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    Collaborative Kinship exhibition showcases oak-and-terrazzo furniture

    Designer Birgitte Due Madsen, architect Anne Dorthe Vester and curator Henriette Noermark have launched an exhibition of marble, resin and wood furniture designed to explore collaboration.

    Kinship, which opened at the Alice Folker gallery in Copenhagen during the 3 Days of Design festival, showcases 18 designs that utilise terrazzo, wood, metal, resin, marble and glass.
    The exhibition was informed by existing works by Madsen and Vester, including the Lucid resin chair by Madsen and the Vitrine ash-and-steel wall hanging artworks by Vester, which are also on display in the space.
    Kinship showcased 18 furniture and design objects”As a group of three individuals who thrive in collaborative environments, it was natural for us to come together for this collaboration,” the collective told Dezeen.
    “We wanted to explore collaboration while focusing on our individual strengths, existing work, and experiences. Each of us brings different skill sets, backgrounds and practices, which we wanted to showcase in this exhibition,” the trio added.

    “The exhibition delves into the exploration of collaboration by placing a spotlight on the individuals involved.”
    Three terrazzo chairs were made in collaboration by Madsen, Vester and NoermarkIn the spirit of collaboration, the exhibitors designed three terrazzo and oak chairs together especially for the Kinship exhibition.
    These were made using wood supplied by Danish flooring company Dinesen.

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    Located in the centre of the gallery’s second room, the terrazzo bases of the chairs mimic each other in shape, with the wooden slats placed on different angles of the base.
    The terrazzo used was made from glass waste, recycled bricks and concrete to reduce the CO2 emissions generated when creating the material, the gallery said.
    The exhibition is on display at the Alice Folker gallery in Copenhagen, Denmark”The design process for the terrazzo chairs stemmed from the idea of experimenting with direct collaboration. We used Birgitte and Anne Dorthe’s previous works as a foundation to create a new collective collection,” the trio explained.
    “The chairs were designed with a consistent aesthetic and visual language that is reflected in our shared terrazzo furniture,” it added.
    “The intertwining of practices creates a cohesive display that showcases direct references to the slats found in Anne Dorthe’s pieces and the semicircular strokes seen in Birgitte’s works.”
    The exhibition was on display during Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design festivalSurrounding the chairs, Madsen’s series of circular Neon Cast lights are displayed on her Breton marble cubes. The gypsum and glass lights come in shades of green, blue, pink, red and purple.
    Two additional neon lights hang on the walls of the gallery, each designed with a horizontal or vertical stripe of neon running through the similarly designed circular light.
    The exhibition uses materials such as terrazzo, resin, marble, wood, metal and glassThe four Breton cubes, named after sailors’ shirts originally designed to be functional, explore both form and function. The cubes feature uniform horizontal, vertical or diagonal stripes of marble, each with its own veiny pattern in green, pink and brown.
    Also at this year’s 3 Days of Design, Christian + Jade partnered with Dinesen to present the Weight of Wood exhibition and Tableau showed sculptural wooden furniture by Vaarnii.
    The photography is courtesy of Birgitte Due Madsen.
    Kinship is on show from 2 June to 29 July 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for information about the event, plus a list of other architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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    Yoonede exhibition brings together emerging and established designers

    Chair-shaped sculptures and a doughnut-shaped paper lantern were among objects displayed inside a Copenhagen apartment during 3 Days of Design.

    Yoonede – derived from the word “unity” – was a group exhibition featuring the work of 20 artists, designers and brands.
    Yoonede took place in an apartment on Gammel MøntThe idea behind the show was to promote collaboration, with everyone’s work displayed together. Some designers also teamed up with other participants on their exhibits.
    Objects were displayed in the rooms and courtyard of an apartment on Gammel Mønt, a street in the heart of the Danish capital.
    Works included a chair-like sculpture by Maria Brunn and Anne Dorthe VesyterLine Øhlenschlæger, one of the three founders of Yoonede, told Dezeen: “The only stipulation we made to the artists, designers and brands involved was that they should be willing to combine with others who may or may not be on the same level.”

