New aesthetic in Swedish design
MENTION Swedish design and the first thing that’ll probably pop up in most people’s mind is home accessory and furniture giant Ikea.
But, of course, there’s more to the story than that. Walk into the National Visual Arts Gallery’s (NVAG) Reka Gallery today and get a rare glimpse into developments in the Swedish fashion and design scene.
Called Swedish Fashion & Design Stories, this text and image-based exhibition is currently showing at the NVAG until Nov 11.
As its name implies, the monthlong showcase will focus on developments in the fields of fashion and industrial design.
“The exhibition circles around three main themes, arts, craft and social engagement, tendencies that started appearing on the fashion scene around the time of the new millennium,” said Dag Juhlin Dannfelt, the Swedish ambassador to Malaysia, during the exhibition’s launch recently.
Curated by Swedish designer Rebecca Ahlstedt, the exhibition is organised by the Swedish Embassy in cooperation with the Swedish Institute, the NVAG, and Swedish companies Assa Abloy, Daniel Wellington and Ikea.
This exhibition marks the second collaboration between the Swedish Embassy and the NVAG, the first one being the Swedish & Malaysian Dads photo exhibition last year.
Swedish Fashion & Design Stories showcases 58 images of print and product displays from Swedish designers who have demonstrated great potential and brought about significant changes in Swedish design in the last 15 years.
The participating designers include Ann-Sofie Back, Sandra Backlund, Martin Bergstrom, Ulrika Elovsson, Anton Alvarez and Asa Jungnelius to name a few.
The exhibition will also feature design stories by three world renowned Swedish companies.
Assa Abloy will exhibit a collection of Yale locks as it celebrates its 175year history while Daniel Wellington, known for its minimalistic and refined watches and accessories, will showcase timepieces from its My Classic range. Joining the fray is Ikea, which will display its vintage collections as it celebrates its 75th anniversary.
Swedish design achieved global recognition for its iconic minimalist style in the 1990s. However, around the turn of the millennium, a shift was seen as several young designers began to renounce this homogenous image and lifestyle, birthing the dawn of a new aesthetic in Swedish design.
“This exhibition is significant in that it’s really like a reaction to the past, and coming from a social and craft point of view rather than an industrial one,” said Marie-Louise Hellgren, a prominent Swedish designer who was present at the launch.
She added: “I think this is a movement that you see more and more in young people ... it could also be a reaction to the commercial world.”
Ultimately, the exhibition aims to raise awareness, enhance knowledge and create exchange and bilateral networking around Swedish design.
“Exhibitions such as this are important for the development of our own art, design and fashion industry,” says Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi during the exhibition’s launch.
“We have all the materials but we lack expertise and specialists. We need the experts to share with us the good ideas,” he adds.
Swedish Fashion & Design Stories is on at Reka Gallery, National Visual Arts Gallery, Jalan Temerloh, off Jalan Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur till Nov 11. Opening hours: 10am-6pm daily. For more information, call 03-4026 7000 or visit artgallery.gov.my. Free admission.