From HANDCRAFT to MINDCRAFT -
Sublime manifestation of Danish crafts and design at FuoriSalone in Milan

For the first time ever, Danish crafts and design are officially exhibited at FuoriSalone. The name of the event is MINDCRAFT, where 12 of Denmark’s top designers present their ideas on modern and innovative crafts and design. MINDCRAFT is organised by Danish Crafts and on display in ZONA TORTONA from 16 April 16-21 2008.

Danish crafts and design are bursting with creative and intellectual zest these years, expressed in a wave of innovative design characterised by high artistic quality. The development from traditional crafts and applied art to innovative and conceptual design has enabled the international breakthrough and the strong position on the international design scene that Danish crafts and design are currently experiencing.

In recent years, Danish crafts and design have received a number of international honours and awards. In 2005, Danish crafts won the award for ”best craftsmanship” at the design fair ICFF in New York, in 2006 Danish crafts were profiled through a successful collaboration with MoMA, and a recent collaboration with the Danish furniture maker Fritz Hansen has paved the way for international success for the participating craftspeople.

A soft bathtub and a luminescent damask table cloth
12 of Denmark’s leading and most talented young craftspeople and designers are involved in the MINDCRAFT exhibition. The 12 craftspeople and designers are exponents of the development from HANDCRAFT to MINDCRAFT that is currently changing Danish crafts from an area that is predominantly concerned with materials, techniques and utilitarian value to a phenomenon in the field of tension between art, crafts and design. MINDCRAFT applies an expanded concept of crafts and a conceptual approach to the field, which is reflected in the individual works as well as in the exhibition design. With its 12 unique brand-new and artistic works, the exhibition offers a view of Danish crafts and design right now.

This view includes digital bed linen, an inflatable bowl, a good-luck ring, aesthetic/grotesque figurines, a Styrofoam chair, a huge felt boulder, a luminescent damask table cloth, a soft bathtub, a ceramic rack, a clothes tree, a lower body mirror , and a laser-cut chair.

The exhibition has been organised by Danish Crafts, which is an information centre under the Danish Ministry of Culture with the overall goal of highlighting, promoting and increasing turnover for Danish crafts in Denmark and abroad. The Danish architect Karen Kjærgaard is the exhibition curator and designer.

The 12 participating Danish designers are ceramicist Anders Ruhwald, ceramicist Christin Johansson, ceramicist Louise Hindsgavl, textile designer Pernelle Fagerlund, textile designer Astrid Krogh, textile designer Dorte Agergaard Jensen, furniture designer Louise Campbell, furniture designer Ditte Hammerstrøm, designer Cecilie Manz, designer Ole Jensen, goldsmith Kim Buck, and goldsmith Carolina Vallejo.

Internationally acknowledged designers in MINDCRAFT
All the designers who have been selected for MINDCRAFT are internationally acknowledged.

Furniture designer Louise Campbell numbers the Italian furniture manufacturer Zanotta among her clients as well as several Danish manufacturers including Royal Copenhagen, Holmegaard, Louis Poulsen and Hay Cph.

Ceramicist Ole Jensen is world-renowned for his rubber washing-up bowl, which was launched by Danish Crafts, and which is now manufactured by Normann Copenhagen. The bowl is very successful throughout the world. Ole Jensen also designed the tableware Familia for Normann Copenhagen and the tableware Ole for Royal Copenhagen.

Designer Cecilie Manz designed the lamp Caravaggio for the Danish lighting manufacturer Light Years as well as the glass series Minima for Holmegaard.

MINDCRAFT is on display at 55, Via Savona in Zona Tortona.

Additional information about MINDCRAFT is available from Press Secretary Dorthe Rud Michaelsen or Director Birgitte Jahn, tel. +45 3312 6162.