Torben adds reassuringly. “At the moment, for example, I’d recommend

For more information, please visit: www.tyrstrupkro.dk

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 77

Scan Magazine | Wellness Profile of the Month | Denmark

Wellness Profile of the Month, Denmark

A different kind of wellbeing Holbæk Fjord Camping & Wellness offers you the luxury of a wellness treatment, but combined with a palette of other experiences.

By Nicolai Lisberg | Photos: Ole Dziegiel

Have you ever wanted to combine a wellness experience with an active holiday together with your family? If yes, Holbæk Fjord Camping & Wellness might just be the ideal place for you.

It is situated in scenic surroundings with beautiful views of Isefjord, the marina and golf course and offers its 78 | Issue 90 | July 2016

guests pampering in a small, cosy and unpretentious wellness house.

“At most big wellness places you won’t see couples bringing their kids, but here you can easily come as a family with children. The younger ones can also enjoy our wellness offers or play

with other kids at our big playground.

It’s not like at the big hotels where you have to tell your children that they can’t run in the hallways. Of course, people also come here to relax, but you can do that and still bring your family. I guess that’s what makes us different,” says Ole Dziegiel, the host at Holbæk Fjord Camping & Wellness.

For overnight stays you can rent cabins or bungalows; and though there is no breakfast buffet and you will have to

Scan Magazine | Wellness Profile of the Month | Denmark

prepare every meal for yourself, you will be served fruit and Champagne when purchasing a wellness treatment and either lunch or dinner at restaurant Vadestedet is included.

An active vacation The campsite boasts a heated, covered swimming pool, where the water is always 25 degrees, which is open all year round except during the winter. Next to the pool there is also an outdoor spa pool and a sauna, which can be used freely by overnight guests, and you will also find a wellness house with practitioners ready to offer you one of several wellness treatments. You can easily spend hours just relaxing and forgetting all about time and place, but if you only stay at the wellness area you will miss out on some of the many other things Holbæk Fjord Camping & Wellness has to offer.

“We try to inspire and encourage people to be a bit active when they are here. We have such beautiful surroundings, so it would be a shame not to utilise it. You can rent mountain bikes and go for a nice ride

in the beautiful nature; you can go fishing or kayaking or just walk along the beach.

We have the expertise here at our place to provide a tremendous experience, but there is a palette of other great things to do in and around Holbæk. We are more than just wellness,” says Dziegiel.

Not far from the campsite you also have the marina with a swimming bridge, an urban beach with soft sand and Søbadet Venedig, where you will find a threemetre diving board, a water slide, water trampoline and even a climbing wall.

Camping for everyone When you stay at Holbæk Fjord Camping & Wellness you get a discount at many of the nearby activities, such as the golf course, the amusement park Sommerland Sjælland, and Holbæk Museum. “Obviously, we don’t force our guests to get out and about, but we do encourage it,” says Dziegiel. “Our experience is that our guests like to combine the wellness experience with something else, and they like the entire atmosphere around here. It is much

more relaxed and unpretentious than other places, and I believe that is one of the main reasons why so many of our guests return year after year.”

While many of the guests come for the wellness experience, some come for the camping alone. Every year, Holbæk Fjord Camping & Wellness welcomes around 10,000 guests to its family-friendly campsite. “Camping is for everybody, as the old slogan goes, and this also applies to Holbæk Fjord Camping & Wellness,” Dziegiel insists. “At the camping ground everybody is equal, CEO or labourer, city slicker or farmer, whether you live in a caravan or a cabin, are staying overnight or just visiting for the day. No one can tell the difference, everyone is equal, and those who want to enjoy themselves ‘over the hedge’ do so – and those who want to be themselves and just relax, well, they do so too.”

For more information, please visit: www.holbaekfjord.dk

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 79

Hotel of the Month, Norway

Destination gourmet Located in Kvinesdal valley in the southern part of Norway, Bølgen & Moi Utsikten Hotel is the personal achievement to co-owner Trond Moi who grew up in the area.

The award-winning chef has competed and won at national and international level, including the prestigious Bocuse d’Or.

a gourmet restaurant, Utsikten Hotel offers a destination that lives up to the concept.

By Maria Lanza Knudsen | Photos: Peder Austrud

“The heart of the hotel is the kitchen, and the aim is to ensure that all food preparation is pure, healthy and mainly from local produce,” Moi explains. “That’s my inspiration.” All dishes, therefore, are prepared from scratch with no additives.

To achieve this, the hotel has herb and fruit gardens and a good local sourcing network for other products – as well as a regiment of chefs that are passionate about their art.

“One of my lifelong dreams has been to return to my hometown and establish a gourmet hotel,” says Moi. “A place where the emphasis is on good food, good drink and good company.”

Destination view The hotel has 85 comfortable rooms, 24 of which are suites with balconies facing the spectacular view of the fjord. It is also the country’s first motel, which adds a sense of uniqueness. “We are not just 80 | Issue 90 | July 2016

a place of accommodation,” Per Kristian Nystad, the general manager, explains.

“We are a destination.”

Bølgen & Moi are renowned for their restaurants across the country. Their concept has always been about the discovery of experiences and tastes, while offering a sense of playfulness and engagement in the process. From panoramic views and a golf course next door, to a house filled with art and

Gourmet delights

Besides the legendary Sunday brunch, it is perhaps the gourmet weekend package

Scan Magazine | Hotel of the Month | Norway

that attracts the most visitors. For just 990 NOK (approximately £88), guests get to enjoy a five-course gourmet dinner and one night’s accommodation. Cooking courses by the renowned Norwegian chef Trond Moi are also a crowd pleaser. The hotel has kitchen facilities that cater to cooking classes so that guests can not only learn to make culinary delights but also enjoy the fruits of their efforts. A well-stocked wine cellar is of course on offer and careful selection is made for every meal.

“We’re a destination that can accommodate all types of arrangements,” Nystad says. “Food and cocktail courses are frequently hosted at the hotel but we also have facilities to host conferences and workshops, as well as parties, festivities and live music.” Indeed, outdoor concerts at the hotel’s amphitheatre are

recurrent on summer evenings, with the hotel offering packages that include accommodation, the concert and a gourmet dinner. The amphitheatre is also a beautiful location for weddings.

From art to golf Art lovers are sure to appreciate the focus on art and the little art museum the hotel hosts. The hotel’s walls are covered with artwork with rotating exhibitions profiling different artists. The current exhibit is by the 84-year-old renowned artist Leiv Knibestol, displaying a unique journey through all the artistic periods during his lifetime. The art museum, meanwhile, has a permanent exhibition by the artist Marcelius Førland, who lived in the area.

Combining a weekend away with a round of golf is a great draw for golf enthusiasts. The 18-hole golf course

is located adjacent to the hotel and has great views of the beautiful surroundings of the Kvinesdal fjord. “We just want our guests to have a fantastic experience,” Nystad says. “Utsikten Hotel offers a fun combination of relaxation and calm coupled with good vibes and a bit of crazy.

