It’s the 10th anniversary of 100% Norway and co-curators Henrietta Thompson and Benedicte Sunde have really pulled out all the stops to make this a stand-out show. In this short film, they talk about their curation of 10 established Norwegian designers alongside 10 rising stars.
Here, I’ve selected the 10 products that stood out to me. Firstly, I loved the simple Scandi style and honesty of materials used in the Siska collection by Kristine Bjaadal. Kristine models everything in 3D herself instead of using sketches, resulting in proportions that fit the hand perfectly:
This frame is by Ida Noemi and Caroline Olsson, who met at 100% Norway 2011 where they were both showing individually. Epaulette is their first collaboration. Manufactured by Menu, the simple construction of limited parts means it doesn’t require any screws, glue or fixings.
Lars Beller Fjetland’s Cloche lamp has already featured on Design Milk, so it was really nice to see it in the flesh. Made from just three elements, it’s improbable flower-like form is made possible by the flexibility of the lightweight ash wood used for the ‘stem’.
Trialog, by German but Norway-based designer Philipp von Hase, is a three-legged wooden chair designed to be sat on backwards to encourage people to lean into conversations rather than away from them.
Pouf Daddy by Belinda Bjerke is a series of strong cushions that can used by children or adults, to build towers, castles and tunnels, or sun loungers, tables and extra chairs.
I loved the simplicity of the Bow stacking stool by by the Strek Collective – it’s the result of a collaboration with Fyresdal Tre, a Norwegian wood manufacturer, that has involved combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design processes.
My next two selections are both by Sverre Uhnger – the O and Tuck are both prototypes.
The O lamp is inspired by the designer’s fascination with lathed wooden balls, and named for its circular shape.
The Tuck sofa reveals its construction in the visible wooden frame, but is softened by the padding and textiles neatly ‘tucked’ around it.
The Copper Mirror Series by Hunting & Narud is the perfect example of how this newly-formed design duo works. Amy Hunting is keen to find value in unused resources, while Oscar Narud pursues functionality above all else and likes to show the construction in the resulting form. They have cut back on every element that’s not strictly necessary for the function of a mirror, while celebrating Norway’s mining heritage and native materials.
Last but not least, Sun is an installation by Lisa Pacini and Christine Istad, that has been travelling the world, arriving in London just in time for LDF. It is a response to the Norwegian winter, when some areas of the country are without natural sunlight for as long as three months, intended to restore at least a semblance of the sun’s presence.
Our trip to the London Design Festival was supported by Airbnb.com.
