Designgalleriet is showing a new design exhibition with focus on wood. 9 creatives have been invited. Open from May 17 til May 28. Here is the story.
Designgalleriet is back. After the successful show in February it is time to do a new one. This time I wanted to focus on a theme. And in this case I wanted to talk about nature, the forest and how we are looking for creativity or energy there. Kind of the opposite of forestbathing. When I went to the art biennale in Venice I could see a lot of art with people going into the woods to find energy (or even sex) as in opposite to resting.
At this time of the year, also a design week is happening called Stockholm Creative Edition. To me, it is important to endorse and participate in all these design weeks.
I found a space – Galleri Gemla – and started to plan.
I got in contact with a handful of people and invited them to show their things.
One of the first ones I wanted to involve was Finn Ahlgren. He is a skilled and trained cabinet maker. But he is working with rawness. Superinteresting designer. He reason on beauty, sustainability and functionality. This cabinet is built with left overs from an old kitchen, branches no one likes in the woods and the carvings on the door is supposed to look like old grass.
Another designer is Finnish Antrei Hartikainen. He was awarded Designer of the year in Scandinavia this February. I have seen his wood work for many years and it is always so poetic and touching.
I of course included women in the project and also other materials. Here tick mushrooms in built up leather by Louise Hederström and Carina Grefmar. A classical gallery piece shown in New York.
More tick mushrooms. Here by Ellen Ehk for Kosta Boda. She is always fascinated by our relationship with the woods. It is fun to see her work in glass here.
Niklas Runesson is a new acqaintance to me. He is working very organically with wood. Almost like a fairy tale chair.
Another new acqaintance is Emma Dahlqvist. I just love her weaving and cutting in birch bark. She has a degree in textile design. So beautiful. I will work more with her.
Trolls… Carl-Oskar is actually a person I have exhibited three times in total. Every time he brings a new aesthetic. But a common theme is his love for rough wood. These colourful objects could be stools, or if they are put on a pedestal more of sculptures. He works under the name of Elakform.
Jenny Eriksson is a designer and architect that is also fascinated but the activity and energy of the forest. Here we show her graduation project from Konstfack.
Representation from Denmark. I met Reevein Studio in Denmark and was blown away by their work on flowers. It was important for me to have some kind of flowers in this exhibition too. And these are “eternal flowers”, made of recycled and upcycled materials. They sent to bouquets and I tried to style it but the studio thought I did it too nice. “Wilder”, they screamed…
Last but not least. When we talk about the woods and wilderness we need to include Swedish design studio Front. This is a story they constant come back to. In winter they released a project together with Hornbach and I find it interesting that you can now basically build and own your Front chair for a cheap price. They only thing is of course that you have to build it on your own.
And they came to the vernissage. Here Sofia from Front with Andreas from Hornbach.
Vernissage.
Happy and tired curator and gallerist…
And notice that we will have a talk (with wine) about the positive effects on wood with Svenskt Trä (Swedish Woods) and Hornbach. Next week.