Borne out of the 2009 financial crisis, and populated with design inspired by Iceland’s volcanic landscape, Design March has been celebrating both local and global design since 2009. Gero Grundmanne’s Driftwood Cantilevered Box was part of an exhibition of products made from driftwood – an alternative source of timber for the active volcanic and geological island, which has very few trees of its own.
Postulina‘s hand-thrown ‘9’ collection comprises vases inspired by images of orbs and theories of a ninth planet in the solar system. “One can easily imagine that from the lifeless terrain of such a planet, life can shoot up like a flower from the desert, in just the same manner that is sometimes the case on the black beaches on the southern coast of Iceland,” say the brand’s founders interior designer Ólöf Jakobína Ernudóttir and ceramicist Guðbjörg Káradóttir.
1+1+1 is an elaborate game of “consequences” between three designers from three countries: Hugdetta from Iceland, Petra Lilja from Sweden and Aalto+Aalto from Finland. Each designer makes an object in three parts – in this case a candlestick – and then the parts are switched to create an end product over which none of the designers has full control. Their four projects to date, including a lamp, a cabinet, a mirror and these mirrors were being showcased at Reykjavik Gallery Spark Design Space throughout March.
A collaboration between the Reykjavik School of Visual Arts, which offers a two-year diploma in ceramics, and German porcelain manufacturer Kahla resulted in this experimental tableware showcased at Reykjavik design store, Kokka, which also stocks products from previous collaborations put into production by Kahla.
Society of Things produced this oversized knitted rug from Icelandic sheep wool, which has unique characteristics due to the lack of cross-breeding since sheep were brought to the island with the first settlers. Their fleece has two coats, a long water-resistant outer coat called tog, and a soft shorter coat called thel. They can be used separately, or combined to make lopi, which has been used for knitting in Iceland since 1900.
This wall mirror was spotted in the home of designer and founder of Icelandic design brand Further North, Audur Gná Ingvarsdóttir, and is made in Iceland from locally sourced materials. “We are all about locally made objects. We like to keep things close to home and simple, and if the material comes from our nearest surroundings, even better,” she says. “We depend on the skills of local producers in the making of our line of home accessories by Further North.”
The lava, marble, gabbro and basalt Stefnir platters are made by bybibi and were presented as part of a Reykjavík-based design collective called North Limited formed by their designer Sigríður Hjaltdal Pálsdóttir with Guðrún Valdimarsdóttir and Þórunn Hannesdóttir. “Stefnir is a plate and that helps you take your food into playful new directions,” says Pálsdóttir.
Emilia Borgthorsdottir‘s Vitar candlesticks (above) were inspired by Iceland’s lighthouses. “Growing up on a volcanic island in the middle of the North Atlantic ocean has always been an important inspiration for my work,” she says. And finally, ‘Baugar’ or Halos (below) are candle holders made of black clay and molten lava by Reykjavik-based ceramicist Guðný Hafsteinsdóttir.
Further reading for the especially geeky:
- interview :: made by michael
- interview :: nordvink
- interview :: james molkenthin
- interview :: juliette bigley
