Norwegian design and craft

Walking side by side with craftspeople and designers, Everything is Connected presented an accumulation of creative responses to the accelerated pace of the modern age, even when our bodies stand still in the face of constant bombardment of new media and the Internet. Ensuring multiple uses of materials throughout the displays, the experienced team — Klubben, Norwegian Crafts, DOGA and Jotun — put together an eye-opening exhibition with mirrors as a common factor. In other words, one could not help but see other parts of the exhibition as mirrors connected the showcases together.

With exemplary shows in the past, the quality of work increased evidently in this year’s exhibition, thanks to the 24 artists whose work have been curated specifically for Everything is Connected. Through the exhibition, a map of Norway explained the important production regions, such as areas known for wood, wool, glass, porcelain and fabric whilst looking at the urban concentration of studios in Norway and abroad.

This year’s curator was award-winning designer, interior architect and photographer Katrin Greiling of Berlin-based Studio Greiling. Despite announcing a wide selection of makers as well as taking Norway’s ample competition in the design and craft industries, her final selection of designers were of equal proportions from both scenes. That said, Katrin had hopes that visitors would understand design within its context, hence enabling them to reflect on the importance of the choices they make as consumers.

Having curated exhibitions championing Nordic designs in Tokyo and Berlin in the past, Katrin shared that the Norwegian design scene has become distinctive due to its educational system, which stresses on sharpening vocational tools that are consequently a part of the great strength of design in Northern Europe. In Norway, one studies at one of the many craft schools in the country prior to entering university. Although not mandatory, it is common to learn a craft skill such as carpentry, pottery, glass-blowing or weaving as the basis for further studies. As seen from Katrin’s selection, a few collaboration of designers have stood out to us from the crowd; for instance, the work of Stine Aas and Cecilia Zhang as well as Bjørn van den Berg, whose experiments with wall-hung cabinets are reminiscent of the work of Donald Judd, but realised in galvanised steel.

For more information, please visit Everything is Connected.