Stockholm Furniture Fair Talks: Crafting the future

Stockholm Furniture Fair Talks brings together leading voices in design and architecture in a program created with PIN-UP Magazine and Disegno Journal. The program features the likes of Patricia Urquiola, Faye Toogood, Bethan Laura Wood and Joseph Grima, as well as Formafantasma and Industrial Facility. The program also enriches the dialogue with a series of panel discussions, offering diverse perspectives on the world of design.

This year’s Stockholm Furniture Fair Talks, offering five days of keynotes, Q&A’s and panel discussions, is partly curated in collaboration with PIN-UP Magazine (US) and Disegno Journal (UK). With more than 50 speakers lined up, the program aims to spark inspiring conversations and promote dialogue.

Diverse design perspectives at Stockholm Furniture Fair Talks
The Stockholm Furniture Fair Talks brings together thought leaders and design pioneers on the stage at the fair. The architect, writer and curator Joseph Grima leads a session on sustainability with, amongst others, Therese Hillman, CEO of Network of Design (NOD), and Hilda Rantanen, CEO of Materialisting, which is launching at the fair. PIN-UP Magazine lead conversations on SOFTNESS and STRICTNESS in design with panelist’s such as Marcia Harvey Isaksson, NM3 and Fredrik Öst from Snask. They also moderate a talk with the designer and artist Bethan Laura Wood. Other discussions, led by 100-gruppen and TMF, focus on circular economy transitions and circular design. On the public day the Farming Architects panel discusses sustainable building with contributors such as Jordens Arkitekter and Osprey Farm Studio. There is also a series of short individual talks with designers Fredrik Paulsen and Gustaf Westman, and the interior designer Lotta Agaton.

Highlights from Stockholm Furniture Fair Talks

PIN-UP Magazine Keynote: Visionary creativity with Patricia Urquiola
Architect and industrial designer Patricia Urquiola, who holds the honour of being the first Guest of Honour when the concept was introduced at Stockholm Furniture Fair in 2004, makes a much-anticipated return this year. This special session will feature Urquiola’s visionary approach to design. Following the keynote, a Q&A session led by Felix Burrichter, architect and founder of PIN-UP Magazine, and James Taylor-Foster, writer and architectural designer, will provide attendees with an exclusive opportunity to delve deeper into the themes discussed.
February 6th 3 pm, The Yellow Thread bar & stage area, Hall A

PIN-UP Magazine Keynote: Transformative design with Formafantasma
The research-based Milan design studio Formafantasma, led by Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin and recognised as this year’s Guest of Honour, will delve into the design discipline with a unique ecological, social and political lens, and investigate contemporary design’s potential for transformation. With major exhibitions such as Cambio at London’s Serpentine Gallery, Formafantasma has played a vital role in changing contemporary design practice. Following their presentation, a Q&A with Burrichter and Taylor-Foster will further explore Formafantasma’s influential practice. The talk is a collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute in Stockholm
February 6th 11 am, The Yellow Thread bar & stage area, Hall A

Disegno Journal Keynote: Design as excavation with Faye Toogood
British designer Faye Toogood, acclaimed for her interdisciplinary approach, describes her practice as a form of excavation, unearthing elementary forms within material that draw from natural landscapes and history. In her talk and a Q&A with Oli Stratford, editor-in-chief of Disegno Journal, Toogood will delve into her creative process, examining the way in which she moves between fashion, furniture and sculpture, and the common approach that binds all of her work together.
February 8th 11 am, The Yellow Thread bar & stage area, Hall A

Disegno Journal Keynote: Design methodology with Industrial Facility
Designers Sam Hecht and Kim Colin, the founders of Industrial Facility, have become known within the industry for the depth and rigour of their research process – new products emerge through meticulous study of a project, its context, ambitions and constraints. In this Q&A with Stratford, Hecht and Colin will peel back the curtain on their process, exploring what it means to produce meaningful, conscientious products in the 21st century.
February 8th 2 pm, The Yellow Thread bar & stage area, Hall A

Disegno Journal Conversations: The role of reclamation and narrative in design innovation
Reclamation and narrative emerge as pivotal strategies for future innovation, a central theme that Disegno Journal Conversations will illuminate. On February 8th, designers Jenny Nordberg, Akanksha Deo Sharma and Marco Campardo will join a panel moderated by Oli Stratford to discuss Salvage: How can we build from existing things, exploring the transformative power of repurposing materials in response to ecological challenges and the quest for authenticity. The following day, the conversation continues with Research and Performance – The Designer as Anthropologist, where Sammy Bernoussi of Hall.Haus, Anna Holmquist of Folkform and Mira Bergh Edenborg and Josefin Zachrisson of Swedish Girls will engage in a dialogue about the anthropological approach in design, emphasising storytelling and the uncovering of hidden narratives through their creative practice.
February 8th 1 pm and February 9th 1 pm, Stockholm Furniture Fair Talks – The Yellow Thread bar & stage area, Hall A

Find Stockholm Furniture Fair Talk’s program here

Stockholm Furniture Fair 2024 will take place 6-10 February 2024.

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