‘Our primary focus is on Danish design. The museum collects objects, graphics, and design processes spanning from the late Middle Ages to the present day. We function as a museum, archive, and library, so we cover literature on design, process materials, works, and products.’
What the museum collects must be preserved for eternity – and it must be relevant both to the present and to posterity. Especially in recent years, the museum has focused on works that engage with sustainability, craftsmanship, and design processes. ‘We collect what is innovative, exemplary, and original – and we assess the idea, function, form, choice of materials, and the societal context,’ says Christian Holmsted Olesen.
Three New Works – Three Different Stories
Designmuseum Danmark’s latest acquisitions clearly demonstrate the breadth of the museum’s interests – and how function, materials, and concept all play a role in the selection.
One of the newest works is Sun Disc (2025), an acoustic panel by architect and textile object researcher Cecilie Bendixen. The work combines function and aesthetics and was donated by the C. L. David Foundation.
Another example is the Järpen lounge chair, designed by Niels Gammelgaard for IKEA in 1983. An iconic example of tubular steel industrial design, the chair was donated by the designer himself.
The third work, Point of View (2023) by Maria Bang Espersen, is a glass sculpture that challenges the viewer’s perception of the material. Espersen manipulates the molten glass so it resembles boiled sweet mixture, offering a critical and sensory exploration of the material’s possibilities. This work was donated by the Friends of the Designmuseum.
Donations and fundings play key roles
The decision on which works enter the collection is not made by one person alone. ‘It’s a shared responsibility among the museum’s art and design specialists,’ says Olesen. ‘We discuss and decide together – and I honestly can’t recall a time when we’ve disagreed.’
New acquisitions are often made possible through donations and support from foundations. “We receive many valuable donations from private individuals, businesses – and especially from foundations,” Olesen explains. The museum’s friends association also contributes to the acquisition of works.
A Matter of Knowledge – Not Just Taste
With thousands of potential works out there, the task of choosing what to acquire might seem overwhelming. But according to Christian Holmsted Olesen, the process becomes quite clear when approached from a critical and professional standpoint.
‘When you use a method based on knowledge, experience, and critical evaluation, it becomes clear which works truly matter. You might say we are a museum of taste – but I prefer to say we are a museum of knowledge,’ he says. ‘Philosopher Immanuel Kant said that taste is built on experience – but also that things possess an inherent quality. It’s that knowledge we try to pass on, so that together we can create a better future through better design.’