Nothing is impossible here!”

Only an hour and a half from Kristiansand and two hours from Stavanger, the hotel is far enough away from city life to offer guests the calm of nature while remaining conveniently close to enjoy. The hotel was fully renovated in 2009 and was acquired by the famous duo Bølgen & Moi, who own a selection of gourmet establishments across Norway, in 2015.

For more information, please visit: www.utsikten.no

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 81

The Hall is Restaurant Næsbyhoved Skov’s largest event room, perfect for weddings and other big celebrations.

Restaurant of the Month, Denmark

A place to celebrate life’s big and small events For more than a hundred years Restaurant Næsbyhoved Skov has been the place to dine, celebrate and get together for all of Funen. The restaurant, which is beautifully located by the Odense Canal, has been brought back to its glory days by gourmet chef Morten Hansen, who has combined the venue’s traditional charm and beautiful nature with modern cuisine and refreshed interiors.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Restaurant Næsbyhoved Skov

In 1994, Morten Hansen, then a young trainee chef at Restaurant Næsbyhoved Skov, was dreaming about one day realising the full potential of the slightly timeworn but beautiful old establishment.

Many might have nurtured the same dream but, 20 years on, the gourmet chef is doing exactly that. “Back in my trainee days, Restaurant Næsbyhoved Skov was a traditional party venue serving a very classic ‘soup, roast and ice cream’ menu, but the location right next to the forest 82 | Issue 90 | July 2016

and water is amazing, so I always thought it had potential for something great. I dreamt about coming back and updating it to become the city’s best events and wedding venue, but I never really thought it would be possible because it is such a big place; it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I just feel incredibly lucky and privileged,” says the chef. In the time after his traineeship at Restaurant Næsbyhoved Skov, Hansen built up a solid reputation in the food world,

working in well-known establishments and, for the last ten years, running his own gourmet restaurant in Odense.

Tradition and change Restaurant Næsbyhoved Skov has been owned and, up until 2013 when Hansen took over, run by four generations of the same family since its establishment in 1896. It is a venue highly revered by people from all over Funen, who have celebrated life’s big events on its premises for generations. Hence, when Hansen took over the management, he was faced with both high expectations and concerns. “The first year, I had daily comments from people who worried that I would ruin the place, make it too fancy and out of reach for ordinary people,” explains Hansen. “But after a year or

Scan Magazine | Restaurant of the Month | Denmark

so, everyone saw that what we had done had not ruined the place and its charm at all, but rather improved and highlighted it. All of a sudden people realised that, at the same prices as earlier, they got a beautiful gourmet restaurant with nicely arranged platters.”

In the hands of gourmet chef Morten Hansen, Restaurant Næsbyhoved Skov’s traditional charm has been successfully combined with modern cuisine.

Today, the kitchen at Restaurant Næsbyhoved Skov serves a mouthwatering menu of classic Danish dishes with a twist, including recomposed versions of many of the traditional dishes previously served.

Celebrating life’s big events With nine different event rooms, a beautiful setting and highly service-minded management, Restaurant Næsbyhoved Skov is the perfect place to celebrate all of life’s big, and small, events. The establishment’s nine rooms vary in size, shape and style from a small but elegant two to 12-person dining room to the big hall, a stylish dinner and party room complete with chandeliers, a dance floor and its own bar. Most rooms offer stunning panoramic views of Odense harbour and the surrounding greenery and some have access to private terraces. Thus, no matter what the occasion is, or how big the party, Restaurant Næsbyhoved Skov will add an extra dimension to the event, promises the restaurateur. “All the way back from my trainee years, I remember Restaurant Næsbyhoved Skov as a very special place. It has its own soul and story, and it has always added an extra touch to the day when celebrating a special occasion here.”

FACTS: Restaurant Næsbyhoved Skov comprises nine event rooms, the biggest of which seats 140 dinner guests.

The whole building can be booked for events for up to 300 people.

The restaurant is located by the Odense Canal, two kilometres from Odense city centre.

Restaurant Næsbyhoved Skov is open for à la carte lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Saturday 11.30am-2pm and 5.30pm-9.30pm, and Sunday for brunch 10am-1pm.

For more information, please visit: www.naesbyhovedskov.dk

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 83

Restaurant of the Month, Norway

Mixing international tapas flavours with gems from the Norwegian sea Tapas on the south coast of Norway? You may be a tad surprised to hear about the restaurant opening in Risør this April. But in just two months, Buene-S22 has showed everyone that fabulous tapas can indeed find their way outside of Spain, thanks to innovative twists with Asian spices and freshly caught seafood.

By Helene Toftner | Photos: Buene-S22

Buene-S22 opened its doors in April to great anticipation from the locals in the seaside town of Risør. But many were surprised to see a menu full of tapas dishes, as the town is famous for its great seafood and traditional Norwegian cuisine. This is not just any old tapas restaurant, but rather a love declaration for food from around the world, mixed with the best of local ingredients. “We wanted to bring the best of home and 84 | Issue 90 | July 2016

away together,” says head chef and owner Daniel Drake.

Together with his family he took over the venue last year and, after intense renovations, they finally opened in the last few months. The setting in the idyllic town of Risør is a much sought after summer destination, characterised by white sea huts in the harbour. While traditionally used by locals to store goods and

fishing equipment, these are immensely popular for housing restaurants and bars and, for some lucky people, as private residences. Buene-S22, as it happens, is the original name of the sea house now turned into the restaurant. “We have kept the traditional charm but upgraded the menu,” Drake explains.

The story behind the food It is said that the best food is cooked with love, and that is exactly what Drake is doing. While he would love for visitors to try the whole menu, he points to the BBQ pork neck as an absolute must-have.

Marinated in a Korean spiced sauce, it is a delight for the taste buds. “Growing up in Berlin, I had a Korean neighbour, or

Scan Magazine | Restaurant of the Month | Norway

auntie as I would call her. Every summer she would bring marinated pork neck for our barbeques, which I absolutely loved.

So when I opened Buene-S22 it was something I really wanted to share with the diners,” he says, admitting that it was a struggle to get his hands on the recipe.

“It took two long years of hard convincing before she revealed to me what the secret ingredients were!” he laughs.

Another must-try is the Scampi à la plancha with garlic purée and parsley.

“It is a sophisticated take on a traditional dish,” says the chef. Other classics include tortilla de patata and serrano ham, while pommes croquettes with smoked haddock and maki crêpe with salmon are interpretations of Norwegian produce. “In the months we have been open, customers have been amazed by the fun and innovative menu, and also by our service. As a family business we are all highly involved with the whole restaurant and we love what we do,” Drake says.

Mixing international flavours Drake himself is originally from Germany and has a long career in the restaurant

business behind him, including work at Michelin-star restaurants as well as mountain resorts in Germany, the US and Norway. As such, it is hardly surprising that Buene-S22 is a tapas restaurant out of the ordinary. “It is tapas in that we serve small sharing plates, but we find inspiration in food from around the world,” says Drake.

