Nordic Cool: Modernist Design
Nordic Cool: Modernist Design will present Scandinavian aesthetics through design with almost 100 pieces of ceramics, glass, silverware, furniture, textiles and lighting. This exhibition is the first for 2015 at the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia.
Scandinavian design is characterised by its timeless simplicity and functionality, which is derived from a heritage of principles dictating that everyday objects should be affordable, functional and beautiful. The exhibition will present key designers and manufacturers from the 1920s to 1960s and will include a variety of pieces such as Henning Koppel’s iconic silver Fish Dish for Georg Jensen, clothing designs by Finnish Marimekko, the organic glass Savoy vase by Alvar Aalto and the PH 4/3 table lamp by Poul Henningsen.
Nordic Cool will further explore Scandinavian furniture design through numerous chairs including Alvar Aalto’s classic Armchair 41 from the 1930s made from moulded birch plywood and Hans Wegner’s Valet Chair from 1950. The exhibition also features a range of ceramics including pieces from Swedish Gustavsberg and Rörstrand Porslinfabrik, porcelain by Danish Royal Copenhagen, silverware by Georg Jensen and A. Michelsen. The Danish royal family uses the latter for their everyday tableware.
Nordic Cool demonstrates National Gallery of Victoria’s long history of collecting design. Many of the pieces were bought more than sixty years ago as contemporary works at the Felton Bequest. Yet, they remain as modern design classics, frequently referenced by contemporary artists today from all over the world.
The exhibition will be on display from Saturday 28 February 2015 – Thursday 31 December 2015 in the Decorative Arts Passage at National Gallery of Victoria International.
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