    “Normally when you do a group exhibition, you have one designer in one corner and one designer in another corner, but the idea here was to lift everyone together,” she said.
    Tables by Line Øhlenschlæger displayed objects by other participating designersØhlenschlæger, who works as an art director, put together the exhibition in partnership with product designer Sofie Østerby and interior architect Maaria Repo.
    The trio, who are former colleagues, had long wanted to work together on an exhibition and decided to invite other creatives that they admired to join.
    They only expected a few of them to say yes, so were shocked to see the list reach 20 participants.
    Øhlenschlæger’s contribution to the exhibition is a series of circular tables, supported by three-pronged volumes made from either steel or aluminium.
    Anne Brandhøj and Signe Fensholt created totems that combine skills in wood and ceramicØsterby created a sculptural coffee table using wenge, an African hardwood, while Repo exhibited a bowl with a distinctive streaky glaze finish.
    MBADV – an ongoing collaboration between designers Maria Brunn and Anne Dorthe Vesyter – was behind the chair-shaped sculptures, one made from oak and the other from stone.
    Atelier Madirazza presented a grand marble-framed mirrorThe paper lantern, by lighting designer Laura Fiig, was suspended above a bench made by Studio Oro using both epoxy resin and travertine.
    Designers Anne Brandhøj and Signe Fensholt combined skills in wood and ceramic to create a series of totem-like sculptures, while Atelier Madirazza presented a grand marble-framed mirror.
    A woven textile by Bettina Nelson hung from the wallCabinet-maker Antrei Hartikainen contributed a slender, curved shelving unit as well as mouth-blown glass vases.
    Other key pieces included a minimal chandelier by Kasper Kjeldgaard and a woven textile by Bettina Nelson.
    Sofie Østerby created a sculptural coffee table using an African hardwoodBrands on show included Kusiner, which presented wool carpets, and Danish audio brand Iril, which showed its minimal speakers.
    The exhibition continued outside, where terracotta plant pots by heritage brand Bergs Potter sat alongside sculptures by artist Josefine Winding.
    Objects by Bergs Potter and Josefine Winding were shown in the courtyardThe founders plan to run Yoonede as an exhibition platform, so that it can continue beyond this 3 Days of Design debut.
    “The exhibition is built around the wish of bringing creatives together, learning from each other’s differences and sharing a passion for design, art, and objects,” said Østerby.
    The name, Yoonede, is derived from the word “unity””We’re showcasing inspiring individualism while letting a strong and curated cohesiveness stand out,” added Repo.
    The photography is courtesy of Yoonede.
    Yoonede was on show from 7 to 9 June 2023 as part of 3 Days of Design. See Dezeen Events Guide for information, plus a list of other architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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    Helle Mardahl fills Copenhagen apartment with candy-coloured glass

    Danish designer Helle Mardahl has unveiled The Sensory Society, a 3 Days of Design exhibition that takes cues from Wes Anderson’s film The Grand Budapest Hotel.

    Mardahl filled an entire Copenhagen apartment with her colourful glass objects, creating installations that include a playful bar and a grand dressing table.
    The Sensory Society includes a grand dressing table filled with glass objectsThe exhibition showcases new additions to the designer’s glassware range, called the Candy Collection, including hand-blown pendant lamps, characterful wine glasses and Mardahl’s take on “the perfect bowl”.
    The aim was to create an exhibition that appeals to all of the senses.
    Tiered shelves allow hundreds of candy-coloured glass objects to be displayed”We’ve transformed this old, amazing apartment into a world of imagination, mystique and humour,” Mardahl said.

    “Inspired by the amazing Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, I implemented colours from our newest addition to the Candy Collection, such as grapefruit, blue jelly, champagne and spearmint. Absolutely yummy!”
    Glass pendants are on show in the red-painted lobbyMardahl first launched her Copenhagen-based studio in 2017, after “falling in love” with glass. Her pieces typically have a candy-like aesthetic, with rich colours and round shapes.
    The designs are all hand-made by artisans mostly based in Denmark.

