DOES NOT COUNT VIEWS.
the seveninch paper
superstar
What is the definition of a Superstar and who decides when you have become such a thing? adidas gave us at The Seveninch Paper the assignment to come up with our take on the meaning “Superstar”. In these social media days one can easily get the feeling that its only about how many “likes” you get that matters, there can certainly, in the short run, be some truth to that statement, but I think its our obligation not to consume the information we are served in such a pace that everything turns black / white, because the truth, and the new ideas, are in the shades of gray. So what is a Superstar then? Can it be someone who selflessly dares to go against the tide? A person that will push the boundary for what is seen as the norm and is not afraid to stand out? The literary definition of the term might be a bit unclear which is in deep contrast to the gut feeling you get when you are around someone that is a real Superstar. We have for this special issue picked out 4 people / groups from Copenhagen that we think brings something new to the table and we are quite sure this will not be the last time you hear about these people. We hope these conversations will inspire you to find your own inner Superstar!
Joachim7inch
EDITOR Joachim Friis – paper@7inch.dk CONTRIBUTORS Nikolaj Hansson · Jonas Bie · Stig Ruge · Marco Pedrollo DE SIGN Ironflag – ironflag.net PRINT BY The Seveninch Paper · Gasværksvej 8D, 2nd floor · 1656 Copenhagen V. Denmark MAN Y THANK S TO I’m A Kombo · Nikoline D yrup · Mikkel L au · Nel son Can
copenhagen
superstar
COPENHAGEN
FOOD
I’m a kombo I’m a KOMBO is devoted to the research of forms and imaginative expression serving as means to explore the act of dining. Founded by chefs Bo Lindegaard and Lasse Askov, Copenhagen-based I’m a Kombo fusions skill and imagination to create a new gastronomic universe in which they allow themselves to live, play and eat.
When we started, neither of us imagined getting to the point we’re at today. We just wanted to do something different. We were doing something that we felt was missing, a void that needed to be filled. Not for the sake of profit but rather for the sake of creativity. We tested a lot of things in the beginning, both good and bad. We did a lot of things. People ate in storefronts, in apartments and in cyberspace. Rather quickly, we discovered what the guests wanted and what worked through trial and error with different concepts. We defined a common understanding. That’s what we’ve been trying to improve ever since. We’ve experienced mistakes throughout the process but we’re more confident about the whole thing now. It’s a very limited environment. The framework within which you work is very restricted. Largely, the customer defines it. It’s hard to go beyond that and still experience success. One of the ideas we had was to create a space where we felt more liberated without being the best at what we were doing. If you’re the best at something, you can allow yourself to do anything. Being the best from day one, now that’s a challenge. We came from the ordinary restaurant world, where the settings were confined. We started talking and looked at where there was something missing and how we could fill that gap. We wanted to make something more fun and exciting to attend as a guest rather than simply going to a restaurant and eat your meal with knife and fork. We want it to remain a niche. Everyone experiences and plays with the fundamental parts of eating, from fast food chains to expensive restaurants. It’s both nice in a motivational manner but also with reference to the business aspect; knowing that you’re not alone. We do well but you need tailwind from the outside world as well. It’s definitely decisions based on emotions. You can see it on the guests immediately, when they crack up laughing or give us high-fives when they leave. The vision motivates us; the claim that it should be funnier to dine our way rather than the traditional one. The fact that there is an open space where we can propose these things is also quite the motivational factor. Rather than just doing it to be artsy types who make fancy food, it’s becoming increasingly more about smiles, satisfied guests and happy days. It’s an amazing space to work in. People are always attending a happy and festive occasion. It’s a great element.
