Cultural revolution in Boda

Cultural revolution in Boda

Deep within the forests of Småland, in the municipality of Emmaboda, lies

Boda, one of the best-known places in the ’Kingdom of Crystal’. It was

here that the revolution in glass design began in 1953, with such legendary

figures as Erik Höglund, Monica Backström, Signe Persson-Melin, Rolf

Sinnemark and others.

Now we are bringing a fresh cultural revolution to Boda. On 18 June 2011,

we are opening a new centre for learning, creativity and international

cooperation in glassmaking and design, with the Glass Factory, OPEN and

Vet Hut. The initiative is supported by the municipality of Emmaboda and

Design House Stockholm.

We are interested to see what happens when commercial design meets

historic glassmaking and contemporary craft work. We want to challenge

the boundaries that exist between the public and the artist, the producer

and the consumer. We want to look at the path from craft industry to visitor

attraction, and see how the public sector and business can work together in

a new way. We want to blow new life into the Kingdom of Crystal and into

Boda itself.

That is why the old glassworks are now being transformed into an exciting

interactive glass museum, the Glass Factory. Together with OPEN, a

showroom for design and handicrafts, and the Vet Hut glassware workshop,

we are establishing a creative meeting place for artists, designers and

visitors. For the first time, history, commercial and artistic production and

sales will come together in one place, in a way that invites unexpected

collaboration without boundaries. We hope the result will be revolutionary.

Ann-Marie Fagerström, Council Chair, Emmaboda municipality

Anders Färdig, Managing Director, Design House Stockholm

Read more in attached in Press Release (PDF).