#swedenpresspause is the title of this year’s Swedish Design Goes Milan exhibition, curated by duo Nyström Persia. The exhibition attempts to address the rapid changes that has taken place in the workplace, presenting perspectives and suggestions for a workplace paradigm with room for both productivity and recreation.
The participating exhibitors range from industry veterans Offect, Officeline, ateljé Lyktan, SCA and SAS to younger initiatives such as Baux, NUD and A2, Ready-Made and up-and-coming Made and Merged, to more unexpected participants like fashion designer Bea Szenfeld.
One major topic for #swedenpresspause, just like at the Stockholm Furniture Fair earlier this year, is the focus on acoustics beyond the purely utilitarian, with sound absorbing furnishings from Glimakra, ateljé Lyktan, OKKO and BAUX. BAUX in particular has been very successful at combining material innovation with aesthetics, it’s also worth noting that the company is a joint venture with designers from Form Us With Love. But not all acoustic related design is aimed at absorbing and insulating, Radja Sound Design Agency offer audio branding solutions for brands, campaigns and businesses. For the #swedenpresspause lounge RSDA has created a new sound experience.
There are also a couple of exhibitors that one wouldn’t immediately associate with the overall workplace related theme of the exhibition, for instance Skultuna, Lith Lith Lundin, Lisa Hilland as well as emerging brand Made and Merged.
Hilland’s designs, in particular, often draws inspiration from personal experiences and her designs frequently refers to more intimate spaces. For Milan, Hilland brings the Braid sofa, originally debuted at Stockholm Furniture Fair earlier this year. Studio Lith Lith Lundin has also taken a very specific approach to furniture production, restricting themselves to only renewable materials sourced from within a maximum range of 50km from their workshop. Despite these restrictions they have come up with some elaborated pieces with very simple means.
Made and Merged was initially an exhibition taking place during Stockholm Design Week 2014 but has since evolved into a brand with a particular focus on small and limited editions, with an estimated launch in A/W 2015. For #swedenpresspause they have brought a mini selection containing some of the most relevant emerging designers in Sweden today
Swedish Design Goes Milan 14th-17th of April in Hall 2.