Most visitors come to 3daysofdesign, Copenhagen’s increasingly impactful contribution to the international design-fair and events calendar, expecting to see clean-lined Danish modernism—or at least subtle contemporary interpretations of this rich, if at times overplayed, legacy. As the citywide happening continues to grow, however, an expanded view of what is actually being produced in Copenhagen and across the other Scandinavian countries is coming to the fore.
Amplifying this more well-rounded and inclusive understanding is multinational, full-service creative agency Redgert Comms. Foraying into exhibition curation and design for the first time, the holistically minded company mounted The Redgert Edit, a string of cleverly cohered vignettes showcasing a diverse raft of contemporary talents working across sectors, many of whom the platform represents.
What these contextually charged displays revealed is that Scandinavian design is about much more than austere wood assemblies or rationalized forms. Throughout, there was evidence of bold experimentation in process, material, and color, as well as typological divergence that pushed past conventional limitations of what constitutes furniture, fashion, fragrance, and even fine art.
“The creative industry is going through a very interesting shift right now, where the lines between design, fashion, art, and culture are becoming increasingly blurred,” says Liam Möller, Senior PR Account Executive. “We’re seeing a new generation of independent designers building strong visual languages and direct relationships with their audiences, far beyond traditional structures.”
With The Redgert Edit, Möller and his team wanted to create a platform that felt contemporary, reflecting this shift in the zeitgeist while remaining inclusive and culturally relevant to the way design is actually experienced and consumed today.
“Our two-floor showroom in central Copenhagen is an intrinsic aspect of Redgert’s local presence,” says Julia Haugland, Country Manager Denmark. “During 3daysofdesign, it becomes a natural meeting point where we invite creatives, media, and industry professionals to experience the designers in a more intimate and curated setting.”
Placed on carpet tiles produced by innovative Swedish brand Bolon, each vignette incorporated one-off furniture pieces, lighting, and accessories. Included were works by Gustav Winsth, Alexander Lervik, and Niklas Runesson, multivalent independent talents working at the intersection of traditional brand collaboration and self-initiated collectible design. Kajsa Melchior bypasses the constraints of function to blur the boundaries between object and sculpture in her interpretations of geological formations. Equally multidisciplinary talent Erik Bratsberg lent both experimental furnishings and layered wall sculptures.
Emma Stocklassa’s inflated aluminum pillows extended in use from smaller catch-all containers to wall-mounted mirrors and stools. Copenhagen-based 3D-printing practice 91-92 also riffs on the visual perception of soft form. Revered artist Fredrik Nielsen is known for implementing southern Sweden’s rich glassblowing tradition in playful, ironic vessels and other object typologies. Harriet Allure is a fragrance brand combining the perceived warmth of Ghana, the precision of Germany, and the minimalism of Sweden.
Taken together, the Redgert Edit made a persuasive case for Scandinavian design as a living, unruly ecosystem rather than the minimalism many audiences have come to expect. Here, material intelligence and restrained form still had their place, but were joined by irreverence, cross-disciplinary thinking, and a willingness to let objects operate with provocation.
For Redgert Comms, the exhibition was also a confident expansion of its own role within that ecosystem. By leveraging its communications expertise to generate a physical, thoughtfully layered environment, the agency created a setting where emerging and established voices could be encountered as part of a wider cultural conversation.
