Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.10.2007, Qupperneq 24

28 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 16 2007 | Article
The interior design exhibition and trade show
‘Home and Design’ takes place for the second time
at the new Laugardalshöll Hall, October 19 - 21. As
part of the three-day design fiesta this year, a spe-
cial area inside the Laugardalshöll showroom will
be dedicated to Icelandic contemporary design.
The space, entitled ‘Brum,’ will feature designs by
approximately 30 local designers who get the op-
portunity to introduce their products to the public,
shop owners and production companies. Unlike
most design exhibitions, all the products will also
be for sale.
Brum is a collaborative project between Ice-
land Design Forum (Hönnunarvettvangur) and Ice-
land Convention Event Management (Íslandsmót)
who got the brilliant idea to turn the space into a
small shop. The designers Guðfinna Mjöll Magnús-
dóttir and Brynhildur Pálsdóttir were hired as cura-
tors and shop managers and are now busy design-
ing the space, collecting new designs and creating
a unique treasure chest for selective shoppers.
Designers Premiere Unique Products
The shop, which will only be open for three days,
features various designs by both up-and-coming
and established local designers. The idea is to
present a unique buffet of new and fresh designs
where guests can find everything from accessories
to household tools and decorative items. Guests
can view a diverse selection and if they happen to
see something they like, they get the opportunity to
buy the items on the spot.
“I don’t think that there has ever been an exhi-
bition like this one in Iceland which also is a shop.
That’s very exciting,” says Brynhildur and adds that
most of the products they picked out will be availa-
ble for the first time this particular weekend. For the
occasion, some of the designers will also introduce
brand-new products the public has never seen be-
fore. These include kitchen utensils by Ragnheiður
Tryggvadóttir, a new porcelain collection by Katrín
Pétursdóttir, handbags by Hrafnhildur Guðrúnardót-
tir and handmade headpieces by Thelma Björk
Jónsdóttir, who premieres her summer 2008 collec-
tion at Brum, which she designed in collaboration
with Hrafnhildur Guðrúnardóttir. For the first time
in Iceland, Brum will also sell new Icelandic fonts
designed by Gunnar Þór Vilhjálmsson, ready to be
installed on the computer.
“We wanted to create a very special atmos-
phere and an interesting experience for the guests.
We carefully choose all the items and want people
to enjoy browsing through the selection and at the
same time understand that Icelandic designs are
quality products and totally unique,” says Guðfinna.
Both she and Brynhildur will work in the shop and
assist everyone who wants to take a look around
or do some shopping. “I think it is very important
that the customers can get to know the designer
who designed the product they want to buy. Get to
know all the background, what fabrics were used
and what inspired the designer when creating the
product. As we picked out all the items ourselves
we know the whole history,” she adds.
New Opportunities for the Industry
Although Icelandic designers are growing in
number and the market for Icelandic design get-
ing bigger, they tell me it hasn’t been easy to find
enough products to fill the shop.
“This is a tricky and challenging project be-
cause a very small part of Icelandic design is actu-
ally in production,” Guðfinna explains and contin-
ues: “Hopefully this will soon change and Icelandic
design made more accessible to the public. There
are so many great things going on today and sev-
eral companies could work closely with Icelan-
dic designers and benefit from such cooperation.
Brum is supposed to be an encouragement for that
to happen.”
When asked why such a small part of Icelan-
dic design is produced, Brynhildur says: “It is both
an expensive and time consuming process. The
market is small, the environment is unfavourable
and designers don’t have many production com-
panies to choose from.” They furthermore say that
an exhibition like this one will undoubtedly have
a significant meaning for local designers and can
hopefully create new opportunities.
“Production companies and shop owners can
view new products, get in contact with the design-
ers and perhaps get the products in production.
That’s the goal. At the same time Brum will also
show what is going on in Icelandic design today,”
Brynhildur explains. Although the market in Ice-
land is still relatively small, they say that the indus-
try gets bigger every year and a growing number
of designers can today design for a living. “We of
course think that design can be a much bigger part
of the Icelandic economy in the future. An exhibi-
tion like Brum is supposed to motivate designers
and urge them to make things become a reality. The
opportunities are endless and they can be found
everywhere. It’s only a question about how they are
used,” Guðfinna adds.
Text by Steinunn Jakobsdóttir
A Buffet of Quality Icelandic Designs
“This is a tricky and chal-
lenging project because a
very small part of Icelan-
dic design is actually in
production.”
Left: A handbag by Hrafnhldur Guðrúnardóttir.
Right: Kitchen untensils by Ragnheiður
Tryggvadóttir..
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It’s the journey
- not the destina ion ÍSLENSKA/S
IA
.I
S
/H
E
R
3
78
58
0
5/
07
Enjoy every second of your stay by exploring the beau y
of Iceland and taking advantage of our easy, saf nd
practical services in Iceland.
Se foss