Most visitors come to 3daysofdesignCopenhagen’s increasingly influential contribution to the international design fair and event calendar, expect to see pure Danish modernism — or at least subtle contemporary interpretations of that rich, if occasionally overplayed, heritage. However, as happenings across the city continue to grow, an expanded view of what is actually being produced in Copenhagen and the other Nordic countries is coming to the fore.
Enhancing this more comprehensive and comprehensive understanding is a full-service multinational creative agency Redgert Comms. Undertaking exhibition curation and design for the first time, the holistically minded company began The Redgert Edita series of smart cohesive vignettes showcasing a variety of contemporary talent working in a variety of fields, many of which the platform represents.
What these contextually charged displays revealed is that Scandinavian design is about much more than strict assemblies of wood or rational forms. Throughout, there was evidence of bold experimentation in process, material and colour, as well as typological deviations that transcended the conventional constraints of what constitutes furniture, fashion, perfume and even fine art.
“The creative industry is going through a very interesting shift at the moment, where the lines between design, fashion, art and culture are becoming increasingly blurred,” says Liam Möller, Senior PR Account Executive. “We see a new generation of independent designers building strong visual languages and direct relationships with their audiences, far beyond traditional structures.”
With The Redgert Edit, Möller and his team wanted to create a platform that felt contemporary, reflecting this shift in the zeitgeist while remaining inclusive and culturally relevant to the way design is actually experienced and consumed today.
“Our two-story showroom in central Copenhagen is an intrinsic aspect of Redgert’s local presence,” says Julia Haugland, Country Manager Denmark. “During 3daysofdesign, it becomes a natural meeting point where we invite creatives, media and industry professionals to experience designers in a more intimate and curated environment.”
Installed on carpet tiles produced by innovative Swedish brand Bolon, each vignette featured unique furniture, lighting and accessories. Included were works by Gustav Winsth, Alexander Lervik and Niklas Runesson, multi-talented independent talents working at the benchmark of traditional brand collaboration and collectible design they created themselves. Kajsa Melchior transcends the limitations of function to blur the boundaries between object and sculpture in her interpretations of geological formations. Equally multidisciplinary talent Erik Bratsberg lent both experimental furniture and layered wall sculptures.
Emma Stocklassa’s inflated aluminum cushions expanded in use from smaller containers to wall mirrors and stools. 91-92 Copenhagen-based 3D printing practice also responds to the visual perception of soft form. Respected artist Fredrik Nielsen is known for applying the rich glassmaking tradition of southern Sweden to playful, ironic vases and other typologies of objects. Harriet Allure is a perfume brand that combines the warmth of Ghana, the precision of Germany and the minimalism of Sweden.
Overall, the Redgert Edit made a convincing case for Scandinavian design as a vibrant, unruly ecosystem rather than the minimalism that many audiences have come to expect. Here, material intelligence and understated form still had their place, but they were joined by irreverence, interdisciplinary thinking and a willingness to let objects work with challenge.
For Redgert Comms, the exhibition was also a definite expansion of its role in this ecosystem. By leveraging its communications expertise to create a thoughtfully layered physical environment, the organization created an environment where emerging and established voices could meet as part of a larger cultural conversation.