While the inspiration may be global, the produce is predominantly local. The restaurant is quite literally next door to the sea, so they are always provided with fresh seafood, while meat and vegetables are sourced from the surrounding farms.

“The menu changes according to season, apart from a few permanent dishes,” Drake says, adding that they often pick berries and herbs themselves. “It is a lovely outing in the forest.”

Buene-S22 is located in Risør, one and a half hours from Kristiansand and three hours from Oslo.

For more information and to book a table, please visit: www.buene-s22.no

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 85

Attraction of the Month, Denmark

Learning by exploring and playing Situated on the dinosaur-shaped island of Als in Denmark, Universe Science Park is a place of discovery for families with children of all ages. Here they can explore all the joys of the scientific world through playing and interacting with the attractions and characters in the park.

By Josefine Older Steffensen | Photos: Universe

they are doing so. “Learning through play is a vital part of growing up. It’s so much fun seeing how the children interact with everything we have in the park. You can see their eyes light up as soon as they start to explore,” says Kirsten Veje, PR and event manager at Universe.

Building your own rocket might seem like something reserved only for NASA employees, but at Universe you can build it, fly it and try to beat the record for the longest flight of the day. Before you do that, you might enjoy a quick trip on a Segway, meet the park’s resident, Pixeline, or explore the geological wonders of the Blue Cube.

A science park

Universe creates a fun environment where children can learn about science and the planet, without even realising

Jørgen Mads Clausen, the director of Danfoss, had long had a wish to create a science park that would get kids involved in science and innovation from an early

86 | Issue 90 | July 2016

age. In 2000, when he went to the EXPO in Hannover and saw Iceland’s Blue Cube, both he and his wife were sold, quite literally. The 28-metre-tall Blue Cube shows the geological wonders of Iceland, including an ice walkthrough and a spewing geyser. They decided to bring the huge box back with them and thus the foundation for Universe was put in place.

Since then the park has grown and developed to fulfil Clausen’s ultimate wish of creating a space where you are allowed to pull things apart, put them back together and see science happening at your fingertips. “The park is a place for exploring. We have the permanent attractions and throughout the year we have about 30 event days including music

Scan Magazine | Attraction of the Month | Denmark

days, nature days and theatre festivals, so there’s always something going on,” explains Veje.

behind the park used to work for Queen Ingrid, the Danish Queen’s mother. His meticulous gardening means a wide range of flowers and plants shape the attractions, giving the park a unique and beautiful setting.

A complete day out The park has grown to encompass a huge amount of attractions and different areas, meaning the whole family will be entertained for hours on end. You can start the day with a morning Segway tour on Europe’s first Segway course or by competing with your homemade rocket.

Then go and burn off some energy at Pixelineland together with Denmark’s favourite children’s computer game character, Pixeline. You can meet her and play interactive games on one of the 24 screens or explore the city where she lives, which includes two fantastic playgrounds.

Flying a drone could be next on the list, with the specially built drone course where you steer around geometrical shapes, avoid objects and score extra points for landing safely. For a bit of background knowledge about the park and Danfoss in general, head to the Danfoss museum where you can learn fun facts about Danfoss, its founder Mads Clausen, and his wife Bitten.

Energylab is the place to learn about pumping oil, collecting gasses and renewables, such as wind energy and wave power. If you want to find out

“You’re allowed to taste some of the plants; we have a lot of fruit and vegetables. We also have a huge selection of carnivorous plants, so watch your fingers,” Veje smiles.

about the nature of your intelligence, at least according to psychologist Howard Gardner, then challenge your family to numerous mind games at Explorama.

You can have a bit of a rest from all the activities while watching the Science Show, showcasing fun experiments and huge explosions. For those full of beans, there is a natural playground to burn off some energy.

Universe really embodies its name by allowing visitors big and small to explore everything our wonderful universe has to offer. See your children’s eyes light up as they see a geyser spew water 18 metres into the air, or when they connect the dots about energy production and consumption. A day trip to Universe is a fantastic adventure into the world of science.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION:

“It’s a great place because there’s something for all ages, so you can bring the whole family along. It really becomes a day of exploring for everyone and, without realising it, you’re learning all these new fantastic things!” Veje continues.

Natural beauty Universe is set in one of Denmark’s most beautiful flower parks. The gardener

The park is open from March to October. See more about opening hours and special events on www.universe.dk Prices: Adults and children from 12 years, 195 DKK; children aged four to 11, 180 DKK. Address: Mads Patent Vej 1, 6430 Nordborg, Denmark.

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 87

Scan Magazine | Attraction of the Month | Iceland

Photo: Eldhestar

Photo: Birgit Gudjonsdottir.

Photo: Birgit Gudjonsdottir.

Attraction of the Month, Iceland

For the brave and the bath lovers – riding to volcanoes and valleys A 30-minute drive from Reykjavík, located on a beautiful plain just off the main ring road, you will find Eldhestar (‘Volcano horses’), a beautifully furnished countryside hotel and conference venue offering a variety of riding tours. Close to Eldhestar is the small town of Hveragerði, a friendly and flowery town built around and upon hot springs.

By Ingunn Huld Sævarsdóttir

Starting out in 1986 as a hobby of two brothers and their friend, Eldhestar has grown steadily ever since. All year round they offer full and half-day trips, the northern lights tours being the most popular in the autumn and winter. Since Hótel Eldhestar is located in a rural area, light pollution is not a problem; and if visitors are not searching for the northern lights while horseback riding, they could very well be watching them from the hotel’s outside hot tubs.

Close to Eldhestar is the literal hot spot Reykjadalur, a very popular tourist attraction. Reykjadalur (‘valley of smoke’) does what it says on the tin. It is a valley people hike to from Hveragerði town.

88 | Issue 90 | July 2016

A stream runs through the valley and at particular spots hot streams come running into it, making it the perfect temperature to relax in weather on a cold winter’s evening or on an almostwarm Icelandic summer day. “This valley was the main inspiration for starting Eldhestar,” says CEO Hróðmar Bjarnason. “That, along with the beaches near to Þorlákshöfn, Ingólfsfjall mountain and Reykjafell mountain.”

Eldhestar also offers combination tours in collaboration with others, including Riding and Gullfoss, Geysir and Thingvellir and Horses and Puffins.

Among the longer trips offered are tours on the Snæfellsnes peninsula, the hub of

Jules Verne’s A Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and a riding trip to the Hekla volcano. The company is also unique in offering the Sprengisandur trip, a tour of the ancient route across Iceland between glaciers on a highland plateau and through the desert wilderness. Icelandic children love the dramatic song about Sprengisandur.

“With the location in the countryside, Eldhestar is a fantastic place for meetings and conferences,” says Bjarnason, “and groups also come to learn about the Icelandic horse and its gaits as well as watching a live horseshow.”

