Sweden celebrates 85 years with Josef Frank

This year marks 85 years since one of Sweden’s most renowned designers came and enriched his new homeland with colourful prints and timeless interiors. To commemorate this, Svenskt Tenn has created an exhibition presenting a mix of newly produced and classic designs, as well as objects from the archives – all created by Josef Frank.

Josef and Anna Frank left their homeland, Austria, in December 1933 due to the rise of anti-Semitism. In January 1934, Josef Frank began a lifelong collaboration with Svenskt Tenn’s founder Estrid Ericson.

“With this tribute exhibition we want to show the breadth of Josef Frank’s creativity and how much his designs have contributed to Swedish design history and the present,” says Thommy Bindefeld, marketing manager and creative director.

This autumn’s big fabric news is Josef Frank’s Baranquilla, which is now being launched with a black base. There will also be a number of new launches from the archives: Cabinet 2215 is a classic piece of furniture that will return to Svenskt Tenn’s range in 2018, together with a sideboard, a stool a classic captain’s chair and a round dining table.

“Estrid Ericson felt that a round dining table with room for eight people was the most suitable for serving dinner, so all of the dinner guests could see and hear each other. Our customers have also been asking for a large, round dining table and subsequently, table 1020 has returned to our range,” says Bindefeld.

Ann Wall, who was the company’s managing director from 1979 to 1999, initiated the tribute exhibition. She also turns 85 in September, which is something that Svenskt Tenn would like to acknowledge.

“Ann Wall laid the foundation for the commercial cultural institution that is Svenskt Tenn today and initiated the business concept that the company has followed ever since – to continue Estrid Ericson and Josef Frank’s legacy with a modern twist,” says Maria Veerasamy, CEO at Svenskt Tenn.

The Frank 85 exhibition is open from September 21th to October 28th, 2018.