Simply Scandinavian
The popularity of Scandinavian design has only increased in recent years. Designed by studio Scholten & Baijings, Simply Scandinavian – Nordic Design 1945-2018 opening at the Textiel Museum in Tilburg this June, provides an overview of the most iconic furniture, textiles and interior products from Sweden, Denmark and Finland from 1945 to the present. The exhibition even includes a partial reconstruction of Verner Panton’s Visiona II, a breathtaking and retro interior landscape that visitors are invited to enter.
Think of Scandinavian design and you most often think of practical, stylish interiors, characterised by quality, simplicity and a close relationship with nature. The Stockholm exhibition in 1930 brought Scandinavian design to international attention, however it was not until the 1950s that the design style really made its mark. In the post-war economy, there was a need for simple, space-saving and functional products for everyday living. Between 1946 and 1952, Danish, Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian designers and design organisations regularly met at conferences with the aim of making design Scandinavia’s primary export product.
Today, Scandinavian classics from the 1950s are coveted vintage objects, and many are still being produced, mainly by the Danish furniture manufacturer Fritz Hansen. Companies that were established between 1940 and 1970, such as IKÉA, Marimekko and Kvadrat, have become leading players in furniture and interior design. More recently, newcomers like HAY, founded in Denmark in 2002, have delighted design fans with furniture that is both stylish and affordable. For Simply Scandinavian, Scholten & Baijings have produced a wide array of furniture, textiles and accessories for HAY, leaving an obvious mark on the company’s products with their clean lines and subtle palette.
Simply Scandinavian, 9 June - 11 November 2018
Textiel Museum, Goirkestraat 96, 5046 GN Tilburg