Design in Scandinavia

“Show me the possessions and I will show you the man”. This variation of an old saying is sometimes quoted in Scandinavia when discussing the furnishing of private homes or public environments. One could also extend this to read “show me the products and I will show you the country”.

The Scandinavians now present a join exhibition of their goods, not only to show the world what kind of articles we produce, but also to reveal what kind of people we are. Exquisite silver or sturdy china from Denmark; a richly coloured “rya” rug or a functional chair from Finland; an enamel dish in glowing shades or a brightly pattered heavy sweater from Norway; a shimmering glass vase of high quality stainless steel cutlery from Sweden – all these are symbols of what we can produce in specific artistic fields and also of the high standard of the articles made for everyday use in our respective countries. These articles, primarily intended for use in the home, at work, and to a certain extent, in public surroundings, are of course only a small part of the varied selection produced by four industrial countries. Scandinavian Design also covers office and household equipment, electrical appliances, plastic goods and motor cars – i.e. an increasing proportion of the entire range of industrial products.

It is clear that the latter articles mentioned express the same essential ideals found in all high quality industrial production today. At the same time, however, there is justification in seeing in them the logical development of our earlier tradition. In other words, this exhibition should be regarded not only as a display of different aspects of a production programme but also as expressing a social and cultural concept as to how we should design the things around us in order to achieve the realization of “the good life”. Seen from this point of view, Scandinavian Design expresses a democratic and individual tradition of design, in contrast to the uniformity and monotony which so often result from the expansion of mass production.

Sourced from: Design in Scandinavia Stockholm, by Ulf Hard af Segerstad. Printed by V. Pettersons, Bokindustri AB, 1968