THIS YEAR, FRONT BECAME

THE FIRST SWEDISH STUDIO TO BE INVITED AS GUEST OF HONOUR TO STOCKHOLM FURNITURE FAIR.

FRONT GUEST OF HONOUR EXHIBITION AT SFF / ARDA

DESIGNED BY FRONT FOR KVADRAT FEBRIK / FRONT AT SFF

In 2004, Front exhibited in Greenhouse, Stockholm Furniture Fair’s exhibition for up-and-coming designers. Today, their designs are in production at industry-leading companies such as Moroso, Moooi, Vitra and Kvadrat, as well as prestigious international galleries such as Friedman Benda Gallery and Galerie Kreo.

Designer duo Sofia Lagerkvist and Anna Lindgren aim to convey a narrative of design processes and materials through their work, exploring the limitless possibilities of design through eclectic approaches, often inspired by an enduring fascination with nature.

This year, Stockholm Furniture Fair saw the studio curate an exhibition of objects with a rich design story behind them, demonstrating the evolution of their work so far. In the entrance hall to the fair, Front created a spellbinding installation displaying their Pebble Rubble collection with Moroso, a modular seating system mimicking rock formations inspired by the Swedish forests the designers grew up in as children.

Taking an investigative approach to their work, Front’s ongoing research into natural forms was the basis of Pebble Rubble, which saw 3D prints of rocks transformed into organic furniture pieces.

IN SWEDISH FURNITURE DESIGNER EMMA OLBERS’ EXHIBITION ‘NOW OR NEVER - 1KG CO2e’, VISITORS WERE PRESENTED WITH THE STARK AND TANGIBLE REALITY OF THE CLIMATE IMPACT OF MATERIALS COMMONLY USED IN FURNITURE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING.

ALL IMAGES:

NOW OR NEVER EXHIBITION AT SFF

CURATED BY EMMA OLBERS

FAIR HIGHLIGHTS

Roughly 40 different materials were displayed side by side in the installation, each with a visual display of the amount of material needed to create 1 kg of CO2ethe carbon dioxide equivalents metric used to understand the climate impact of materials and products.

To calculate the emissions, Olbers used a digital tool which shows the carbon footprint of products based on the emissions created from manufacturing and transport up until the point of sale.

Olbers chose to show both traditional materials and new climate innovative ones, as well as the difference in climate impact between new and recycled furniture.

With an audience of visual thinkers, Olbers’ decision to demonstrate the climate impact of materials and products in this manner was especially effective, allowing viewers to understand how significantly material choices can impact the sustainability performance of furniture and projects.