Travel Notes
Beyond its fjords and glaciers, Iceland is reaching new heights in the design scene as its young designers explore creative freedom
Iceland is a treasure trove of natural beauty. With its striking fjords, magnificent glaciers, soaring waterfalls and volcanic black sand beaches, this Nordic nation’s otherworldly landscape has long inspired Icelandic designers. Being one of the world’s youngest countries, however, Iceland’s design culture is still in its infancy. Yet this youth is what gives its designers a certain liberty – to be freed from the constraints of existing traditions, to have the privilege of starting with a clean slate and to make history. According to the Iceland Design Centre, “the lack of tradition has proven to be a great advantage, ensuring freedom and even creative anarchy.” In recent years, the country’s design scene has grown tremendously – with roots in art and craft, it has blossomed into an essential industry. Design is at last being acknowledged as a vital part of Icelandic culture, drawing visitors from all over the globe. While other Scandinavian countries are historically more focused on materials, this small, secluded island at the confluence of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans has few natural resources on hand for crafting unique objects of design. However, it has been said that necessity is the mother of invention – and this has certainly proven true in Iceland, where designers are pressed to think creatively and explore alternative methods, giving rise to a design language marked by fresh approaches and a strong sense of individuality. The scarce supply of materials and limited manufacturing options make production arduous, shifting the focus towards crafting handmade objects, custom-made items and products in small batches. Creating on a small scale is a prospect in itself. The world is shifting from mass production to exclusivity, and from fast to slow, which plays to Iceland’s advantage. The lack of natural resources has also resulted in an eco-consciousness that heavily influences Icelandic design. Repurposing of objects, as well as recycling and finding creative uses for unwanted materials, all play vital roles in its design scene. However, there is one material found in abundance – Icelandic wool, a tried-and-trusted fibre used in everything from the ubiquitous lopapeysa sweater to art installations, hotplates and chairs. Knitwear rules the country’s style
Iceland’s design scene is firing up on all cylinders with its resourceful use of materials and immense creative freedom
scene, thanks to age-old knitting traditions, and even in fashion design, key players such as Vík Prjónsdóttir, Milla Snorrason, Geysir, Farmers Market and Steinunn have explored the use of Icelandic wool.
CREATIVE HAVEN
The development of Icelandic design has been nurtured and strengthened by institutions such as the Academy of the Arts. Established in 1998, it releases talented graduates into the industry annually who will make their mark in the nascent field. Another fundamental cornerstone is the Icelandic Design Centre, which was founded in 2008 and continues to play an important role in promoting and supporting the design scene. Among its accomplishments is the annual Designmarch festival in Reykjavík, which showcases the best of Icelandic design, from fashion, furniture and architecture to graphic design. The city’s small size and relaxed atmosphere makes the fair cosy and intimate, allowing visitors to rub shoulders with locals as well as get up close and personal with international and Icelandic designers at more than 100 exhibitions, workshops, seminars and events held across the city. Highlights of this year’s fair in March included Þórunn Árnadóttir’s Shapes of Sounds, where salvaged old soundboards and old toys were given a second life in new minimalistic casings made from Icelandic materials. The 1+1+1 exhibition was another standout show. First started in 2015, this experimental collaboration sees three designers from different countries come together to create an object in three parts – last year, it was a candlestick and this year, it was a vase – and the parts are switched to create an end product over which none of the designers has full control, creating an unexpected dialogue of design. This year’s participating designers were Hugdetta from Iceland, Petra Lilja from Sweden and Aalto+aalto from Finland.
A WITNESS TO HISTORY
Another reason not to miss Designmarch is the opportunity to get deep insights into design concepts, methods and creators. The festival is a window that allows a view of just that, as well as a glimpse into a country’s design history in the making. Iceland now has an abundance of promising young designers who are unconventional, experimental, rebellious and optimistic. As the identity of Icelandic design continues to evolve, they enjoy immense creative freedom – laying the groundwork for the future of design and going wherever their creativity takes them.
THE SCARCITY OF NATURAL RESOURCES HAS RESULTED IN AN ECO-CONSCIOUSNESS THAT HEAVILY INFLUENCES ICELANDIC DESIGN