The friends and brothers who founded Eldhestar 30 years ago are still the ones running this growing adventure; and it sounds like they are holding the reins quite well indeed.

For more information, please visit: www.eldhestar.is

Scan Magazine | Activity of the Month | Denmark

Ceili dancing. Photo: Claus Gølitz.

Photo: Charlotte Jacobsen.

Danú, Goiste, Jackie Daly and Matt Crannich playing at the 2015 instalment of the Copenhagen Irish Festival. Photo: Claus Gølitz.

Ceili dancing. Photo: Claus Gølitz.

Activity of the Month, Denmark

Traditional Irish music and craic – in the heart of Copenhagen “It was a complete accident that I ended up here,” says Martin O’Hare, professional bodhrán player and programmer of the Copenhagen Irish Festival. He is just about to put the finishing touches to what will become this year’s buzzing programme, full to the brim with songs, tunes and dance.

By Linnea Dunne

“I was born in Belfast and grew up in County Down, went travelling and spent time in France, Germany and Sweden and, by pure chance when passing through, got the opportunity to start work in Copenhagen,” says O’Hare. “35 years later, I’m still here.”

In 1978, a weekend of Scottish, English and Irish folk music was arranged for the first time by local band Scrumpy at a small Copenhagen venue called Vognhjulet (‘the Wagon Wheel’). Word spread and expectations grew year on year, but ahead of its ten-year anniversary the festival found itself facing a crossroads.

“That’s when I ended up in Copenhagen, so I decided to try to save the festival,” O’Hare explains. The event was extended from two days to four and moved to a

city centre location, and in addition it got itself a new name: the Copenhagen Irish Festival. “The profile of the festival grew quickly; we had people coming from all over the place, and people kept coming back.”

Having travelled the world with a number of trad bands, including as part of the Riverdance orchestra, O’Hare is as passionate about the music as he is about the atmosphere they create. “A lot of people travel not just for the concerts but to join the jam sessions,” he explains.

“Getting together, that’s the heart of it.

A lot of the artists get off stage and go straight to the sessions.”

While providing a platform for new, Irish bands is a part of O’Hare’s mission, the Copenhagen Irish Festival is known for

high-quality and now-famous bands who have been on previous years’ bills, such as Altan, Dervish, Danú, Lúnasa, De Dannan, Paul Brady and Sharon Shannon.

If you like jigs, reels, ceili dancing and you want to get the chance to experience the best musicians, dancers and singers out there, what better way to spend a dark November night in Copenhagen than at a world-class Irish trad festival?

THE COPENHAGEN IRISH FESTIVAL 7-8 November 2016 Sponsors of the festival include Guinness and Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, so you can be sure of the chance to say ‘sláinte’.

‘Craic’: good fun ‘Sláinte’: good health (cheers)

For more information, please visit: www.irishfestival.dk, and for regular updates like the festival on Facebook: www.facebook.com/copenhagen. irish.festival

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 89

The Shakespeare Festival will see a string of events and performances take place at the beautiful Kronborg Castle, the home of Hamlet. Photo: Rolf Konow.

Experience of the Month, Denmark

To be, or not to be in Elsinore As the world celebrates the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, HamletScenen presents a spectacular programme of world-class performances set in the very home of Hamlet, Kronborg Castle. The beautiful renaissance castle in Elsinore, Denmark, has one of the world’s longest Shakespeare traditions and that, together with the playwright’s anniversary, is celebrated with a three-week-long Shakespeare festival in August.

By Signe Hansen

To be, or not to be watching Shakespeare in Elsinore this summer – that is the question. Never has the opportunity to experience an enactment of the English playwright in the historic settings of his most famous play, Hamlet, been better.

The resident theatre at Kronborg Castle, HamletScenen, is not just celebrating the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death but also 200 years since the first staging of a Shakespeare play at the castle. The productions, which 90 | Issue 90 | July 2016

take place in a magical courtyard of the UNESCO World Heritage Site castle, include a spectacular set-up of some of the best Shakespeare productions from all over the world.

“Our artistic director, Lars Romann Engel, is always looking to present the best contemporary new Shakespeare productions from all over the world.

However, a very important deciding factor is that it has to be a production that will

work outside as all performances take place in the castle courtyard of Hamlet’s home,” explains HamletScenen’s communications manager, Camilla Høg, and adds: “It’s a very authentic experience: the performance begins in daylight and the whole area contributes to the atmosphere. You can hear the seagulls above the castle, the waves when its windy, and every half an hour the bell tower strikes.

You are sat right in the midst of the story.” Before the play, visitors can enjoy a relaxed picnic on the castle mounds.

Hamlet’s castle in Elsinore In 1604, Shakespeare published the final version of his pioneering renaissance tragedy, a story about the Danish prince, Hamlet. Shakespeare set the story, which was based on an ancient Danish legend about honour killings, at Denmark’s

Scan Magazine | Experience of the Month | Denmark

famous renaissance castle, Kronborg Castle. But whether the playwright had himself been at Kronborg or not remains a mystery, says Høg. “A lot of people have assumed that Shakespeare must have been to the castle, but in reality it’s probably not likely. It’s one of those things where we will never know, and maybe that’s the way it should be. But we do know that there were a few actors in Shakespeare’s theatre ensemble who had worked at the castle before becoming part of his troupe, and they might have been the source of his knowledge about the interiors customs and other details of life at Kronborg.”

Playing Shakespeare in Kronborg While most other Shakespeare traditions have been going for around 100 years, the first production was staged at Kronborg in 1816. Back then the castle was a military base and the soldiers in the regiment decided to stage a version of Hamlet to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. Since then, plays have been taking place regularly and, since 1916, they have been staged yearly.

“We have a very loyal audience from all over Europe who come to experience Shakespeare in this unique setting, which allows them to hear the words written

by Shakespeare in the home of Hamlet.

That’s also why we have, throughout the years, had success in attracting some of the biggest theatre companies to our stage; it is a special experience for the actors and audience alike,” says Høg.

Among the many stars to have performed Shakespeare at Kronborg are Richard Burton, Jude Law and, perhaps most famously, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh who, after performing together as Hamlet and Ophelia in 1937, fell straight in love and became one of the theatre world’s most iconic couples. “We have an amazing history to live up to, but that’s one of the things that makes it so exciting to be here for everyone, actors and audience alike,” Høg stresses.

All performances at Shakespeare Festival at Hamlet’s Castle take place outside in the courtyard of Kronborg Castle.

The theatre seats 600 guests.

Guests can pre-order delicious Shakespeare-themed picnic boxes: a Hamlet Box for a savoury snacks, an Ophelia Box for sweet snacks and the Shakespeare Box for a full meal.

