Norway in Milan: Everything is Connected curator Katrin Greiling reveals her exhibition line-up

As, of course, are we – the Zetteler team is very excited to be back in Milan with the Norwegian team for another year, helping to support a show that promises to be more inventive and ambitious than ever before.

At Ventura Lambrate on 4–9 April, Everything is Connected will bring together 24 designers, studios and craftspeople to explore not only the products and prototypes they create, but also the relationships, connections and collaborations that enable them to do so. The result will effectively be a living ‘map’ of Norwegian creativity and production infrastructure, as presented by a hugely varied selection of prototypes  in  furniture, lighting, homewares, textiles and sculpture. 

The show is the result of a four-way collaboration between Norwegian designers’ union Klubben, DOGA (the Norwegian Centre for Design and Architecture), campaigning craft organisation Norwegian Crafts and the paint manufacturer Jotun – the quartet behind 2016’s Structure. 

This year’s curator, award-winning designer, interior architect and photographer Katrin Greiling of Berlin-based Studio Greiling, has just announced a wide-ranging selection of makers – including returning Structure exhibitors, a few of our favourite names from LDF’s 100% Norway shows, and a selection of emerging talents. The line-up features:

 

We grilled Katrin on her hopes for Everything is Connected, her view on Norwegian design and craft today and how she proposes to top the triumph of Structure…

The design scene in Norway is growing and gaining in self-confidence, stepping out of the shadow of its neighbouring countries. Thanks to the engagement of both Norwegian and international players, young designers in Norway are nurtured and given great opportunities to show their work to an audience beyond national borders. With exemplary shows in the past, the quality of work is steadily increasing. This year’s exhibition in Milan once again represents the ongoing hard work of 24 carefully selected craftspeople and designers, showing a high level of skill in a diverse selection of materials. I’m grateful to work with such an experienced team – Klubben, Norwegian Crafts, DOGA and Jotun – in collaboration with our graphic designers Bielke & Yang and the interior designers Kråkvik & D’Orazio, who are ensuring the exhibition will be an amazing and special experience.

After 15 years abroad, studying and working in Sweden and the UAE, and now being based in Berlin I better understand the reasons behind the strength of Nordic design. The educational system plays a major part – studying first at one of the many craft schools in the country before entering the university level. It’s not mandatory but it is common to learn a craft such as carpentry, pottery, glass blowing or weaving as the basis for further studies. I strongly believe that this is part of the great strength of design in Northern Europe.

Norway has maintained an especially strong tradition. The line between craft and design is fluid due to the skills of the creators. I believe that, in time, with growing awareness about our impact as consumers on the environment, there will be increasing demand for goods produced in renewable materials. And that’s exactly the strength of Norwegian design: skill at hand making – shaping products that not only have a function but also an aesthetic appeal and material application that satisfies our conscience.

In a subtle way the exhibition design reflects on the theme, using mirrors connecting the showcased works with each other. Looking at one piece, you’ll always see other parts of the exhibition too, including the visitors. 

A catalogue including the works of the 24 exhibitors will highlight the major infrastructure behind Norway’s craft and design industry. A map of Norway will explain the important production regions, such as the areas known for wood, wool and glass, as well as looking at the urban concentration of studios, both in Norway and abroad.

The works being shown are all new, not in production and original in design. We’ve selected an equal proportion of examples from both the craft and design scene. Some works refer to each other without consciously recognising it, and we have a vast selection of materials being represented, ranging from metal, wood and glass, to porcelain and fabrics. 

Norway is such a good example of how to nurture the design and craft industries, acknowledging their impact on the national image. I want to highlight the importance of dialogue between craftspeople, designers and industry and explore how this conversation could be fed. Skills should be embraced and carried on, translated into a contemporary language. My hopes are that visitors can understand design within its context, reflecting on the importance of the choices they make as consumers.

I’m very excited about a few collaborations of designers, for example, the work of Stine Aas and Cecilia Zhang. I’ve visited their studio in Bergen in November where they shared some of the images of their process so far and I’m very much looking forward to showing their work. Another example is Bjørn van den Berg, who’s experimenting with wall-hung cabinets reminiscent of the work of Donald Judd, realised in galvanised steel.