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Celebrating Diversity with Swedish Design and Fashion
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September 2017 Vol 88:07 $4.95
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Glasriket Club Caffè Italia Coded Couture by Ivyrevel Designtorget
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Swedish Press is the world’s leading magazine on all good things Swedish. An authority on design, business, culture and travel since 1929, Swedish Press delivers insightful news and commentary in a visually striking format. With a nod to the past, and a peek to the future, Swedish Press is your go-to source for updates and inspiration from Sweden. SWEDISH PRESS (ISSN 0839-2323) is published ten times per year (Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June, July/Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec/Jan) by Swedish Press Inc, 862 Peace Portal Drive, Suite #101, Blaine WA 98230 for $39 per year. Periodical postage paid at Blaine, WA 98230-9998 (No. USPS 005544). US POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Swedish Press, PO Box 420404, San Diego, CA 92142-0404 OFFICE: 9040 Shaughnessy Street, Vancouver, BC V6P 6E5 Canada US MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 420404, San Diego, CA 92142-0404 WEBSITE www.swedishpress.com E-MAIL info@swedishpress.com TEL +1 360 450 5858 TOLL FREE +1 866 882 0088 PUBLISHER Claes Fredriksson Claes@swedishpress.com EDITOR Peter Berlin Peter@swedishpress.com ART DIRECTOR Joan Law Joan@swedishpress.com
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4 Letters to the Editor 5 From the Editor’s Desk Swedish Headlines 6 Headline News: IT Scandal Rocks Sweden’s Political Establishment 7 Swedes in the News 10 Landskapsnyheterna Business 8 Business News 9 Company File: Klädoteket Heritage 11 Graalen som berikade Glasriket
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CONTENTS ( September 2017 )
COPY EDITOR Alisha Fredriksson Alisha@swedishpress.com
ADVISORY COMMITTEE Björn Bayley, Peter Ladner, Brian Antonson, Christer Garell, Anders & Hamida Neumuller
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Swedish Press
Orrefors Glass ‘Graal’ Vase by Edward Hald.
Feature 12 What is Design? Celebrating what matters (with Caffè Italia) Interview 14 Martin Appelros – With an Eye for Design
Global Swedes 16 Anna Holtblad – A Pioneer of Contemporary Swedish Fashion Lifestyle 18 Top Sju 19 Theatre: Fabian Bom gör åter succé Hemma Hos 20 Design: Fusing Technological Innovation with Fashion 21 Treats à l’Anna Chiara Wohl Swedish Press Connects 22 SCA – Swedish Council of America 23 SACC – Swedish-American Chambers of Commerce 24 SVIV – Svenskar i Världen 25 SWEA – Swedish Women’s Educational Association International 26 MIG Talks – Migrationsverket In the Loop 27 Canada, US & Beyond 28 Calendar and Events 29 Ads and Info 30 Sista Ordet Coffee with Swedish Bestselling Author Catharina Ingelman Sundberg
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Growing bags (Odlingspåsar) © Designtorget
Cover image: Glass bottles designed by Kjell Engman for the Kosta Boda Celebrate Collection. Photo: Kosta Boda
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Swedish Press | September 2017 3
What is Design? Celebrating what matters (with Caffè Italia) By Lara Andersson
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ne can’t deny that the social atmosphere in Stockholm is radically a different experience than that of Milan or Rome. Swedes are more likely to be hailed for openmindedness, discrete conformity to unspoken social guidelines and orderliness than for the effusiveness, passion and spontaneity stereotypically attributed to Southern Europeans. Think Bergman’s 1957 film Wild Strawberries vs. Fellini’s 8 ½ from 1963 – both meditations on the protagonists’ youths executed in very different styles. The Swede reflects quietly in the countryside, the Italian in the raucous spectacle of a movie set. Their styles seem to be polar opposites. This is where photographer Johanna Ekmark comes in. She is a blend of Sweden and Italy, embodying the tension of North and South. Born in Stockholm, Johanna spent her childhood summers with her parents on their farm in Maremma, where she learned to speak Italian and cultivate the land. “I feel that the difference between Sweden and Italy,” she says, “is one of linearity versus chaos, unity versus confrontation, collective thinking versus a bit more single-mindedness… it is much more difficult to feel you belong to a community [in Sweden] than in Italy because there is less attention to tradition, to ritual.” When Johanna met the father of her first sons, a photographer with a second house in Emilia, she fell in love with the countryside and decided to become a self-sustaining farmer, studying the texts of environmentalist John Seymour as she worked her garden and raised her children.
