In the design world, old and new have a complicated relationship: While the past almost always informs the future, industry stalwarts are often on the hunt for what’s new and next. Enter Phoenix Forms, an exhibition during 3daysofdesign that closely examines the tension of time.
“The exhibition explores how forms, materials, and ideas move across time,” says Kajsa Willner, an industrial designer based in Malmö, Sweden. “How things return, change, and take on new meanings.”
Here, Willner created contemporary works that played off of time-honored pieces sourced from 14furniture, an antique store located in Copenhagen. In order to conduct a thought dialogue between old and new, Willner immersed herself in the Danish Golden Age.
“[It was] a period shaped by political upheaval, war, economic uncertainty, and the early stages of industrialization,” she explains. “This became the foundation for a series of new objects reflecting the conditions of our own time: Marked by war, polarization, and the rise of AI, a technological shift whose impact may prove as transformative as that of the Industrial Revolution.”
A 19th-century chair from Constantin Hansen, as well as light fixtures by M.G. Bindesbøll, cleverly juxtapose Willner’s copper-wrapped mirror and shou sugi ban-style vase. In doing so, the pieces prove that opposites do not only attract: They also inspire.
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, renewal is a key theme within the exhibition. During the exhibition, details like ornamentation and fire-treated techniques reappear in new, creative ways, proving that what’s old becomes new again.
Willner says her design perspective is driven by the idea that design can offer new perspectives on the defining questions of our time, all while helping us reconsider the cultural narratives that shape our collective future. Naturally, she hopes to keep the conversation going with Phoenix Forms. “We hope the exhibition can provide a counterpoint to the largely commercial landscape of 3daysofdesign, opening up a more reflective space for design,” she adds.
Photography by Robert Våhlström.
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