Scandinavia may not manufacture space shuttles like the United States or produce wool on the scale that New Zealand does, but when it comes to design, these Nordic neighbors have few rivals. Generally distinguished by a high degree of functionality and grace, Scandinavian design is internationally appreciated and recognized in products including furniture, home appliances and glassware.
Design—and designing—has always been a strong messenger of the Nordic culture, from art glass and textiles to cars, architecture and furniture. But what characterizes "Scandinavian design?"
Is there a Scandinavian tone in the form, color and choice of material—or has it become more a question of international trends which determine how things look?
Is it the trade magazines' elegant spreads which are leading the way or is there some kind of quiet knowledge of form and material which is basically Scandinavian?
Is it an accumulation of everything collected from today's endless exposure to pictures and shapes where tension is often found between the local and global, the traditional and the modern? One side seeks, for instance, cultural identity in Sweden in the Falu red color, birch bark and farmer furniture, and the other side is globally liberated from national specifics where world-spanning trends and information technology exceed cultural borders. And yet, surely there are some things, such as the aforementioned functionality and grace, that are truly Scandinavian?
What does it mean to ‘be Scandinavian’ today? To be Danish? Or Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian or Icelandic?

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Written by UMB on 19 Mar 2010 01:11 PM

I agree with myself in every which way

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