For more information, please visit: www.hamletscenen.dk

PROGRAMME FOR THE SUMMER OF 2016: 1-3 August 8pm Measure for Measure Cheek by Jowl and Pushkin Theatre, Moscow (UK/RUS) 4-6 August 6.30pm and 8pm Giulio Cesare/Societas Raffaello Sanzio (IT) In cooperation with Passage Festival, Rudolph Tegners Museum and Gribskov Teater 5-7 August 8pm Measure for Measure Cheek by Jowl and Pushkin Theatre (UK/RUS) 8-9 August 8pm Hamlet: Who’s there?

Flute Theatre (UK) 10-14 August 8pm The Two Gentlemen of Verona Shakespeare’s Globe (UK) 15 August 9pm Hamlet Laurence Olivier/Open Air Cinema (DK/UK) 16-20 August 8pm Hamlet in Absentia Nordic Opera 21 August 8pm Shakespeare in Concert Frans Rasmussen with Helsingborg Symfoniorkester and guests

Left: Guests can enjoy a unique atmosphere and experience at the historic Kronborg Castle. Photo: Jacob Christian Hansen. Above: The Shakespeare Festival will include an open-air cinema screening of Laurence Olivier’s performance as Hamlet. Photo: Gary Calton. Bottom: The Shakespeare Festival will include Hamlet Who’s There? by the British Flute Theatre. Photo: Andrés de Gabrie.

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 91

Scan Magazine | Humour | Columns

IS IT JUST ME… Or is it that time again? It is as sure as rain in July and Wham’s Last Christmas on the radio in December.

By Mette Lisby This is the time of year when my friends on Facebook, who happen to be parents to what are usually described as “lazy, idle, indolent, slothful, work-shy, shiftless, inactive, underactive, sluggish, lethargic, remiss, negligent, slack, lax, lackadaisical, sleepy and impossibleto-get-out-of-bed” kids (yes, I looked up most of those words which, by the way, these kids are too lazy to do), leap into advertising mode to brag endlessly about their kids and the apparently surprising fact, for the parents, that their children have passed their school exams.

Every day from the beginning of June to the end of the month, one Einstein after another seems to get nothing but top grades in their finals, and their parents are jubilant. Post after post of the young geniuses are triumphantly being shared on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, even Myspace (if the parents are a bit out of touch), for all of us to see. “Look! My kid is wearing a graduation cap and having a glass of Champagne while holding a red rose!”

Secretly I think most of these parents are impressed just by the sheer fact that their indolent kids are awake for once.

Don’t get me wrong; it is great to see these kids succeed. But I also know that, come July, all of my friends will be back to complaining that their kids sleep the day away, that they have not been heard from or even left their room since they got back from the Roskilde Festival five days earlier.

And then there is the clamouring about the holidays, where these kids seem to be in completely different time zones compared to the rest of the family: the younger generation awake all night long and sleeping on the beach all day, and the parents nagging about the youngsters being ‘too tired’ to do even the slightest bit of sightseeing.

Aaaaah, summertime on Facebook! As predictable as me complaining about it.

Independent

By Maria Smedstad

I was raised to be an independent sort of person. My parents – although highly supportive – have always allowed me to get on with my own thing. Like the time when I received my A-level results, and my dad distractedly glanced at the certificate and remarked: “Wasn’t the thing you just did called A-levels? I thought that meant you got all As at the end…?”

When it came to finding suitable accommodation for university, I was likewise left to my own devices. I drove from Kent to Cornwall in my rusty old Citroen 2cv and holed up in a terrible B&B on the seafront. I felt pretty grown up, drinking cider in a fisherman’s pub and writing awful poetry in my sketchbook, but secretly I was nervous. The only item on the breakfast menu that I dared touch was the prepacked German cheese.

In the morning of the first flat viewing I went for a stroll around town, feeling braver. I had

92 | Issue 90 | July 2016

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

I walked into the first viewing utterly dejected and embarrassed, signing the first piece of paper thrust at me. And what a lucky thing it was. The flat was a hovel but the strangers I moved in with are still my friends today. Mum and dad were pleased I had found a place.

However, moving my belongings 300 miles south-west was left to the independent person to get on with.

not spent a lot of time on the British coast and decided to wander along the beach. I found the Cornish sea stunning in all its turquoise glory, compared to the black waters of Sweden.

Sadly, I forgot there is such a thing as a tide.

Naturally, I got cornered and had to scale a wall to get out, my nice flat-viewing skirt soaked to the waist.

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

Scan Magazine | Culture | Robert Wells

Sincerely, Robert Wells To the people of Sweden as well as thousands of fans across the globe, he is a charming composer, performer and piano virtuoso with a whiff of ‘90s fashion about him. Scan Magazine spoke to Robert Wells, the man behind the Rhapsody in Rock concert tour, and found a keen educator and unlikely diplomat behind the boogiewoogie façade.

By Linnea Dunne | Press photos

“It would do many politicians a great deal of good to go on a tour bus and learn to cooperate, listen to each other, to reconcile and communicate,” says Robert Wells, the Swedish pianist and composer with the trademark dark-brown, shoulder-length mop of hair and cheeky smile. He is not a bad spokesperson at

all, it seems, for the mentality so deeply cherished by so many Swedes, highly principled yet pragmatic.

Hard work and sincerity Wells was only 21 when he started as bandleader with iconic Swedish singer Barbro ‘Lill-Babs’ Svensson for her

show at Stockholm’s Hamburger Börs, having insisted that he wanted a solo every night. “I’d graduated from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm the previous year and worked as a session musician for four years by then, so she gave me a huge chance,” he says. “LillBabs is one of those people you just learn immensely from. It’s the kind of stuff they don’t teach you in school: how to behave, to really care about the people you work with, that you shouldn’t just pose but that being a musician is about so much more.” Today, he says, he only works with people who will pick up the phone themselves to speak to him; he will not Issue 90 | July 2016 | 93

Scan Magazine | Culture | Robert Wells

deal with agents. “You have to be yourself and not hide behind some tough attitude or put on a mask. Sincerity is everything – you have to be with others the way you want them to be with you.”

There is a no-nonsense quality to the Swedish pianist, not only in what he says but also in how he says it. This is something he talks about during the lecturing tours on the theme of entrepreneurship he is part of; and it has also shaped Wells Academy, a music summer camp that is taking place for the fifth year this summer. “It’s super tough,” says Wells. “You rehearse and rehearse and rehearse – it’s all about self-discipline.

I’m trying to offer the students the same presence I got as a young student when my piano teacher would sit with me for hours listening to vinyl records. That’s very much needed today; there’s an awful lot of mollycoddling going on.” At the same time, he says, he sometimes comes across students – especially in China – who are so talented it is almost frightening, and they need a different kind of support. “It’s all very technical, and it’s not music unless you play with your heart and your soul – then it’s pointless.”

Precocious child prodigy Wells comes from a family of journalists, but even though he did give the writing

a chance at one stage and even had his own music column in one of the big dailies for a while, there was never any doubt about what he was going to do with his life. “I was seven and a half years old when I decided that I was going to be a professional musician, I remember it vividly. And I’ve never doubted it since,” he says. As such, being dubbed a child prodigy was just a natural part of his everyday life. “I was extremely precocious and went to Adolf Fredrik’s Music School.