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    “The process of creating the glass is magical,” said Mardahl.
    “It’s hot, it’s sweaty, it’s absolutely perfect. It is truly a love story between the glass and the artisan.”
    A bar showcases tableware objects at different heightsWhen you arrive at The Sensory Society, the first room you encounter is a lobby where almost every surface is red, creating a bold backdrop to glass pendants hanging down from the ceiling.
    In the bar area, glass tableware objects – including the popular Bon Bon cake stand – are displayed at different heights, while wine glasses are hung around a cylindrical column.
    Wine glasses take centre stage in a turquoise-painted roomA grand dressing table is finished in pale shades of lilac, pink and blue. It incorporates tiered shelving, supporting hundreds of glass vessels.
    There is also a turquoise-coloured room where the new wine glasses take centre stage.
    The glasses form part of a range of tableware objects by Mardahl. Photo is by Amy FrearsonSmall details throughout the apartment are also made from glass, including drawer handles and orbs fixed to the sides of the chairs.
    “It’s a candy world of flavours and colours, a universe that simulates your senses and feelings,” added Mardahl.
    The Sensory Society is on show from 7 to 10 June 2023 as part of 3 Days of Design. Follow live coverage on Dezeen live: 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen, or see Dezeen Events Guide for information about the event, plus a list of other architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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    Christian + Jade explores the Weight of Wood with exhibition at 3 Days of Design

    Danish design studio Christian + Jade has created an exhibition in collaboration with wood flooring manufacturer Dinesen that explores the density of wood and its significance and history as a commodity.

    The Weight of Wood exhibition, which takes place at the Dinesen showroom as part of Copenhagen festival 3 Days of Design, was the result of a year-long research project commissioned by the brand’s recently founded Dinesen Lab.
    Weight of Wood is an exhibition by Christian + JadeDinesen Lab invited Christian Hammer Juhl and Jade Chan, founders of Christian + Jade, to take part in a residency in which local artists were asked to work with wood harvested by the company to produce a research project and explore the weight of wood.
    The Weight of Wood installation is located within a large exhibition space at the brand’s showroom in Copenhagen. This was divided into a series of smaller rooms via sheets of textured paper hung vertically from a wooden pavilion.
    It takes place at the Dinesen showroomEach of the smaller rooms separates the exhibition into three different parts titled Forest and Wood, Wood and Wood, and Human and Wood.

    Throughout the exhibition space, wooden tables hold a number of experiments and interventions completed by Christian + Jade using different types of wood that were harvested by Dinesen.
    “We were fascinated by the idea that no two pieces of wood weigh the same, not even if it comes from the same tree trunk,” the studio explained at a preview of the exhibition. “This was really what sparked our interest in this project.”
    The exhibition explores the ways in which wood has been commodified”Through this exhibition, we have tried to work with this idea in various scales,” the studio founders added. “It sort of presents a design methodology, combining different pieces of wood with different densities.”
    “What we have created is not only a series of furniture but also a rocking horse, a rocking chair and lots of small experiments that visualise this intangible quality of wood, which is the weight of wood.”

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    A collection of different-sized cubic wooden volumes were presented in the exhibition, made from 11 different species of wood including beech, cherry, Douglas fir and elm. Each of the pieces of wood weighs 250 grams and conveys the different densities of wood through volume and size.
    A seesaw placed at the rear of the exhibition space featured a base made from Douglas fir and topped by a seat constructed from equal parts Douglas fir and oak. As a result of oak having a higher density than Douglas fir, the seesaw will always lean towards its oak-constructed side.
    The designers used Dinesen’s wood for their experiments”We chose three different furniture archetypes that require weight and balance in their function – the seesaw, the rocking chair and the rocking horse,” Chan said.
    “So in designing or reimagining the furniture, we’ve worked with four of Dinesen’s main wood species; that is Douglas fir, oak, pine and ash.”
    The exhibition was divided into three parts”The seesaw is an example of one of the simple principles that we apply – the pivot point is made using Douglas and the seat is made using oak and Douglas,” Chan added.
    The rocking horse was constructed from 87 per cent Douglas fir and 13 per cent ash. Because of its Douglas fir-heavy construction, the horse always tilts towards one side, which provides it with a unique movement.
    The exhibition included a rocking horse, seesaw and rocking chairChan concluded the preview of the Weight of Wood exhibition with a poem by H P Dinesen, a relative of the company founders:
    “To those who love the tree, those who may be fighting the tree, the one who plants the tree, the one who fells the tree, the poet who praises the tree, and the one who simply settles with enjoying the tree.”
    Also at this year’s 3 Days of Design, Nemo Lighting unveiled a light designed by architect Le Corbusier and a lamp by architect Charlotte Perriand and Takt launched a fully disassemblable sofa that can be replaced and recycled.
    The photography is by Claus Troelsgaard.
    Weight of Wood is on show as part of 3 Days of Design 2023, from 7 June to 9 June 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for information about the event, plus a list of other architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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