The cooking is a small part of our everyday life. It’s pretty quickly out of the way compared to testing new ideas and exploring new areas. It’s the conceptual part of it. That’s a big motivation for us. We don’t focus solely on the taste but rather than on the experience of the food. We’re caretakers of the whole dinner: the prepping, the cooking, the presentation, the serving and the hosting. It’s nice to expand the imaginational aspect of cooking to a point where you’re collaborating with people from outside the food industry. The idea of creating a world in which we can grow old drives us. We can’t ever see ourselves going back to a regular chefs job. We don’t imagine any chef dreamt of working the kitchen in a restaurant at the age of 50. It’s tough. We didn’t enter the food industry to end there. You can easily be wrong in food. Food can lack seasoning, it can be overcooked and it can be undercooked. People might not like the constellation in which you present the food, but it’s somewhat easy to make something that most people like. PPeople often go places that they’d like to be associated with and then adjust their personal taste accordingly. If you have that, whilst offering a great product, it’s hard to fail. You need the momentum. And luckily, we have it. Mistakes have defined us to a greater extent. Self-awareness is important, when it comes to mistakes. Without it, you could live on by the opinion that no one else understood your point. A lot of chefs say that after they’ve been criticized for their food: “They just don’t get it”. We’ve learnt a lot from our mistakes along the way. As a result of that, we don’t need to be as experimental today as in the past. We’ve become dependent on the acknowledgment from our guests; we greet them when they enter and shake their hand when they leave. It’s honest. And it would be a shame if they didn’t want to high-five you when leaving. But it boosts you. We’ve never been scared, actually quite the contrary. We’ve been brave and still are. We take risks. This whole thing is a risk. The project is made not on the foundation of making money but on so many other things. We work a lot with adding things to the concept. People shouldn’t know quite what to expect. The risks are more calculated but they’re still present. At times, we lose money but that’s all okay. It’s about having fun. imakombo.com
superstar
COPENHAGEN
FOOD
superstar
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FOOD
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urban
NIKOLINE DYRUP Nikoline Dyrup Carlsen is an architect, currently functioning as founding partner of Spacon & X, a firm engaged within the fields of spatial conversion and cross-functionalism with a focus on creative applications of space. Spacon & X is run in companionship with her partner, Svend Jacob Pedersen. Nikoline Dyrup Carlsen also runs a school, ANARK, with a focus on architectural and creative progress and is a lecturer at the Royal Danish Academy of Art.
I’m an architect and have been involved in that world for many years. It was a contrast when started out on our own, as there are loads of things to be aware of. But to have a mission that we’re passionate about and experience a demand for what we do has definitely motivated us. It’s genuinely fun to set out with a mission and see how much impact it can create. The shift for me has been to take it down a notch scale-wise while becoming more driven about the application of space. It’s an exciting matter. As I see it, we’re at a crossroads and need to consider more actively what we fill our lives and homes with. I think we can be far more creative and innovative as to how we get the optimal use out of space. Since the focal point of our work is architecture within spaces, the process altogether is quite short. We try to liberate ourselves and avoid incarceration of creativity. It’s important to look at the case in a specific manner, whether it is an art space, a family house or a workplace. This enables you to create the most optimal conditions suitable for the given case. Context is crucial too, with regards to the space and its user. We think architecture from the inside and out rather than the other way around. How can we activate the space while still fulfilling the needs of its user? That’s where we start. I was head of creative at an architectural firm for six years. The Danish architectural world is rooted in academia. Architects speak to architects and pad each other’s backs. It becomes almost a closed society at times and lacks a larger channel of exposure. I teach architectural students as well. I focus on teaching them how to depict architecture not only to those within the craft but to common man as well. Complex systems, economic aspects and social structures are things architects must master but being able to present architecture to a broader audience is quite vital to me. If not, the relationship between your project and its inhabitants becomes very distant. We make frameworks for life and it’s about actively improving and optimizing these. The essence of what we do is to actively approach what we need and in turn improve the everyday life, regardless of context. We must consider everything that we create as means
through which we carry out our actions. The more creative we can be in our thinking process, the better tools will be made for the user, contrary to seeing architecture and space as static elements where you should simply find yourself. Being able to look at your own life with a creative viewpoint is interesting. How can we keep living in the city with two kids and how do we get an everyday life going? My partner had a job in advertising and I was in architecture. We were busy and rarely home. How can you rethink your life while keeping yourself happy? I focus a lot on that. You can easily become trapped in daily habits without ever thinking: “Is it possible to do this in a different and better way?” It’s important to stop and consider these things. Mistakes can make you nervous and give you stomachache when working with large-scale projects. “They’re already building the foundation. Did we do everything right?” Since we ventured out on our own, everything has been running at a high pace and loads of projects have been carried out. Mistakes occur in between but I like that. It’s all a learning process and we become wiser as time passes. A creative process needs mistakes. We even encourage our employees to have the courage to make these and ask stupid questions. Not daring to make mistakes can strangle creativity. As humans, we’re deeply rooted in traditional constellations. If you’re building an office building, you need to observe the average workday and how you can rethink the scenery of that. Having a short timeframe requires a close dialogue with the customer, which makes us actively engage ourselves in the needs that we’re designing for. I’m drawn to the depicting aspect of architecture. I run my own school, where we do courses on the concept of creative process. It’s a unique and exciting work method to delve into. I love architecture. I love my craft with regards to partaking in pushing limits and rethinking the conditions within which we live. Our work is more akin to playing and it is our mission to preserve that aspect. spaconandx.com
superstar
COPENHAGEN
urban
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COPENHAGEN
GREEn
superstar
COPENHAGEN
GREEn
MIKKEL-LAU Mikkel-Lau Mikkelsen is co-founder of Byhøst, an organization based on the principles of informing, inspiring and guiding its users to the advantages of foraging wild fruits, berries, mushrooms etc. that can be found in our nature. Through userdriven, online mapping of edible nature, extensive guiding throughout the concept of foraging and guided events, Mikkel-Lau and Byhøst works to expand our awareness with regards to what we surround, and fill, our lives and stomachs with.