I had private lessons in classical music and it was all kind of mapped out for me.”

But while the classical training came easily to the young Wells, he quickly found that there was more to music than reading sheet music and following every note. He was a 16-year-old working class boy when he first started at the Royal College of Music, accepted as the number one applicant for the popular course. Surrounded by hits produced by Elton John, Abba, Earth Wind & Fire, AC/ DC and Status Quo, he went out to play in pubs and bars in the evenings to pay the rent – and he suddenly became aware of the distinctions in certain circles between good and bad music. “That’s when I realised that people were trying to tell me what was nice and what wasn’t, and it drove me crazy – I didn’t want to opt out of all of that!” he explains. “Rhapsody in

Rock was a backlash against that kind of worldview.”

Classical music meets boogie-woogie Rhapsody in Rock, Wells’ very own concert tour, is a genre-busting live show marrying classical music with rock and boogie-woogie. The first ever show took place in 1989, but it took until 1998 for the concept to become the huge success it is known as today. Close to two million people have now been to a Rhapsody in Rock live show, with more than 500 concerts having taken place throughout Scandinavia, the US, China, England, Germany and Russia. Stars including Carola Häggström, Charlie Norman, Tito Beltran and Nanne Grönvall have joined the tour. Thanks to the show, Wells has become a household name in Sweden and a regular on TV shows such as Så ska det låta (a Swedish take on Ireland’s The Lyrics Board) and the iconic Allsång på Skansen.

This year, in addition to his wife, singer Maria Wells, and around 90 other artists and musicians, superstar Michael Bolton will join the show which visits a number of different locations throughout Sweden later this month. “It’ll be huge, completely hysterical!” Wells laughs.

“I’m a bit stubborn and obviously insist that we have to tour with a full orchestra

Clockwise from the left: Wells at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing; the Wells Academy; Wells with Charlie Norman; Robert and Maria Wells.

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Scan Magazine | Culture | Robert Wells

Robert Wells in Beijing.

Tireless and in good health

is a slightly more recent addition to his routine. After a four-hour show in 2002, he suffered heart problems that led to him having to take beta blockers for a month, and he realised that simply abstaining from drinking alcohol was not enough.

“The foundation of the classical music and the technique is everything – without that, there’s no way I could keep going for three hours without getting tired,” he says. “But anyway, after that incident I decided to start taking exercise seriously so now I book all my hotels based on their vicinity to a nice park or a good gym. One of my proudest achievements was just recently, actually, when I competed the GöteborgsVarvet Half Marathon!”

A non-drinker and keen runner, Wells shrugs at the idea of retirement. “Sorry, how do you spell that?” he laughs.

Winding down in hotel bars was never his thing, he insists, but the running

Age is but a number and size does not matter. If his health routine is anything to go by, Wells will keep playing and wowing audiences around the globe. “Charlie

with strings and the whole shebang. You could of course make it easy for yourself, but I don’t like easy.” At the same time, he says that he has vowed not to work away the summers moving forward, so while Rhapsody in Rock requires endless planning he will also take some welldeserved time off in addition to plenty of radio work and press. “We’re promoting two albums: the re-release of my Piano Concertos, and my wife’s new album For the Love, a collection of songs based on lyrics written by author Camilla Läckberg – an album I’ve also produced,” he explains.

Norman was 70 when I started playing with him, Jojje Wadenius is 71, Janne Schaffer is about the same. In sports, you retire early; in music, you only get better with age – you gain an inner calm,” he says. “The most important thing is to get to play. A club in Soho can be just as cool as a gigantic football stadium. I want people to feel good when they come to see me play – and I want to feel good too.”

Robert Wells is coming to London on 1011 August to play two shows at the Jazz Club Soho with his trio and special guest Maria Wells. For more information, please see www.pizzaexpresslive.com

For information on dates, locations and tickets for Rhapsody in Rock, please visit www.rhapsodyinrock.se

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 95

Scan Magazine | Culture Profile | Loppeforum

‘It’s just like going on a treasure hunt’ Loppeforum is a modern flea market where you can sell your old possessions or find retro and antique objects for a bargain.

By Nicolai Lisberg | Photos: Loppeforum

If you have just finished cleaning up the garage or the attic and you have a few old items you want to sell, you might want to consider Loppeforum. It is a modern flea market where you will get all the help you need to sell your things.

“You can rent a stand for almost as long as you want, and we will then provide you with price tags and alarms and offer you advice on what the asking price should be. We try to help make the stand look appealing, but we don’t interfere with what the customers want to sell. There is no minimum of objects required and all stand owners have a turnover.

Usually you will have a profit after just a week if you rent a stand for a month,” 96 | Issue 90 | July 2016

says Tine Jonassen, who is in charge of streamlining the stores.

The employees at Loppeforum will sell your items for you and keep the stand tidy, but they recommend that you come by the store once a week to fill up the shelves.

Except for the recently opened store in Copenhagen and the one in Odense, where there are waiting lists, it is always possible to find a stand right away.

Treasure hunting Not only individuals can sell their things at the flea market. Loppeforum also has quite a few antique stores renting a space on a monthly basis. “Some people rent for just a week while others rent a

stand for months. That means that there is always something new on the shelves, which is why coming here is just like going on a treasure hunt. You can find everything from old Bang & Olufsen radios from the ‘60s to antique bowls, jewellery and brand new fishing rods,” says Jonassen and adds with a smile: “There is a reason why I spent half my salary at Loppeforum.”

Loppeforum has six locations in Denmark, but the variety of things you can find attracts collectors from as far as Germany, Belgium and Holland. The stores are open every day 10am to 6pm, and during the summertime the markets move outside.

For more information, please visit: www.loppeforum.dk

Scan Magazine | Culture | Mosstock Festival / Saksild Strand Camping

Experience music and community at Denmark’s biggest allotment

By Susan Hansen | Photos: Mosstock Festival

The Mosstock Festival celebrates music in the community with scenic surroundings in the outskirts of Skanderborg, near Denmark’s mountain Himmelbjerget, providing the perfect setting. The country’s oldest festival has been going since 1971 after its founder, Niels Godrum, saw a film about Woodstock. He wanted to create a platform where music could really thrive.

Event manager Sarah Nicole Ravnholdt Nielsen has been involved since the age of six. Her parents worked at the festival and she showed an interest and later joined the team. “At Mosstock we are one big family; whether you are a co-worker or one of the festival goers doesn’t matter. There is always someone to hang out with and enjoy music or a beer with,” she says.

The camping site takes inspiration from a Danish collective estate. “We talk of Mosstock as being a way to experience music in Denmark’s largest allotment,” Ravnholdt Nielsen explains. This year, British duo Hawkeye and Hoe, and Londonbased Danish act Lunde will open the event

on the Thursday. Up-and-coming bands get to play in a professional setting without feeling the pressure from established acts or the industry.