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Upon getting divorced in 1996, Johanna relocated to Milan, bringing with her two young boys, her photography portfolio and an impressive dark-room savvy. Vogue Bambini hired her at once. “I wanted to be with kids because I wanted to save them from uninterested fashion photographers who didn’t recognize on the set that they were children with needs. These were the years when children’s fashion became serious and every brand – from Armani to Dolce & Gabbana – introduced a new kid collection.” For years, Johanna worked as a fashion and interior design photographer. “Fashion photography was an interesting experience, but it’s so much of the same thing.” Johanna says about her gradual transition away from mainstream photography. “Today, the magazines have distorted our eyes and brains. I realized, at a certain point, that all of the stories I really cared about were behind the scenes, or experiences I caught in passing. I wanted to show these stories, these traditions.”
And so, Caffè Italia was born. What is Caffè Italia? “It is many things. It is a place to share these stories through photographs and text. As an art book series I hope it will culminate in twelve installments. But it is not exclusively about Italy. Caffè Italia is about something you carry with you, a spirit of appreciation.” One thing you’ll notice, looking through Caffè Italia, is Johanna’s ability to hone in on the essence of her subject. None of her images fall flat on the
and these specialized workers still do so. I think we need to celebrate more anonymous designers rather than putting today’s designers on pedestals.” Johanna recently launched a new mission for Caffè Italia: Club Caffè Italia. Based out of Stockholm, Johanna describes herself a linchpin that brings real people together with good food, good tradition and design that is imbued with authenticity and care, like the Chiavari chair. Club
Photos © Johanna Ekmark
page; they all breathe life. Especially when it comes to her photography of the context and people behind unique craftsmanship, or “design.” “Design has become an overinflated word. I believe content matters before surface.” In edition Il Numero Uno of Caffè Italia, Johanna features L’Eroica bikes and Chiavari chairs. She never highlights items for the sake of commercial interest. “I don’t say look, then buy. I say look, then appreciate and consider the craftsmanship.” When I visit Johanna in her studio, the delight is palpable as she marvels at her recent photographs of Tuscan wine territory Val d’Orcia. “The geometry here is stunning, speaking of Pasquale Forte’s biodynamic vineyards. Look at the way these hills have been designed!” That many products in today’s consumer landscape are built to break is a given. IKEA furniture falls apart, smartphones stop working, shoes rip with just one scuff. “Every season something new must be invented,” Johanna says, “it’s a cycle.” The Chiavari chair, created in the Fratelli Levaggi factory provides us with an interesting counterpoint to this built-to-break phenomenon. It is a unique, super-light yet – after two hundred years – innovative chair. “I bring this to meetings when I talk about Caffè Italia’s mission. This is handmade, it is classic, it is durable, it is beautiful.” This is a chair that was copied by renowned Italian furniture designer and iconic architect Gio’ Ponti when he created “la leggera” and “la superleggera” in the 1950s. “Pablo Picasso said a good artist copies and a great artist steals, and I think he is right. Gio’ Ponti stole the Chiavari chair concept and made it ‘design,’ which is a quite modern concept. Before that, craftsmen created solutions to problems – all around the world, but especially in Italy –
Caffè Italia invites those interested to come and experience the value of human capital at Club events. In November 2016, Caffè Italia’s first event, “The Extraordinary Taste of Italy,” was a huge success. Pairing with Sturehof, the Stockholm Food Market and the Italian Embassy, Johanna brought together Sicilian chef Corrado Assenza, Michelin chef Mathias Dahlgren and Sturehof chef Ola Stålnacke to meditate on Italian cuisine. Corrado Assenza is notable for his reconfiguration of the caper. “Something as esoteric as the art of caper cultivation can be an art form,” Johanna shows us. “Chef Corrado Assenza has revolutionized this humble ingredient by marinating it in honey, rather than pickling it, and the result is quite surprising.” Coming up from September 3rd-24th, Johanna will exhibit her photography in a showcase called “Möten,” or “Encounters,” at the Sturehof-matmarknad. “As a photographer I work through encounters. The pictures I take are based on encounters, be it with a person, a chair, a plate or a tomato. Even when it comes to fashion photography,” she says, “the magic in an image is a reflection of the encounter. Think about it, the most iconic fashion pictures are never about the clothes, but about who is wearing them or the location. It is about real meetings between real people.” In the late fall/early winter, she also plans to host a risotto event, featuring workshops and dinners, including the celebrated up-and-coming Il Giglio chefs Benedetto Rullo, Lorenzo Stefanini and Stefano Terigi, whose restaurant has been met with critical acclaim as an underrated gem. If you happen to be in Stockholm and wish to connect with Club Caffè Italia, or if you want to experience Johanna’s Italian stories, visit her web space at www.caffeitalia.se. Grazie!
