Theme:
THRIVING

Thriving means being comfortable in the world. Having a general sense of vigour, drive, agency and enjoyment of life*.

This state seems to be under pressure under the impact of Covid and national lockdowns, the war in Ukraine, earthquakes, mass-shootings, economic uncertainty and climate change. New headlines speak of one global calamity after another, and a growing number of people are struggling with loneliness, stress and depression.

To address this state of affairs, Formkraft turns its gaze to the wider world to see how craft and design can help promote thriving and well-being.

What qualities can craft and design bring to the settings where vulnerable citizens receive care, treatment and support? How do designers and makers approach universal design? What is the value of craft and design during times of crisis?

Formkraft examines how makers and designers contribute to thriving and well-being in our welfare society. There are many great examples to highlight:

In 2021, the special-needs residential centre Fenrishus engaged in a collaborative project with Artboost to launch a series of craft and art projects. Curator Signe Sylvester tells us about the project and the value it generated for the centre’s residents and their loved ones.

The Royal Danish Academy presents a special exhibition with selected projects submitted by the academy’s research and teaching staff and its students. The exhibition, which opens on 15 September 2022, is titled Adfærd-Velfærd: Hvordan kan arkitektur og design give bedre sundhed og velfærd? (Behaviour – Welfare: How can architecture and design lead to better health and welfare?). Formkraft takes a closer look at exhibition projects with a focus on sensuous and material qualities.

Universal design is a key concept today, but many makers still struggle to see how they can contribute when private or public foundations issue calls for projects related to universal design. Curator and writer Anni Nørskov Mørch delves into this issue in Formkraft.

A few of the upcoming articles go beyond the main theme. The editors have invited the Norwegian art and architecture historian Ingrid Halland to write about two recently opened museums: Designmuseum Danmark and the National Museum in Oslo. How do the two museums tell the story of craft and design? What choices did they make in terms of what to include and what to leave out? Is there a particular Nordic story? What does the future hold?

Follow this site, where the articles will be released in August, September and October 2022.

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Enjoy!

We thank the Embassy of Norway, Bergiafonden and the Danish Arts Foundation for their support.

*the Danish-language encyclopedia Den Store Danske