It takes a dedicated team to make Mosstock work, says Ravnholdt Nielsen. “We are all super passionate about what we do, and that makes it great.”

Dates: 4-6 August 2016.

Mosstock is a non-profit organisation that works closely with other companies.

Acts such as Emmelie de Forest, Saybia and Tom Schou played their first shows at Mosstock.

Audiences can write messages on Mosstock’s ‘happy wall’ and vote on a festival theme, which is subsequently revealed during the festival.

For the ‘music relay’, seven sailor-themed songs have been chosen. The bands can include an extract from one of these in their sets and audiences are in with a chance to win drinks from the bar.

For more information, please visit: www.mosstock.dk

Get your camping experience with a slice of the big city Stay in a lovely hut or bring your own campervan and divide your days between the tanning pool or oceanside and exploring everything the world’s smallest big city, Aarhus, has to offer – from edgy museums to a Royal summer residency. At Saksild Strand Camping, you get it all.

By Mette Hindkjær Madsen | Photos: Saksild Strand Camping

Nestled in the eastern part of Jutland, only 20 kilometres south of Aarhus, Denmark’s second-largest city, you will find one of the country’s very best beaches. Right next to it is the perfect summer residence: Saksild Strand Camping.

“Our location is great for activities in Jutland: close to shopping in Aarhus, amusement parks like Tivoli Friheden, Djurs Sommerland and Legoland, and plenty of museums. In the summer time you can stop by Marselisborg Castle, where the Royal family spends the summers, and experience the changing of the guards every day at noon,” says owner of Saksild Strand Camping, Thorkild Jensen.

This is one of many attractions of the popular camping spot, in addition to the

benefits of camping life, allowing you to be just as close to nature as you wish, residing either in your own campervan or in a luxurious hut or a ‘back to nature’ one with nothing but the bare necessities. “Danish, Norwegian, German, Dutch and Swedish adults and families – a lot of different nationalities visit us and they can get as well acquainted as they wish. Guests will often enjoy a cosy barbecue together and share a glass of wine or a beer in the sun,” ends Jensen.

For more information, please visit: www.saksild.dk

Issue 90 | July 2016 | 97

Scan Magazine | Culture | Surf.dk / Stevnsfort Cold War Museum

Surfing the shores of Denmark Surf.dk have chosen to take full advantage of Denmark’s infamous wind and have taught people how to windsurf and kitesurf along the Danish coast since 1994.

Surfing is a fantastic way to get a full-body workout, enjoy nature and experience that rush of excitement.

By Josefine Older Steffensen | Photos: Surf.dk

“Denmark is one of the best windsurfing countries,” says Henrik Anker Jensen, founder of surf.dk. “There’s almost never a day without wind and during the summer it’s usually about six to eight metres per second.” These conditions make it perfect for both beginners and advanced surfers.

Surf.dk operates from two different places: the island of Samsø as well as Amager Strandpark close to Copenhagen.

On Samsø there are weekly courses throughout July, where you can learn windsurfing and kitesurfing or simply enjoy the fantastic wind around the island if you are already competent. You can also bring along your family, who can enjoy surf.dk’s kayaks and football pitches or simply relax on the local campsite.

“The days at the camp are pretty intense, but there’s always a fantastic atmosphere,

and people come from all walks of life,” says Anker Jensen. At Amager Strandpark you can take a day course to learn the basics of wind and kitesurfing and get solid advice on the next steps, whether that means taking another course or investing in your own equipment.

If you have always wanted to try windsurfing or kitesurfing, surf.dk is the place to start. They provide a safe and secure environment to learn in, as well as highly experienced instructors who will ensure the perfect introduction to the sports.

For more information, please visit: www.surf.dk

Reliving Cold War stories The Cold War had an impact on everyone who lived through it. At Stevnsfort Cold War Museum, you are told stories you remember yet do not know at all.

By Louise Older Steffensen | Photos: Koldkrigsmuseum Stevnsfort

In the year 2000, the Danish finally declassified information about an underground fort in Rødvig, an hour and a half south of Copenhagen. People turned up from near and far to explore the huge, mysterious military structure under the white cliffs at Stevn, which had protected Denmark and monitored the Baltic Sea for vessels from the Soviet bloc for over 40 years. Stevnsfort was one of NATO’s first lines of defence from the east and would have been on the front lines had war broken out. Some of the most eager early visitors were former Stevnsfort military personnel who could finally explore areas of the 1.8-kilometre tunnel system that had previously been strictly out of bounds.

Today, the fort and the beautiful chalk cliffs are a UNESCO World Heritage Site run 98 | Issue 90 | July 2016

by the Museum of East Zealand, who have kept the fort true to its origins to create the smallest possible distance between us and the past. “We don’t use signs extensively,” historian and museum director Thomas Tram Pedersen explains. “Instead, we have 30 excellent Danish guides and an audio guide for our many German visitors and one for international visitors in English.

Each provides different perspectives on the Cold War.” The Danish guides spend more time considering the impact of the fort on the local area, where almost one in seven worked at the fort – risking 16 years in prison if they discussed details with their family – while the German tour takes into account the partition of Germany.

“We’re a museum that all generations enjoy exploring,” Tram Pedersen concludes,

“but we don’t tell a simple story. We want to bring complications to the fore and showcase different perspectives on our collective history and memory.”

For more information, please visit: www.kalklandet.dk/attraktioner/ koldkrigsmuseum-stevnsfort

Scan Magazine | Culture | Galleri Unicorn

Sculpting with bronze, clay and tusks Lene Stevns Jensen makes sculptures and jewellery inspired by her numerous trips to the Arctic, where she has not only learnt to carve into teeth and stone but also discovered the intriguing relationship between humans and nature in such harsh places.

By Josefine Older Steffensen | Photos: Galleri Unicorn

Gallery Unicorn, based in the centre of Copenhagen a mere 15-minute walk away from the main shopping street, is the home to Stevns Jensen’s numerous pieces of art. Here they can be both viewed and purchased, and the designer herself is sure to show you around and tell you the story behind each piece.

“Among my works are sculpted walruses whose tusks are cut from walrus tusk as well as birds, bears and female seals. A female bird is to me the symbol of the woman, who dares to spread her wings and try to fly, even if she risks falling down and breaking a wing. But why should she fall down? What it actually shows is the inner strength that women have, and the journey to become an incredible woman,” Stevns Jensen explains.

“Working with bronze and clay is extremely hard work and very labour intensive, while at the same time being very inspiring,” says the designer. The tusks she works with come from narwhal and walrus as well as mammoth, all of which are legal to use the way she uses them.

Stevns Jensen makes intriguing sculptures which perfectly pull together the different materials she uses, making the sculptures look intricate yet effortless. The sculptures and jewellery clearly have a fabulous story behind them, as well as depicting the human-nature relationship beautifully. These strong and bold pieces have a sophisticated symbolism and design that is only fully appreciated when you experience and touch them.