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[Lifestyle]
Top Sju
10 Swedish food is perceived by the world as tasty, natural and healthy, and exports are steadily increasing. According to Statistiska centralbyrån (SCB) the top 10 Swedish food exports are: cider drinks, chocolate drinks such as O’boy, Löfbergs lila and other roasted coffee brands, chocolate candy, meatballs, cooking oil, margarine, and Bregott. Crispbread, frozen cakes, gingerbread and other breads, cakes and cookies landed the third spot, while salmon, pickled herring and other processed fish products came in second. The number one Swedish food export is Swedish liquor (first and foremost Absolut vodka), most of which is exported to the US.
79 Sweden’s most diligent athletes are senior citizens and young adults, according to a survey conducted by the research institute Sifo. People between the ages of 65 and 79 exercise the most, with 16 percent being physically active seven hours or more per week. Walking with or without sticks, running, weight training and cycling are among the most
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popular forms of exercise. Worst at exercising are those between the ages of 30-49 and 50-64, with only 7 and 8 percent, respectively, of physical activity.
186 What does your favorite color say about you? Swedish designer and illustrator Lotta Kühlhorn discusses the topic in her new book Kulör! The 186-page book teaches the reader everything there is to know about color and the impact it has on our lives. Basic colors and mixed colors are discussed in detail, each individually and in combination with one another. A book for everyone who wants to learn all about colors.
15 Swedish singer, songwriter and guitarist Tomas Ledin is back with a new show called Skarpt läge at Cirkus in Stockholm starting on
September 15. The singer – well known for hits like Just nu, Sommaren är kort and Sensuella Isabella – and his musicians promise a spectacular fast-pace, classic, yet modern show, where Tomas and his immortal hits take center stage. Enjoy the show up until December 16.
30 The popular apple fair in Kivik, Skåne, is celebrating its 30th anniversary on September 23 – 24. Enjoy thousands of kilos of Swedish apples, as well as Sweden’s largest apple painting created by Swedish graphic and visual artist Emma Karp Lundström. Sample apples and cider or browse the approximately 90 stands offering all things related to apples. Food stands with locally produced delicacies will also be available. The entrance fee is 120 SEK for two days. Children under the age of 15 enter free of charge. For more information, see www.appelmarknaden.se.
3 The evil and darkly humorous play about Richard III continues this fall at Dramaten in Stockholm. Swedish actor Jonas Karlsson, well known for his roles in Scener ur ett äktenskap, Stormen and Fanny och Alexander, portrays the manipulative, murderous and bloodthirsty villain in his efforts to become King of England. Richard III kills powerful men, seduces their wives and, using foul play and deadly weapons, quickly manages to ascend the throne. Swedish actor, director and scriptwriter Stefan Larsson directs.
1791 Trollflöjten (The Magic Flute), directed by Norwegian director and stageographer Ole Anders Tandberg, premieres on the main stage of the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm on September 2. The two-act opera with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder first premiered in Vienna in 1791. Mozart’s last, and perhaps most beloved, opera is a saga where the power of love and music is at the center.
