Reykjavík Grapevine - jún. 2020, Blaðsíða 16

Times like these call for cre-
ative thinking and the ability to
adapt—two qualities arguably
best found in the design commu-
nity. From leading the way in in-
novation of sustainable materials,
to radically rethinking household
items, the winners of this year’s
design awards have proved that
they have their gaze firmly fixed
on the future.
As ever, the huge array of ex-
citing projects launched this year
by Icelandic designers has made
our judges' lives very difficult, but
after careful deliberation, here it
is—the long-awaited Reykjavík
Grapevine Design Awards:
Product Of The Year
Winner:
Ilmsturtan — Nordic Angan
Fragrance experts Sonja Bent and
Elín Hrund bring Iceland’s forests
into the home via what is essen-
tially an enormous essential oil
diffuser. Judges sang the praises of
Nordic Angan, explaining that “an
experience in the aroma shower
activates the senses,” immersing
users in the freshness of Icelandic
nature. The aroma shower is in-
spired by the Japanese concept of
‘shinrin-yoku’ or ‘forest bathing,’
popularised in the 1980s and said
to have numerous healing proper-
ties. It’s the product for 2020, the
unofficial year of self-care (be-
cause let’s face it there’s not much
else to do).
Runner-Up:
Blue/White Knock Down — Örn
Duvald
“Sustainable thinking at all lev-
els, from selection of material, to
space savings in transport, to us-
er-friendly composition,” said one
judge. Blue/White Knock Down
are self-assembly chairs made
out of compressed sheets of end
of life cotton. Örn Duvald’s ethi-
cal production values and ability
to transform recycled materials
into functional yet eminently styl-
ish pieces of furniture wowed the
judges. Watch out, IKEA.
Looking Forward To:
Face filter by Digital Sigga
Sigrí!ur Birna Matthíasdóttir’s
project is a thoughtful meditation
on the influence of social media
on our perception of ourselves
and those around us. She power-
fully explores the distorted view of
the world promoted on platforms
like Instagram. As the judges
put it, her work encapsulates “a
digital world where the boundary
between virtual reality and ‘real’
reality are becoming increasingly
blurred.”

Product Line Of The Year
Winner:
Trophy — Studio Flétta
Yesterday’s participation award is
today’s stylish new table. Studio
Flétta takes long-forgotten tro-
phies off dust-covered shelves to
transform them into, well, shelves
in their exciting homeware line.
“It’s always great when the up-
cycled material looks better after
then before the reuse,” said judges.
Runner-Up:
Corrugation Lights — Theodóra
Alfre#sdóttir and Tino Seubert
This exciting collaboration draws
on mid-century furniture design
and the technique of veneer form-
ing, to create bold lighting prod-
ucts, from hanging light panels to
wall sconces. Fun and functional,
these lights really impressed the
judges.
Looking Forward To:
FÓLK — Upcycled Textile Collection
Forwarding-thinking designers,
FÓLK‘s furniture collection ad-
dress the design industry’s waste
problems head on. They save left-
over cotton and wool from Dan-
ish textile company Kvadrat from
ending up in landfill, by trans-
forming it into sleek homeware –
that means your stylish new lamp
Culture
Grapevine Desi"n Awards 2020
The winners are here!
Words: Poppy Askham Photo: Provided by DesignMarch or the designers
16The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 04— 2020
Le# to right, this page: Corrugation lights, Melur, Trophy, Fólk, Ilmsturtan, useee

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