Summer Design Week offers the best in Scandinavian design right now

Summer Design Week takes place in Stockholm from August 17-23. On display is a selection of the very latest from the Scandinavian design scene, mixed with classics. Product launches, exhibitions and workshops are some of the activities that visitors can choose to participate in, all under safe conditions with a limited number of places at each event.

Summer Design Week was founded three years ago by Stockholm Design Events. Team Formex coordinates the week’s events calendar where all activities are gathered for an easy overview of what is happening in town in connection with Formex’s August edition. What is different from Stockholm Design Week, which takes place every year at the same time as Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair in February, is that retail is in focus during Summer Design Week. This event is where the industry’s buyers, designers, producers, architects, creators, artists, craftspeople and journalists meet.

“We have noticed that all of the thousands of people who come to the region to participate in Formex are happy to spend time in Stockholm. This benefits the tourism industry in the city through hotel nights, restaurant visits and visits to design shops and museums. Three years ago, we launched therefore a new design week to clarify where in town things were happening that were related to design, retail and interior design to give the industry a boost,” says Lotta Ahlvar, concept and product owner for Formex and the driving force behind Summer Design Week.”

“This year, everything is different due to Covid-19, but we believe that Formex and Summer Design week are more important that ever. The retail industry was already hit hard before Corona struck, but the value of physical meetings can’t be replaced by digital solutions. I think we can all attest to that after this spring. It is therefore incredibly inspirational to see all of these players who, in safe conditions, are now inviting people to their various activities around the city during Summer Design Week, with a focus on supporting the industry and all of it people through this crisis,” says Lotta Ahlvar.

Three programme highlights

Misschiefs Takeover
In an old laundry facility in Östermalm, you can visit Misschief´s Takeover for the coming two months. The fantastic 500 square-metre premises have been transformed into a temporary artist studio where 20 selected female artists and designers will be working every day. The original objects from the Misschiefs exhibition shown at the Stockholm Design Week in February are also being shown here.

Misschiefs Takeover is open to the public and visitors can buy directly from the artists on site and watch them at work. Among other things, artist Emma Dominguez has made a powerful installation on the windows of the premises where she has photographs of the women who worked in the laundry for 20 years. When the sun shines in through the windows, the faces and hands of the washerwomen are reflected in the room.

“This time of Corona has opened up new opportunities and creates new bridges between art and private players such as the real estate company that now supports our project and that because of these circumstances, suddenly has access to more empty premises. There is a big need for greater diversity in culture with more hands-on experiences for both the public and the creators. Together we need to create even more places where people can meet, exchange ideas and start new collaborations. We hope that Misschiefs generates a positive impetus and inspires others,” says Paola Bjäringer, design producer, curator and founder of Misschiefs and Misschiefs Takeover.

Auktionsverket showing new contemporary design
During Summer Design Week 2020, the auction house, Stockholms Auktionsverk, will be presenting a unique exhibition with a number of objects designed by alumni students from some of Sweden’s leading design schools. The items will then be sold at an auction during the week. Beckmans College of Design, Svensk Form and Ung Svensk Form, together with Stockholmsmässan, have initiated this exhibition and auction with the aim of presenting some of Sweden’s newly established designers who graduated between 2015-2020.

Bukowskis x Summer Design Week
Exciting design objects and unique works of art in an online auction featuring items from 19 well-known and established designers who, in different ways, have been recognised and awarded for their work both in Sweden and internationally. The objects are in different types of materials, some unique and others have been in production. The items are done with different techniques – mouth-blown glass, ceramics from the wheel, recycled hand-woven textiles, carved wood, steel and iron. Some names to mention, among others, are Jenny Nordberg, Aia Jüdes, Nick Ross, Färg & Blanche, Fredrik Paulsen, Åsa Jungelius and Folkform. The auction will be launched on Bukowskis.com on August 17 at 10:00 am and ends on August 26, 2020. The items can be seen at www.bukowskis.com

Events, addresses and opening hours
To view the entire event calendar, addresses and opening hours for Summer Design Week, visit: https://www.stockholmdesignweek.com

“Summer Design Week will be much smaller this year, for obvious reasons, but what is on offer in the coming week is of a really high calibre. We believe and hope that Stockholm will be bubbling with activity from suppliers and buyers during the week with an energy that we all need right now,” concludes Lotta Ahlvar.

For more information, please contact:
Elin Lervik, press contact Stockholmsmässan, elin.lervik@stockholmsmassan.se, +46 (0)760 12 88 00