Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023

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Since its first edition in 2015, Norwegian Presence has brought the best of Norway’s design, craft and manufacturing to Milan Design Week. Learn more about Norwegian presence at Milan Design Week 2023, April 18 – 23.

Norwegian Presence is back in Brera for Milan Design Week with a roster of inspiring new designs from Norway’s most exciting independent makers and creative studios.

In a beautiful new venue at Via Pietro Maroncelli 2, styled by Kråkvik & D’Orazio and Bjørn van den Berg, this year’s exhibition gives visitors an opportunity to discover innovative new products and gain an insight into Norway’s material-minded and collaboration-driven creative culture.

The appreciation for design and craft across the Nordic region is well documented, and their longstanding affinity with high-quality, well-designed objects for the home has gained its countries the worldwide design-savvy reputation they hold to date. But as well as relying on the past, the Nordics understand the value of investing in their future design stars by means of grants, programs, and – especially in the case of “Norwegian Presence” – exhibitions.

A perennial highlight of the festival, the annual showcase offers a unique insight into Norwegian creative culture, and the values, infrastructure and materials that shape it. Returning to Milan for a ninth edition, Norwegian Presence’s exhibition is a celebration of honest materiality, circular design practice, and collaborative creativity.

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023, continues below image

Related: Tailormade Tableware Design From Norway

Here are the 11 Norwegian designers set to make waves at Milan Design Week 2023.

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023
Ann-Kristin Einarsen. Photo Calle Huth

Ann

Ann Kristin Einarsen’s XO flowerpot is much more than a good-looking object. Made up of a ceramic pot and an aluminum base, the self-watering aspect enables plants to absorb water through wicks on the bottom of the pot, with its name deriving from the respective shapes of the two individual elements.

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023XO flowerpot by Ann Kristin Einarsen

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023
Anna Maria Ofstedal. Photo: Novool

Anna

For the Juv dining table, Anna Maria Øfstedal Eng used a chainsaw to hand-carve shapes from Norwegian ash. Textures and silhouettes have been inspired by the country’s valleys and mountain gorges, as seen in the curved tabletop intended to be reminiscent of rock formations.

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023Juv dining table by Anna Maria Øfstedal Eng

Related: Nomadic Designer From Norway

Ida

A traditional weaving technique known as ‘halvdreiel’ has been reinterpreted to create Ida Hagen’s “Fiber Lines” collection. Made up of three handwoven textiles, the pieces can be used for blankets, room dividers, bedspreads, or sound-absorbing and heat-insulating wall decorations, with colors inspired by the Northern Lights.

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023Fiber Lines by Ida Hagen

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023
Jomi Evers

Jomi

Furniture maker Jomi Evers has, quite literally, brought modularity to the table with this design. Named “Layer”, the concept sees basic components that can be assembled and disassembled into a number of configurations, in a wide variety of color combinations. “This way, it adapts to its user’s needs, rather than requiring the purchase of a brand new piece of furniture,” the designer says.

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023Layer by Jomi Evers

Live Berg

Live

The clay used to make this mug, bowl, and container was sourced from a construction site in the Fredensborg area of Oslo, while the shapes expressed are inspired by its surrounding architecture. The collaboration saw Osloleire (made up of ceramicist Tonje Paus and designer Bobby Petersen) create freehand pieces based on models by product designer Live Berg.

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023Souvenir by Live Berg + Osloleire

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023
Martin Høgh Olsen

Martin

The One stool and the Two bench have been designed by Martin Høgh Olsen to be as versatile as possible – without compromising on aesthetics. Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, the designs are made from a combination of aluminum and Kvadrat textiles.

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023One and Two by Martin Høgh Olsen

Related: Norwegian Award-Winning Design Company

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023
Noidoi

Noidoi

Noidoi – a studio headed up by Kathrine Lønstad and Cosmin Cioroiu – are turning a utilitarian object into a sculpture with “Rede”. Translating to ‘nest’ in English, the design can be used as a trivet or as a small platter. Crafted from cast stoneware, it is available in two sizes and sees tactile textures across its surface.

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023Rede by Noidoi

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023
Studio Sløyd

Studio Sløyd

Studio Sløyd is made up of Herman Ødegaard and Mikkel Jøraandstad. Both fascinated with materials, the pair used the “Roggbif” project as a chance to create something from birch, but experiment with the wood’s capabilities to ensure longevity. By using a through-coloring process rather than simply applying a hue to the surface, the designs will survive years of wear and tear.

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023Roggbif by Studio Sløyd

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023
Stine Aas

Stine

Stine Aas and Siv Støldal have blended the worlds of furniture and fashion with their C2S armchair, which combines an industrial-looking steel frame and handmade wool felts. The textile has been made from the wool of the Norwegian Spælsau sheep, which is often seen as low value and commercially unattractive – spurring Aas and Støldal to elevate it through their collaborative design.

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023C2S by Stine Aas + Siv Støldal

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023
Aleksander Svingen

Svingen

Svingen Arkitektkontor founder Aleksander Svingen met collaborator Wu Xian while the pair were studying at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design. Drawing upon their different cultural backgrounds, they began to embark on collaborative projects – one of which, “Kringsjå”, will be on show at the exhibition. Made from locally sourced pine, the piece was born after the designers were refurbishing a 1980s terraced house in Oslo and decided to design a stool for the hallway.

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023Kringsjå by Svingen

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023
Tobias Berg

Tobias

Minimalism prevails in the case of Kollen – an armchair designed by Tobias Berg. With a name selected in reference to a Norwegian ski jumping hill named “Holmenkollen”, Kollen combines bent aluminum sheets with a soft seat upholstered in wool bouclé fabric from Kvadrat.

 

 

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023Kollen by Tobias Berg

Norwegian Presence at Milan Design Week 2023, compiled by Tor Kjolberg

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Journalist, PR and marketing consultant Tor Kjolberg has several degrees in marketing management. He started out as a marketing manager in Scandinavian companies and his last engagement before going solo was as director in one of Norway’s largest corporations. Tor realized early on that writing engaging stories was more efficient and far cheaper than paying for ads. He wrote hundreds of articles on products and services offered by the companies he worked for. Thus, he was attuned to the fact that storytelling was his passion.