designmarch iceland 2012

top from left to right: ‘snail hook’ by ingibjörg hanna, ‘craddle’ by stefán pétur, ‘5 x pancake pan’ by kraum, ‘stool table’ by northeast 10 bottom from left to right: ‘text page’ by snæfríð þorsteins & hildigunnur gunnarsdottir, ‘ból. bench’ by tinna gunnarsdóttir, ‘vase’ by snaebjörn thór stefánsson, ‘hovering rug’ by katrín ólína & ‘lysa light’ by brynhildur guðlaugsdóttir

designboom recently traveled to iceland for this year’s 2012 designmarch. taking place in reykjavik, the most northern capital in the world, the city opened its doors showcasing numerous projects, exhibitions and workshops. ranging in products from art pieces, furnishings and items for the home, the young and emerging creative scene, developing a strong design culture based on its history, heritage and traditions. our design tour also included visits to several other locations such as the national gallery, grettisborg and kraum.

video © designboom

‘5 x pancake pan’ by kraum image © designboom

the icelandic pancake pan is considered the most coveted item in the family household, yet it has remained the same for the past 60 years. introduced by kraum and manufactured by malmsteypan hella, ‘5 x pancake pan’ is a project that looks at five new interpretations to its traditional handle. jewelry designer steinunn vala, industrial designer tinna gunnarsdóttir, product designer stefán pétur, graphic designer ingibjörg hanna and fashion designer sonja bent have developed a diverse range of grips that respond to the modern needs and wants of culinary users. the varying shapes and materials showcase designs that reflect an expression of individuality while maintaining a classic personality.

top pan by steinunn vala lower pan by sonja bent image © designboom

packaging image © designboom

‘the collection’ by northeast 10image © northeast 10

northeast 10 project is set in rural north and east iceland that works with the local community and industry to create products that are relevant to the resources in each region. fashion designers sigrún halla unnarsdóttir and agla stefánsdóttir collaborated with several other graphic and industrial designers to create a collection of items locally produced in the eastern part of the country. focusing on materials that are characteristic of the fjords, the products are made from rhyolite rock, larch wood, reindeer leather, felted wool and cast aluminum. all the items were presented at epal design store in reykjavik.

graphic designers snæfríð þorsteins and hildigunnur gunnarsdottir exhibited at crymogea ‘text page’, which was composed of large letter tablets that gave the user the opportunity to arrange and re-arrange their favorite sayings, passages or quotes. the piece references the history of typography where the traditional printing techniques of books and newspapers laid out individual letters in a mould by typesetters. resembling hymn or letter boards, the slabs come with a set of letters that when mounted play with light and shadow.

three dimensional typography