A wealth of new Danish craft and design at the international design fair Maison&Objet
A lamp made of mushroom mycelium, cushions made by blind weavers and a moulded leather chair made with a technique that was once used to make leather armour. The contemporary Danish craft and design products that are launched in Danish Crafts Collection CC18 show a strong emphasis on sustainability in production methods, materials and concept. The collection is presented at the leading design fair Maison et Objet in Paris on 5-9 September at stands A37 and B38 in Hall 8.
Download press images here
Designer Jonas Edvard Nielsen’s MYX lamp is a bit out of the ordinary. It is made of hemp fibres that have been used as a substrate for growing mushrooms. When the mushrooms are harvested, they leave behind a soft and malleable material that is shaped into a lampshade, which is then hardened in a custom-made kiln. The MYX lamp is just one of the innovative and sustainable products that are presented in the new Danish Crafts Collection.
“Good design always carries a message,” says designer Pil Bredahl, who is the curator for CC18 and responsible for selecting the craftspeople and designers included in this year’s collection. “My focus has been on various approaches to sustainability. Craft holds a unique position in between art and design, where the maker is able to control the production process and develop new materials, and that brings out a wide range of innovative takes on sustainable choices that I’m sure will be a source of inspiration to the more commercial design industry.”
A new innovative project in this year’s collection is Rosa Tolnov Clausen’s cushion covers made by blind and partially sighted weavers. For the project Rosa Tolnov Clausen designed a tactile toolbox from which the weaver selects the technique, materials and decoration. Each cushion is unique and labelled with the weaver’s name. Thus, the particular cushion is designed by the individual weaver, while Rosa designed the method that made the process possible.
Another product featured in the collection is Nikolaj Steenfatt’s leather chair, which is made using an ancient technique used to harden leather by means of natural processes. In the past, the technique was used to make corsets and leather armour. Nikolaj Steenfatt is also known for his development of Impasto – a bio-degradable compound material made of leftover wood, leather and coffee grounds. This year’s collection also features a moulded pendant lamp by Nikolaj Steenfatt made of Impasto.
In touch with the market
The goal of the Danish Crafts Collection is to help Danish craftspeople and designers build a professional career on commercial terms and to contribute to the general branding of Danish craft and design.
For many participants, the collection has led to a commercial career because they were noticed by manufacturers, clients and the press via the Danish Crafts Collection. Many of the products that have been showcased in the Danish Crafts Collection over the years have subsequently been put into production by well-known design firms such as Normann Copenhagen, Hay, Kähler, ViPP, Bolia and Paustian.
About the Danish Crafts Collection
Danish Crafts Collection is an award-winning annual collection founded in 1999. It presents a curated selection of the best in contemporary Danish craft and design at international fairs and in other commercial contexts.
From January 2014, Danish Crafts Collection is carried out by the Danish Arts Foundation and the Danish Agency for Culture. The Danish Crafts Collection is put together by external curators who are appointed by the Committee for Crafts and Design Project Funding under the Danish Arts Foundation.
Read more about this year’s collection and see all the selected craftspeople and designers at
http://www.craftscollection.dk/
http://www.kunst.dk/english/art-forms/crafts-and-design/danish-crafts-collection/
Download press images here:
http://www.craftscollection.dk/press
Additional information
Kristian Kastoft, senior advisor, tel. +45 33 74 55 41, krk@kulturstyrelsen.dk
Marie Sæhl, press, tel. +45 33 74 45 66, mrs@kulturstyrelsen.dk