Apples have always been fascinating to me. There are 7000 different apple sorts. It’s amazing. And then to think that the regular Dane probably consumes two or three different kinds is scandalous to me. But it’s due to traditions. We’re used to getting all our fruit and veggies from the supermarkets rather than thinking: “Couldn’t I just as well find all this produce in the nature right outside my door?” It’s rather due to unawareness than it is to laziness. One must also remember that the things found in the nature are completely organic, no additives and no insecticides: just a pure, organic produce. We started Byhøst because there were organic qualities all around us in the nature that no one really knew about, both with regards to taste and quality but also with regards to the whole concept and experience of foraging on your own. I’m fascinated by the idea of showcasing nature to others who are unaware of the wild foods, which can be found right outside their doorstep, regardless of whether you live in the city or the suburbs. We need to inform people about the endless number of options that they have, when it comes to where they get their vegetables and fruit. It’s about reassessing the things around us. The nature is filled with wild edibles that we can bring into our everyday lives. Many will with undoubtedly be introduced to new savours. But it’s also about how things are presented to its spectator. Uncooked parsnip with no seasoning doesn’t taste particularly good but if it’s presented in an intriguing manner, people who have yet to establish a relationship to given vegetable may be enticed to do so. We need to apply memories and experiences to expand the variety of organic produce consumed by the average person. People might not see nettles as something they’d spontaneously add to their dinner but if they have a positive, social experience related to it, one could hope that they would do so. It also depends on identity. People consume things that they’d like to be associated with and we’ve seen a larger focus on wild and healthy foods over the more recent years, so we’re moving in the right direction.
My approach to the mission of ByHøst is that we should offer things that I’d want to do myself. Say I didn’t have the slightest clue about wild food whatsoever. How would someone present that concept to me in a way that I would find interesting? If I wouldn’t personally buy or partake in our concept, I don’t see the real point of doing it. The segment that we need to go out and pull in is the people who are completely unaware of wild edibles, foraging and so on. Winning people over on your side is important. I didn’t know that much about wild food when we started. It was a challenge. Not having a greater familiarity with these things was in some way my strength and it garners a tremendous amount of respect when you succeed with it. I’m extremely proud of what I do. It has given me a dedication to my work that I haven’t experienced before. Granted, we’re not making an abundance of money on this but it’s something that we’re really proud to be doing. The trade-off between that feeling and money is a no-brainer. And then to wholeheartedly believe in the idea that we’re bringing to life just takes your motivation and passion to a whole new level. I love doing it, whether I’m guiding a bunch of students around a forest or planning a food festival in a park in Copenhagen. It’s about bringing people together around the experience that it is to explore the great variety of things that you can find in the nature and bring home to eat. You spend the whole day, gathering things from the nature and then you go home to cook together. That’s how it should be. If the activity of foraging can obtain the connotations of interest, charm and unity, its more likely that people will venture out into the wild for veggies and fruit. But nevertheless, the savour has to be the driving force behind common mans motivation to go out and pick apples in his neighbourhood or the nearby forest.
byhoest.dk
superstar
COPENHAGEN
Culture
NELSON CAN Nelson Can is a Danish trio, founded in 2011. With a rather unusual constellation, Nelson Can creates the blueprint for their songs through a setup consisting of vocals, bass and drums. Hot on the heels of their debut album from 2014, Now Is Your Time To Deliver, the trio recently launched their own record label, Like A Can Of Beans Records.
