These thoughts came during the exhibition course in HDK. We are preparing for the Stockholm furniture fair 2012. I looked into the design history together with my experience of my life in Sweden, about how Sweden formed its modern design. Carl Larsson, Ellen Key.. They set the root for the Swedish people's forever relationship with their homes.
Yes, I'd like to assume, Swedish modern design begins from every ordinary people's home. All these time I have been curious, why every single Swedish People care so much about their home decorations. From the very first day I came in this country, I have noticed this is like a national hobby. Hobby shops, material shops all over the city, crowded design store, all reflect a common enthusiasm about handcraft and home decorations. No wonder this country have the big international brand IKEA just for home products. Like Ellen Key says, every worker is a potential artist, Swedish design is meant to make everyday life beautiful for ordinary people. Ellen Key says in her book" beauty in the home" already at the beginning of the last century: “New aethetic sensibility must begin in the domestic setting". "The beautiful, is that which is practical, useful, informed by its purpose, and expressive of the soul of the user or creator." "All people need to create beautiful surroundings for themselves, and this creation begins in the home." "If beauty exists in the home, lives will be transformed, and so, ultimately will every aspect of society." The spirit lies in the core value of their culture identity. That is "Hem". Those values are embedded in this culture, they are still true for nowadays Swedish society. But the new modern life has changed the surroundings of the culture. Mobility, fast modern living pace and lack of emotional links. Everybody lives in some kind of individuality. It is especially true for the young generations. Globalization means, you are more connected to the world, at the same time you are more easily drifting away from your home, from where you belong. We are all kind of "ROOTLESS". You are individual and seperate from your surroundings. The lack of belonging and a feeling of floating take control of your life. You don't know where you are gonna stay for a reasonably long time or it is just a stop of your life journey. You wonder, the laughing people surrounding you now, will they disappear tomorrow like they have never been here. Life is full of packing and unpacking. You have a list of"must have", "whatever" and "throw away." You don't know when and where you are gonna "TAKE ROOT", like a flying balloon catched by a tree. You dare not buy heavy and expensive antiques or have too much emotional links to something big because you are afraid in case next time of moving you have to throw them away. So cheap and flexible IKEA seems the best solution. However, put the everyday necessity aside, there must be some emotional objects you ought to carry with you all the time. " a security blanket", " a portrait of lover", "a childhood toy", "a ticket to mars"...They are there because of the emotional links, because they create a feeling of belonging, a feeling of home. Where I put "you", I mean "me". If you share the same "rootless" feeling, I would very much to hear your voices. We are talking about collective arent we? I am now ready to collect you rootless people's emotional murmurs. (I remember Miss Salla have some speech about it..and Astrid too?..) 1. What is "home" to you? (In this subject, there have been lots of famous people's quotes: “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” Robert Frost quotes (American poet, 1874-1963) “I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.” Maya Angelou quotes (American Poet, b.1928) “He is the happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe quotes (German Playwright, Poet, Novelist and Dramatist. 1749-1832) “Home is not where you live, but where they understand you” Christian Morganstern quotes) 2. What will you take if tomorrow's doomed and we are leaving for Mars? Name one or some.(If you tell me whyyy...I will save you a ticket :) We're all born alone but...let's PARTY! http://exhibitingthecollective.tumblr.com/post/13796275886/hem-a-sharing-of-thoughts
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