I was asked to curate an exhibition on contemporary craft. In one adandoned building I filled four floors with great craft and design. Here is Bred blick på hantverk.
It was a cold spring day, or maybe winter, when Skansen and Hantverkarna Stockholm called. The old open-air culture center Skansen said they wanted to focus on craft. One section was a proper “try craft” section and my house was all about showing best of the best.
The organisation Hantverkarna Stockholm (previously the guilds organisation in Stockholm) recommended that I should do this.
The building is an old tower, and one of the oldest in Stockholm. Someone closed it and basically threw away the key. And for this occation it was opened. Four floors. I decided that we should do different materials on different floors. The exhibition Bred Blick på Hantverk (Broad Glance on Craft) is open throughout September at Skansen
My exhibition consists of four floor:
Top floor – textiles
Third floor – wood and paper
Second floor – metal
First floor – ceramics and glass
Totally 14 crafts people were selected. And how did I select? I tried to find a balance between men and women (in this case there were more women than men) and a variety of how experiences people were. One was basically just newly graduated and one hade been working with craft for over 40 years.
But most importantly I wanted the pieces to be outstanding and mindblowing.
Looking at the collection I see that almost everyone is experimenting with the material. Someone is sewing in metal, one is doing needlework in ceramics and someone makes tiles feel melted and soft.
First floor
Since the house is round, you get to walk around and see the fantastic interiors. Patinated and worn. This floor is all about glass and ceramics.
One of the most established crafts people were Gunilla Kihlgren. She has been blowing glass for over 40 years and been all over the world at glass places like Murano, etc, etc.
Much newer is Caroline Harrius. She graduated from Konstfack a few years back. I met her when I got to award her a craft scholarship a few years back. Her ceramics are filled with needlework. Amazing.
Viktor Erlandsson and his studio Straight Design made these glass pieces together with glassblower Kristin Larsson. I think it is interesting with the meeting between proper design and craft.
Helena Malm made these almost icecream inspirerd ceramic pieces. Tiles and candy.
Second floor
The second floor is all about metals. Both precious metals and more common materials.
I totally fell in love with the craft in this copper patchwork. By Anna Fernell.
She also made this “paper bag” but out of metal.
Åsa Lockner is one of those established people who makes exhibitions all over the world. Very sensory.
Tove Knuts is working in all sorts of materials but a trained silversmith.
Third floor
Wood and paper floor. Earlier this year I was exhibition Emma Dahlqvist and she does wonderful things. I like how she makes things a bit bigger. Previously I showed a curtain she made of birch bark and weaving. Here more scultpural pieces in wood. Still with textile approach.
Finn Ahlgren was also part of my previous exhibition. I love his approach when it comes to skilled wood work and our approach to “waste”. What should be saved and not? Old office furniture pieces made into a new cabinet.
He also made chandeliers.
Paper flowers from Sofia “Mokkasin” Vusir Jansson. This enormous flower setting in paper. Wonderful. Who doesn’t fall in love with this?
Fourth floor
The top floor of the exhibition with four textile workers. Look at the setting. Wonderful. And the view is to die for.
Here you see Arianna Funk. I love her textile sculptures.
Mirjam Hemström also made sculptures. Like corals in a see. They are woven and hand dyed.
Oscar Wall is a trained cabinetmaker but started working with tufted materials. This bench look like it could be from Lord of the Rings or a computer game.
Finally craft star Bea Szenfeld. Is is really one of our most talented people in design in Sweden. Alwasy working very skilled and often with upcycled materials.
For this exhibition we got Bea to show the piece that she made for former minister of culture Alice Bah Kunke, and that was worn on the Swedish Elle gala.