[Lifestyle] Theatre Fabian Bom gör åter succé Av Sthig Jonasson
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ilitärfars känns väl inte som den allra hetaste teatergenren, men när Soldat Fabian Bom i Jojje Jönssons gestalt gör entré på Vallarnas friluftsteater i Falkenberg blir det rätt. Och stundtals mycket roligt. Föreställningen bygger på en Nils Poppe-film från 1948. Då var kriget över och det var OK att driva med militären. Persongalleriet är i stort sett detsamma som i filmen. Fabian Bom, en punktlig och samvetsgrann stins i Trämåla, bestämmer sig för att tjäna fosterlandet som soldat. Här har persongalleriet utökats med en Bom-syster, Ulla-Britt, suveränt spelad av Annika Andersson som nu är tillbaka på Vallarna efter att under några år ha haft annat för sig. UllaBritt levererar ideligen ordspråk och talesätt som hon alltid lyckas blanda ihop. Mia Poppe, dotter till Nils, gör sin första föreställning på Vallarna. Hon spelar Gabriella som kommer till förbandet för att arbeta som sjuksyster. Majorskan tant Hård i Siw Carlssons gestalt har raskt bestämt sig för att para ihop Gabriella med Fabian. Det passar inte UllaBritt, som delar bostad med sin bror och inte har lust att flytta. Hennes sätt att lösa problemet blir att själv ta värvning och iförd lösmustasch göra entré som soldat för att förhindra den planerade alliansen. I föreställningen dyker också en kapten Forsman i Mikael Ahlbergs gestalt upp, och hans uppgift är att
Faktaruta
Teater: Vallarnas friluftsteater, Falkenberg Fars: Soldat Fabian Bom Manus: Lars Classon och Jojje Jönsson Idé: Nils Poppe Regi: Ulf Dohlsten Scenografi: Marianne och Peter Dillberg Kostym: Marianne Lunderquist Koreografi: Ola Grönberg Ljus: Mats Johansson Medverkande: Jojje Jönsson, Mia Poppe, Siw Carlsson, Annika Andersson, Mikael Riesebeck, Niclas Strand, Mikael Ahlberg, Ola Hedén, Sara Axelsson, Kent Wickell Spelas: t.o.m. 13 aug och åker därefter på Sverigeturné till hösten
svara för att en mycket hemlig transport ska kunna genomföras. Till sin hjälp på regementet har han den lindrigt begåvade furiren Berglund och hans fullständigt omöjliga trupp. Berglund spelas av Mikael Riesebeck, som här gör sin bästa prestation på
Vallarna. Truppen består av Lillen (Niclas Strand), Fimpen Bengtsson (Ola Hedén) och Olsson (Kent Wickell), alla lika omilitäriska. De vill så väl men det blir så fel. Och inte blir det bättre när truppen utökas med Fabian Bom och hans till soldat förklädda syster. Kapten Forsman får givetvis ögonen på den vackra Gabriella och stämmer träff, vilket den pilska Tant Hård gör allt för att förhindra och försöker förföra kaptenen i en dråplig scen där hon låtsas dricka sig berusad på den champagne som Forsman avsett för Gabriella. Ännu en ny roll finns i pjäsen, Agnes, en ung flicka från trakten som är förälskad i Bom. Hon dyker upp på förbandet som sjuksyster, därtill uppmanad av Ulla-Britt som vill att hon ska förföra Fabian för att förhindra att Gabriella erövrar honom. Hon, Agnes alltså, får honom på slutet när alla andra har lämnat platsen. Agnes spelas av Sara Axelsson som är en välutbildad musikalartist med examen från Göteborg. Hon får göra ett dansnummer ur West Side story samtidigt som man väver in en scen ur Romeo och Julia. Omotiverat, men fungerar. Allt är sig alltså sig likt på Vallarna, det är fars, det är fart, det är förvecklingar och de oundvikliga skämten under bältet. Lägg så till Marianne och Peter Dillbergs fiffiga scenografi, så blir publikens förtjusning förståelig. Givetvis är skratten många. www.showtic.se/forestallningar/ soldatfabianbom/
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