Sustainability is in our DNA
Museum director Anne-Louise Sommer at the newly renovated Designmuseum Danmark believes that sustainability is in the DNA of Danish design and has been for decades.
According to her, we are all connected in complex "ecosystems" where our actions mutually leave an impression and affect the lives of others. Finally, she reveals her top five favourites from the museum collection.
In 2022, you opened the newly renovated Designmuseum Danmark. What has been the most positive experience? Are there any negative?
- The most positive experience has without question been the great reception of and interest in the reopened museum from our visitors. We not only reopened a listed building restored to peak architectural form - we had also reconsidered and reinvented our exhibitions and our educational formats quite radically. And to see the positive response of all our efforts has truly been fantastic. There hasn't been any very negative experiences - but I can say that after two years of being closed due to the renovation and the corona pandemic, it has taken us some time to adjust to the daily life of an open museum ful of wonderful guests - but we wouldn't have it any other way!
Sustainability has been a keyword for many participants in 3daysofdesign. How is this reflected in the design museum's collections?
- Sustainability is definitely an important keyword for us at Designmuseum Danmark. Danish design is characterized by sustainability in its very DNA. Good materials, good craftsmanship, and a timeless aesthetics that make the design long-lasting. This is clearly seen in the 'Danish modern' furniture movement of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, which was very successful al over the world - and still is. It is in fact the most important dimension in 'sustainability' - that things last and last and last, which brings up another important keyword for us: good craftsmanship.
Is it possible to choose some items today that will be a part of an exhibition in 2030? What would they be?
- It is always difficult to predict the future, but I see two trends: firstly, I believe that the Danish design legacy, or the Danish modern tradition, will always be of interest and be included in our exhibition program. Like in the 2023 exhibition 'The Magic of Form'. Our design legacy teaches us so much about our past and makes us wiser about the present and the future. I also believe that many of the projects we exhibit in the current exhibition 'The Future in Present' that runs to the end of 2024 will perhaps be included in a 2030 exhibition, but in a context where they no longer represent the future of design but have become "contemporary design" - maybe even mainstream, but in a good way.
The next question is a difficult one, but what are your personal favorite design object(s) in the museum?
- All five highlights are currently exhibited - and yes, it is very difficult to choose just five out of the rich treasure that our collection and exhibitions make up. Some of my personal favorites are:
1. Our collection of Japanese sword mountings from the 1700s (the so-called tsubas). We are all connected in complex "ecosystems", where our actions mutually leave an impression and affect the lives of others.
2. A piece of textile by Danish textile designer Marie Gudme Leth called 'Tree pattern' from 1937.
3. Grete Jalk's 'Lounge chair' from 1963.
4. Katrine Barbro Bendixen's spectacular lamp called 'Inside/Out' (made from cow instestines) from 2019.
5. The giant 3D printed portal 'Soft Structures no. '5 by Studio Mikkel Nielsen, currently on display in our exhibition 'The Future is Present’.
At 3daysofdesign, our commitment extends beyond showcasing the latest trends in interior design and furniture. We strive to facilitate meaningful discussions, debate, and actively contribute to pushing forward a more sustainable approach within the realm of interior design and furniture business. Join us in our mission to inspire positive change and promote a greener, more responsible future for the industry.
