Milan, the essence of Danish design in the exhibition This is Denmark

Thoughtful simplicity, care for people and nature, commitment to sustainability, respect for heritage, craftsmanship, and an international outlook are at the heart of This is Denmark. A design playlist, the exhibition curated by Elena Cattaneo and Laura Traldi, design journalists and industry experts, which will showcase the essence of Danish design at the Milan Fuorisalone.

Scheduled to run from April 17 to 23, 2023 in the context of Alcova, the ’installation offers a journey of discovery of Denmark: set as if in a Danish landscape, a series of objects will be the protagonists of the installation that help create an experience geared toward highlighting some of the most intriguing concepts of local culture. In Matteo Ragni Studio’s installation, This is Denmark showcases 15 stories, each representing the design spirit of each of the 15 companies participating in the exhibition. With an immersive installation: a wooden walkway rising from the waters, an archipelago of islets that will allow visitors to discover, through sound captions, the products of companies that have embraced the founding values of Danish design: simplicity, quality and craftsmanship. Like 15 characters in a story, the same number of objects selected to represent the values of contemporary Danish design will reveal them on an immersive stage where each element (sounds, colors, physical sensations) will contribute to the creation of a sensory and intellectual experience together.

The pieces have been chosen based on the story they are able to tell. Each, in fact, represents a different way of relating to the essence of Danish design. The relationship with heritage, the search for circularity, the actualization of the increasingly technological, flexible and multi-functional living style, the creation of environments with a high emotional impact: each of the 15 protagonists has its own very personal way of respecting Danish tradition but also actualizing it. To walk along the “infinite bridge” of This is Denmark, inspired by Aarhus’ namesake, is to discover them all.

Running through the entire exhibition are landscape and sound. In fact, the concept of a ’playlist’ expressed in the title stems from the desire to showcase 15 elements that are different but together give a unique perception of what Danish design is today. A bit like what happens on Spotify when you want to discover an artist and the platform offers some of his most representative tracks to transfer a complete idea of who he is and what he does. His essence told through a plurality of narrative voices. In addition to the voice captions, therefore, to accompany the exhibition there will also be a real soundtrack, composed by sound designer Alessandro Pedretti and built using the production sounds of the objects and self-generating software: reiterating the concept of heritage interpreted in a contemporary key.

For the layout, too, the exhibition draws heavily on the tradition of Denmark: inspired by a natural landscape, whose protagonists are wood and water, the set-up will create a calm and reflective atmosphere in which the star objects will offer a design story to be listened to.

This is Denmark is a project of the Danish Embassy in Italy in collaboration with The Confederation of Danish Industry and Creative Denmark.

Here are the 15 companies participating in the project

AYTM A company rooted in the territory that offers the Danish design you don’t expect: disruptive colors, precious details, unexpected shapes and multifunctional solutions. To arrive at a non-intrusive surprise effect, inspired by what it feels like when we allow ourselves to really listen, within ourselves, to nature.

101 COPENHAGEN A young company born from the desire to merge art and design, East and West, brutalism and poetry: in its portfolio we find furniture, complements and lamps-all strictly black and white-with a sculptural image but made with respect for comfort thanks to craftsmanship of the highest level.

SKOVBY Design intelligence and technical invention come together in the production (all local, handcrafted, environmentally friendly and often the subject of patents) of this company born 90 years ago from the intuition of a cabinetmaker.

FREDERICIA A historic brand, transformed since the mid-1950s by the arrival of a visionary entrepreneur and designer: always synonymous with the cosmopolitan outlook of Danish design and its ability to interpret international behavioral signals.

&TRADITION Founded in 2010, &Tradition combines tradition and innovation: it exists to keep alive the icons of the past and produce, through collaborations with contemporary designers, those of the future.

ASTEP A Danish lighting company but one that produces everything in Italy; one that recovers historical designs (including Gino Sarfatti, Vittoriano Viganò and Franco Albini) and entrusts contemporary designers with research aimed at taking light design one step further (A-step ahead).

HOUE With its MyTrash brand, born 5 years ago, Houe does something that really only a handful of companies in the world know how to do: use landfill plastic (and not simply production waste) to make outdoor furniture.

HOUSE OF FINN JUHL House of Finn Juhl is a historic Danish brand created by an architect with a passion for art. His “sculptor-like” approach led him to design furniture “for the living body”: mini#architectures capable of responding to the real needs of human beings in their daily gestures.

KAY BOJESEN Although he preferred to call himself a craftsman, Kay Bojesen (1886-1958) was one of Denmark’s most prolific designers. His most cult collection (a cutlery service built-for the first time in history-on the gestures of the person using it) was put back into production in 2011 by his granddaughter Sus, who also created a company named after him.

KVADRAT Kvadrat is a leader on the issue of environmental friendliness in the upholstery fabrics industry. Its investment in research and development, combined with a clear roadmap shared with all stakeholders, has resulted in a series of projects focused on circularity. MERNØE From a personal project created to create a convivial atmosphere around the dining table with light, engineer Morten Mernøe founded a small company with his two sons in 2020, a jewel of local craftsmanship.

NOTES OF COLOUR Can a color be a design product? According to Notes of Colours, yes. The small Danish paint manufacturer, a team of creatives from the worlds of fashion, design and hospitality, has created a palette of 40 textured, eco-certified and locally produced colors designed to capture the essence of the Scandinavian aesthetic tradition.

ROYAL COPENHAGEN Royal Copenhagen’s former palace-showroom has a secret entrance dedicated to the royals who have been selecting their porcelain here since 1775. In addition to its historical collections, however, Royal Copenhagen today also invests in research, working with leading authors such as Bjarke Ingels: its HAV collection is inspired by the blue of the Nordic sea and the sea creatures that inhabit it.

STUDIO ROSO The art design studio of Sophie Nielsen and Rolf Knudsen works on commissioned art installations but also designs products and interiors. Their hybrid practice represents the evolution into collectibles of the Danish craft tradition and its ability to still always tie in with industry.

CARLSBERG Since 2021, Carlsberg Italia has been engaged in a creative recycling operation for its DraughtMaster kegs, which it transforms into urban furniture seating. In one year, the project has allowed the recovery of more than 2,500 kg of plastic collected from Ho.Re.Ca customers in the Milan area alone.

Milan, the essence of Danish design in the exhibition This is Denmark

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