Hasta La Ideas

Iceland happens to be almost exactly 1,000 miles from the Baltic Sea as the crow flies, but it is an honorary member of region for the intents and purposes of an noteworthy exhibition at the Nordic House in Reykjavík. On view from March 13–31 at the Alvar Aalto-designed cultural center, DesignMarch was the occasion for the fourth iteration of Roundabout Baltic, which has traveled to Tallinn and Riga since its debut in Malmö in June 2016.

A well-curated survey of contemporary design from the eight countries that form the coastline of the body of water, curator Agnieszka Jacobson-Cielecka has duly seen fit to bring Iceland into the fold with projects from seven local studios, interspersed among the 60-odd other pieces from the northeastern corner of the Continental Europe. Mostly based in Reykjavík, the new contingent joins designers from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland in the ground-floor gallery space of the Nordic House.

From left: “Nouvelle Vague” by Lisa Hilland (SE); “Cavi” side table by Rikke Frost for Bolia (DK); “Sipp op Hoj!” hammock and swing by Thorunn Árnadóttir (IS); “Weave” cabinet by Ringvide (SE); lamp by Margrét Gudnadóttir (IS)

Clockwise from top left: “Deform” chair by Milena Krais (DE); “Tubo Motus” by Alicja Patanowska (PL); “Bendy” bench by Studio Fem (DK);

If the sparse snippets of wall text are any indication, Roundabout Baltic is an unapologetically auteuristic exhibition. Billed as “a personal narration of the curator,” the show “portrays the visual connection between the designers, their work and the seaside landscape etched into their creative sensitivity through design, usable and decorative objects.”

While the theme of nature can at times risk coming across as facile, Jacobson-Cielecka does well to present the motifs in varied permutations of material, palette, and craft. The objects are organized not by nationality or typology but rather landscape features such as sand dunes, beaches, and vegetation, as well as maritime touchstones such as fishing nets.

All told, it’s a strong showing of small-to-medium-scale work from independent studios, and if you’re not planning to be in Reykjavík before the end of the month, perhaps you can catch Roundabout Baltic in Gdynia or Stalowa Wola later this year.

From left: ceramics by Maria Kristofersson (SE); “Forefathers’ Eve” rug by Kosmos Project (PL); “Farming” pouf by Sampling (LV/BE); “Warm up Home” by Mare Kelpman (EE)

From left: “Touch of Blue” by Modus Design (PL); “Inblue” tableware by Monica Förster (SE) for Rörstrand; “Blue Line” by Modus Design; “Yacht” stools by Malafor (PL); “Float” carpet by Annike Laigo (EE) 

From left: “Warm up Home” by Mare Kelpman; “Meet the Wicker” basket by Chudy and Grase (DE/LT); “August” stool by Aamu Song & Johan Olin (FI/DE) for Nikari; “Earth Stone Wood” by Anna Bera

Installation view. Glass pieces, from left: “Plantation” by Alicja Patanowska; plates by Marija Puipaitè (LT); vessels by Hanna Krüger (DE) for Rosenthal. (Other pieces are identified in previous captions.)

Installation view. (Pieces are identified in other captions.)

From left: vessels by Pia Wüstenberg (DE) for Utopia&Utility; “RGB” by Hanna Krüger; “Pi-no-pi-no” vase by Maija Puoskari & Tuukka Tujula (FI) for New Works; “Aquarelle” side tables by Meike Harde (DE); “Mjölkpall” stool by Fredrik Paulsen (SE)

At left: “Bombay” vases by Anki Gneib (SE). (Other pieces are identified in previous captions.)

At center, from left: “Hnúturinn” by Helga Björg Jónasardóttir (IS); “Bow” chair by Lisa Hilland for Gemla; “Compiled” lamps by Sebastian Jansson (FI). (Other pieces identified in previous captions.)

Clockwise from top left: “Gesso” Lamps by Jonas Edvard (DK); “Biophilia” vessel by Stoft Studio (SE); “Nordic Mash Up” candle holders by 1+1+1 (FI /SE / IS); “Sirens” lamps and mirrors by Olga Bielawska (PL) for Trizo 21; “Concrete Meets Porcelain” by Raili Keiv (EE); vases & mirror by Chmara Rosinke (PL/AT)

Detail of vases & mirror by Chmara Rosinke

From left: “Bridge” armchair by Variant Studio (LV); “Naula” coatrack by Mikko Laakkonen (FI) for Inno; “Vanamo” pendant by Maija Puoskari (FI); “Zick Zack” side table by Olga Bielawska for No Sir; “Tripod” lamp by Ringvide