Once again the Felton Bequest acquired by the National Gallery of Victoria in 1952 provides much of the body of work presented in this soon-to-open exhibition of Scandinavian design of the 1920s to 1960s.
Fritz Hansen, Alvar Aalto, Georg Jensen, Marimekko, A. Michelsen are only a few of the well known designers represented in this dispay of ceramics, glass, silverware, furniture, textiles and lighting which opens February 28 and runs until December 31, 2015.
Nordic Cool marks the first time that the Gallery’s holdings of Nordic design have been shown in their entirety, and will include two significant new acquisitions of lighting design by the famous Danish designer Poul Henningsen. These will be presented as part of interior ‘vignettes’, including a dressing room complete with Marimekko dress and Hans Wegner’s 1950 Valet chair.
Nordic Cool will also explore the strong furniture tradition in Scandinavian design through more than a dozen chairs, including Alvar Aalto’s Armchair 41, a 1930s design classic that demonstrates the radical possibilities of moulded birch plywood.
The exhibition is open 10am-5pm, but closed on Tuesdays. Entry is free. A series of public programs will accompany the exhibition including free curator floor talks. Visit ngv.vic.gov.au for further information.