For more information, please visit: www.lenestevnsjensen.dk

Scan Magazine | Culture | Music

Scandinavian music Following on from his colossal Eurovision Song Contest smash, If I Were Sorry (which finished in fifth place but went on to become the biggest commercial success around Europe), Sweden’s pride and joy, Frans, has now released his new single. It is called Young Like Us and is in much the same sound and style as its predecessor – a contemporary folk pop track with a synth underline. Oh, one more thing: he is going on tour this summer and calling it Tour De Frans. Love!

Swedish producer Otto Knows joins forces with fellow countryman Avicii on his brand new single. Back Where I Belong is huge – a massive pop track that I hope is going to be stratospheric this summer across the continent. The vocalist, LP, can really belt out a chorus!

Two Danish talents have gotten together and collaborated on a remarkable new

Ingegerd Råman.

Photo: Anna Danielsson

By Karl Batterbee

track that is, quite rightly, blowing up right now in their native Denmark.

Producer Kongsted and popstar Cisilia have put out Wild Child. It is a total banger and sounds like if Major Lazer were tasked with creating an anthem for a football tournament. Yes, it is that good.

A new Swedish duo has arrived on the pop scene. Familiarise yourself with Hanna & Andrea, two mates from Stockholm, the former of whom just happens to be megastar Zara Larsson’s sister. They debut with quite the bang – in the shape of phenomenal first single Always On My Mind, a stunner of a mid-tempo love song in the misleading guise of a sad heartbreaker.

the final touches to his debut EP. This is a supremely catchy pop track with an equally ear-catching production and an engaging vocal delivery – whether you understand a word of Danish or not.

I have fallen a little bit in love with Ik Den Samme, the new single by Adam Daniel. Adam is 18 and hails from Skive in Denmark, where he is just putting

www.scandipop.co.uk scandipop@gmail.com

Lovebox Festival.

Scandinavian Culture Calendar – Where to go, what to see? It’s all happening here!

Ingegerd Råman (3 Jun-14 Aug) Designer Ingegerd Råman is one of Sweden’s most influential ceramicists. Clear glass and simple, self-evident design have become her hallmark, but she is 100 | Issue 90 | July 2016

insatiably curious and continuously takes on new challenges. This exhibition presents a personal selection of her projects and commissions with over 200 pieces displayed on 24 tables. The designer pro-

By Mette Hindkjær Madsen

vides commentary through sketches, videos and captions. Open Mon-Fri 11am4pm at Plan 4, Kulturhuset, Sergels torg, Stockholm. www.nationalmuseum.se

Scan Magazine | Culture | Scandinavian Culture Calendar

Dizzy Mizz Lizzy, Skanderborg Festival.

Photo: Helle Arensbak

Ove Arup and Total Design (18 Jun-6 Nov) Ove Arup, the most significant engineer of the 20th century, worked on some of the world’s most iconic buildings, including the Sydney Opera House and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Previously unseen archival materials and new immersive digital displays lift the lid on some of these spectacular projects at this exhibition. Open daily 10am-5.45pm and until 10pm on Fridays. Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL. www.vam.ac.uk

Lovebox Festival (15-16 July) Festival season is upon London and the hip Eastern part of the city will of course

provide many contemporary tunes.

Among the Scandinavians on this year’s bill is the wonderful Mø, known among other things for the hit Lean On with Major Lazor, who is incidentally also playing at the festival. Sat-Sun, 12pm10.45pm, plus late night shows at various venues. Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets, London E3. www.loveboxfestival.com

Park Road, London W14 8LZ. www.leightonhouse.co.uk

John Storgårds conducts BBC Philharmonic (1 Aug) Royal Albert Hall will be filled with the beautiful notes of the BBC Philharmonic lead by conductor John Storgård. Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AP. www.royalalberthall.com

The Boyle Klöfver duo (22 July) The guitar/alto guitar virtuoso Nils Klöfver performs a duo concert with flautist Kimberly Boyle for one of Leighton House’s Summer Lates concerts. Later in August, Klöfver can be found in Scotland.

Leighton House Museum, 12 Holland

Josefina Nelimarkka (14 July-11 Aug) Considered one of the most interesting emerging Nordic artists, Josefina Nelimarkka investigates natural processes through paintings and installations, aiming to bring the outside world into direct Issue 90 | July 2016 | 101

Scan Magazine | Culture | Scandinavian Culture Calendar

The Minnesota Orchestra.

Photo: Courtney Perry.

dialogue with the contemporary art practice. Mon-Fri 11am-5pm. The Finnish Institute in London, Unit 1, 3 York Way, London N1C 4AE. www.finnish-institute.org.uk

packed with music and much more attract an ecstatic crowd ready for amazing experiences. Birkevej 20, 8660 Skanderborg. www.smukfest.dk

well as in other spots throughout Europe.

Usher Hall, Lothian Road, Edinburgh EH1 2EA; and Tivoli, Vesterbrogade 3, 1630 København, Denmark. www.minnesotaorchestra.org

Skanderborg Festival (3-7 Aug)

Robert and Maria Wells at Jazz Club Soho (10-11 Aug)

Naval Power! (from 27 Aug)

The very best of Danish music, as well as internationally renowned artists, take over the woods of Skanderborg in central Jutland for one of Denmark’s biggest music festivals known as ‘smuk fest’ (beautiful celebration). Four days

Nils Klöfver.

Photo: Danelia Goyes Tellez of GoyesFrame

102 | Issue 90 | July 2016

For two nights only, superstar pianist Robert Wells returns to London with Lars Risberg on bass and vocals, Roine Johansson on drums and very special guest, his wife Maria Wells, on vocals.

8.30pm at Pizza Express Jazz Club, 10 Dean Street, London W1D 3RW. www.pizzaexpresslive.com

This exhibition at Tøjhusmuseet in Copenhagen revolves around the history of the Danish navy as well as its development and challenges starting from the 1500s up until today. Models of ships and tableaus will help tell war stories of the Danish fleet. Open Tue-Sun 12pm-4pm at Tøjhusgade 3, 1220 København K. www.natmus.dk

Minnesota European Tour (23 and 26 Aug)

Annika Hall at the National Gallery (9 Sep)

Osmo Vänskä leads the Minnesota Orchestra as maestro for one of the best symphonic ensembles in the US. The orchestra lives on in its second century with Vänskä joining in 2003 as the tenth music director. They return to Europe after six years to play at Edinburgh International Festival on 23 August and Tivoli in Copenhagen on 26 August, as

The renowned art guide Annika Hall conducts a special, personal tour of her favourite works at the National Gallery, from Van Eyck and Botticelli to Monet and more surprises. Open daily 10am6pm; open late on Fridays, until 9pm.

The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN. www.nationalgallery.org.uk

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foto: Harald Ă˜ren

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