It was about having something meaningful and creating something together. It didn’t necessarily have to be music. It was simply about creating. We were into music. We’d always been. It was very naturally evolving into a continuous thing and we all got a kick from jamming together. When you created something, it was magic. That feeling keeps you going. The studio was our getaway, similar to a secret club. Experiencing yourself becoming better at something is a great motivation. And then to have a product that you can show to others? That’s amazing. Having an audience that keeps attending shows is still a bit mindblowing to us. There are a few fans that are always there. We don’t know them. They just like our music. It’s incredible. We focus a lot on the smaller victories. We’re neither a mainstream radio band nor do we make a fortune from this. But there’s always something happening, leading us towards something bigger. We want to get somewhere with our music but when it comes to success, music can’t do the work on its own. When you become good at something and experience success, you’re encouraged to work with that and take it even further. We’re making a career out of some ridiculous punk band we had in high school. We ask people for advice, we become better at making music and we learn things. The mentality that we had when we started has been preserved throughout the process. We agreed from the beginning that the Danish borders shouldn’t restrict our music. We wanted to travel, that has always been important to us. We have to make music and do business-related work. If not, we can’t go travel. We’re going to England and Spain soon. It’s paying off. There’s also a certain degree of entrepreneurship to it: being a musician and businesswoman at the same time. That’s a big drive. We’re sometimes on the road three to four weeks in a row and everyone can have a bad day. You might take it out on the wrong people but there’s room for that. We’ve only done one or two tracks that had a certain aim. “Talk About It” was about doing something more festive. It’s exciting to write something with a specific purpose. We usually don’t do that. Our music is niche. That’s what’s fun to us. We could probably write some easy pop, but that would bore is in the end. It would become insignificant. Our music should be able to be played out loud. Really loud. Playing music together is fun. It’s what keeps us going. Music is the most dominant thing in our lives. Waking up in the morning and thinking that you have the greatest band in the world is unlike anything else.
We fight at times. Things, whether it is criticism or arguments, can be said in nice and less-nicer ways. We consider that a strength though. You have to be able to say your opinion. Fighting is good for a band. Get the feelings out there and move on. You always assume that tensions will arise when three girls are in a band together. But if there weren’t any, this band wouldn’t exist. We all want this so much and have each other’s backs. Signe once got electrical shock throughout a whole show. We often talk about what is right for the band. As long as we’re having an internal dialogue about what we want and don’t want, it is easier. We have band meetings. It’s about our dreams and goals. Dreams become bigger and bigger and just to live out some of them is incredible. Roskilde and Sonic were dreams. We made those dreams happen. It’s surreal. We are continuously working on improving ourselves. If you always think you’re right, chances have it that you’re definitely lost. We do projects and play shows that we might not ever do again. But it’s cool to experience these things. We’re good at making mistakes. Mistakes cost money. But you have to suck it up. Things can go wrong. And that’s the worst thing that can happen. Even though we’re lacking money or time, we can do so much more when we stand united. We always do our utmost to meet the responsibility that we have to one another. Any musician saying they don’t need recognition is lying. We’ve built up an inner circle around this project, consisting of people that we trust. They give us their true opinion. You can’t use vague answers for anything. Our work shouldn’t just be mediocre, it should be incredible. We’d rather have people speak their minds than walking on eggshells around us. There’s always room for improvement and if someone wants to give us their input, please do. If we ever get to a point where we’ve done everything right and there isn’t much else to do, that’ll be the end of it. Some bands want to get a big record deal. As soon as they get it, they don’t know what to do from there on out. When you reach a goal, you have to set two new ones. It’s like playing a video game. You don’t quit when you’re having trouble completing the first level.
nelsoncan.com
superstar
COPENHAGEN
Culture
superstar
COPENHAGEN
Culture
superstar
COPENHAGEN
Culture