100% Norway returns to this year’s London Design Festival with a fresh selection of exciting new works from Norway’s emerging design talent and leading interiors manufacturers.
Now in its eighth year, 100% Norway continues its mission to present the best of Norwegian design to an international audience. The 2011 exhibition promises to be the most impressive and inspiring collection yet, presenting a diverse mix of furniture, ceramics, lighting and tableware never previously shown in the UK.
Young female designers Caroline Olsson, Vibeke Skar and Ida Noemi Vidal will make their London debuts at this year’s 100% Norway. Olsson will present two pieces: the Bambi table and the Curious light, both of which are beautiful pieces of design with adaptable qualities.
Vibeke Skar and Ida Noemi Vidal will show various new pieces including the Story lamp which combines old craftsmanship methods with new technology. Design duo Gridy, consisting of Lars Olav Dybdal and Wilhelm Grieg Teisner will also exhibit their new light, Spiff, at this year’s exhibition. The clever design is functional yet simultaneously evokes childhood memories. New designers for 2011 also include Magnus Pettersen, Petter Skogstad and Martin Solem all of whom will present furnishings impressive both in their design and technical precision. Skogstad will also present a brand new product with fellow design stars Anderssen & Voll and Hallgeir Homstvedt, designed especially with 100% Norway in mind and to be unveiled in London this September.
The pieces in the collection range from modern twists on traditional themes to unique contemporary objects. All of the products are bound by their sustainable and innovative qualities. An expressive use of colour, combinations of unexpected materials, fine craftsmanship and attention to detail also run through the collection. Many of the pieces draw inspiration from the Norwegian landscape and the animal kingdom.
Henrietta Thompson, Exhibition Curator and Editor at Large of Wallpaper* says ‘I was so impressed by the quality of the works we saw during the selection process, and do believe it just gets better year on year. I’m excited that for 2011 we’re showing some really talented designers, many of them new to 100% Norway and really deserving of some serious attention from the international market”. Fellow curator Benedicte Sunde from the Norwegian Design Council points out that the quality and diversity of this year’s show must be viewed in the context of that Norwegian art colleges have invested heavily in the design profession and are now producing a continuous flow of new talent. ‘This is something we will follow closely in the years to come,’ she says.
100% Norway is proud to present six Norwegian manufacturers to the 2011 exhibition including: Spinnaker, Tonning, Nora of Norway, Wik & Walsøe, Figgjo and Northern Lighting. In a departure from years before, manufacturers were asked for an exhibitor fee during the selection procedure. ‘The reason for this change is to ensure that only manufacturers that have concrete plans for the British market would apply to participate,’ says project manager Thomas Aastad of the Norwegian Embassy in London. ‘We believe that this guarantees a better commitment from the industry.’
Highlights include several exclusive launches from manufacturer Nora of Norway, known for its beautifully handcrafted furniture designed by some of the country’s leading design talents. Tonning will travel to London for the first time to present their stunning design classics by Alf Sture from the 1940s. Successful porcelain duo Wik & Walsøe return with their latest collections after having been selected for distribution through Heal’s, whilst
ceramics specialist Figgjo launches new ranges of their popular tableware which is found in hotels, restaurants and homes across Europe. Spinnaker will make their London debut at 100% Norway this September presenting a range of furniture including an elegant chair inspired by sailing.
For the first time, 100% Norway hosted a design competition to encourage manufacturers to team up with designers to work on new prototypes. The goal of the competition being to build new bridges between Norwegian designers and manufacturers in order to create commercially successful products and further position Norway as an innovative and cutting-edge design nation.
A reputable judging panel including Marcus Fairs, Editor-in-Chief, Dezeen, Theo Williams, Creative Director, Habitat, Henrietta Thompson, Curator, 100% Norway, & Editor at Large, Wallpaper*, Benedicte Sunde, Curator, 100% Norway & Norwegian Design Council, Cecilie Jørgensen, Deputy Editor, Elle Decoration Norway, Dr Jana Scholze, Curator for Modern Furniture & Product Design, Victoria & Albert Museum, and Kristine Landmark, Board Member and former CEO of Stokke, announced the winning design in May 2011: a lamp entitled Evergreen by Northern Lighting together with designers Vibeke Skar and Jens Praet. The latest versions of Evergreen will be launched at 100% Norway.
The 2011 collection will be brought together in a new stand designed by leading Norwegian architect studio, Fantastic Norway, and using sustainable wood from Moelven. Reflecting 100% Norway’s forward thinking approach, the architects have designed the stand to generate curiosity and engagement using modern technology and materials, seeking to create a contemporary stand that reflects Norway’s adaptability and creativity as a country.
Full list of exhibitors:
Manufacturers:
Figgjo (with designs by Jens Olav Hetland and Olav Joa)
Nora of Norway (with designs by Permafrost, Alex Hellum and Tore Borgersen &
Michael Olofsson)
Northern Lighting (with designs by Vibeke Skar and Jens Praet)
Spinnaker (with designs by Scenario and Hødnebø)
Tonning (with designs by Alf Sture)
Wik & Walsøe
Designers with prototypes:
Caroline Olsson
Gridy
Ida Noemi Vidal
Magnus Pettersen
Martin Solem
Petter Skogstad (in collaboration with Anderssen & Voll and Hallgeir Homstvedt)
Vibeke Skar
100% Norway 2011 is organised by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in London, the Norwegian Design Council, Norsk Industri (The Association of Norwegian Furniture Industry) and Innovation Norway.
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100% Norway 2011
22 – 25 September 2011
100% Design, Stand D60,
Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London
To register for your free entry to 100% Design, click here.