10 Highlights from Stockholm Furniture Fair 2023
After a 3-year hiatus, Scandinavia's most prominent design fair makes a triumphant return this week. We're excited to spend a few days in the Swedish capital, discovering all that SFF 23 has to offer, from new exhibition formats and an exciting programme of talks to showroom openings and installations in the city. Read on for our highlights, and follow our Instagram page for live updates from the event.
Guest of Honour: Front
In 2004, design duo Front exhibited in Greenhouse, Stockholm Furniture Fair's exhibition for emerging designers. 19 years later, they are returning to Stockholm Furniture Fair as the event's first Swedish Guest of Honour, with a large installation in the fair's entrance hall that will showcase the studio's ongoing research project focused on Swedish nature.
Älvsjö Gård
Älvsjö Gård is a new platform for experimental, research-driven and collectible design, set in one of the oldest still existing manors in Stockholm. With its close proximity to the Stockholm Furniture Fair it has a unique position to showcase limited and small-scale design to a wide audience. The new exhibition will see design galleries, makers, independent artists and designers exhibit their work in 13 rooms set over two floors.
Scandinavian Design Awards
Scandinavian Design Awards is a new award initiated to celebrate the best design, architecture and interiors in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. The awards consist of eight categories, including Architecture of the Year and Sustainability Award of the Year, and is a collaboration between Stockholm Furniture Fair and the publishing house It Is Media. With the aim to recognize and pay tribute to newcomers and established players within architecture and design in Scandinavia, the award also hopes to bring the industry together.
Nominations include Brendeland & Kristoffersen Arkitekter for Hage in Brunnshög (Garden Design of the Year) and Kvadrat (Producer of the Year). Read the full list of nominations here.
Greenhouse
Furniture inspired by space research and influences from sneaker culture — the 2023 Greenhouse is playful and exploratory. As an international platform for up-and-coming young designers at Stockholm Furniture Fair, Greenhouse is a stepping stone for the design stars of tomorrow. The jury has selected exhibitors for 2023, with a total of 32 designers and 30 design schools from 18 different countries. The Greenhouse Bar, designed by urban furniture brand Nola in collaboration with designers Mia Cullin and Anki Gneib, forms a central meeting point for new ideas and conversations.
Now or Never – 1 kg CO2e
What impact does our furniture have on the climate? The guest exhibition "Now or never – 1 kg CO2e" shows how different materials affect our surroundings – and what difference our choices make. The exhibition is organised by Emma Olbers, designer and sustainability strategist, and the design and innovation agency EY Doberman. Form us with Love, Polestar, Doconomy and Nrep are also participating.
The Nude Edition
The Nude Edition is a new exhibition area with stands made of recycled material. The stands are small, measuring only 15 square meters, and the material will return to be recycled after use. The area is a step towards a more sustainable way of exhibiting, and some exhibitors in Nude Edition 2023 include Reform Design LAB and Johanson. The material partners for the stands are Recoma and Tarkett. The Nude Edition is located next to the Gallery in hall C. Read more about the exhibition here.
Stockholm Furniture Fair Talks
Stockholm Furniture Fair Talks offers a dedicated program with keynote speakers and inspiring design and architecture talks throughout the week. Amongst the speakers on the main stage, you will find designers such as Sabine Marcelis, Ilse Crawford, Stephen Burks and Raw Edges and architects such as Anders Lendager and Victoria Millestrup from BIG. There will be a number of knowledge-sharing panel debates with initiated discussions all focused on new initiatives and ways of working for a better tomorrow.
The Bar Underbar
Swedish designer and interior architect Jonas Bohlin has designed the bar Underbar (Wonderful in Swedish) together with Christine Ingridsdotter. Made from carefully selected components, all of which will be reused once the fair is over, the bar will be a meeting place created with care and imagination, where new creations designed by Bohlin will also be on show for the very first time.
Closing the Loop
The guest exhibition Closing the Loop by the Solaris Community, in collaboration with Materialbiblioteket, puts a spotlight on the 11 million tons of plastic that end up in our oceans every year. With upcycling as a key circular economy driving force, the exhibition showcases art, furniture, lighting and fashion created by designers and brands such as Karim Rashid, Pierre Balmain, Swarovski and Julia Koerner.
Shelter by Daniel Rybakken
Inspired by the Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat and humanitarian Fridtjof Nansen for his work protecting refugees, 'Shelter' aims to remind us of the millions of people forced to flee their homes past and present - and our responsibility to protect these people. The installation by Norwegian artist and designer Daniel Rybakken is placed by itself far out in the cold waters surrounding Stockholm. The light illuminating the space it shelters has an almost daylight quality. The project is directly inspired by the current refugee situation in Europe.
See the full Stockholm Furniture Fair 23 programme here.
Follow TFP on Instagram for updates throughout SFF 23.
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