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THE MAKING OF MODERN NORWAY (2018)

THE MAKING OF
MODERN NORWAY


MILAN DESIGN WEEK
2018

On the occasion of Milan Design Week 2018 Norwegian designer Sigve Knuston, represented by Side Gallery took part in the group exhibition Norwegian Presence. The 2018 edit aimed to explore “the making of modern Norway” through a collection of works, divided into three sections: design, craft and manufacture. Knuston was shown as part of the craft division, however his work has since become known to blur the lines between art, craft and design, especially as often his pieces take on functional roles. Sigve’s work is defined by an experimentation of materials, observing how humans have shaped materials throughout history as well as today, the designer seeks new discoveries as he carves wood and hammers metal, always improvising and investigating, he develops innovative techniques and forms.

"Sigve’s work is defined by an experimentation of materials, observing how humans have shaped materials throughout history as well as today"

A wooden chair similar to the piece exposed in Milan was shown by Side Gallery, amongst twelve other works from the young designer at Collectible Design Fair 2020. The gallery highlighted the craft like aesthetic of the collection yet and the same time emphasized the technical processes of the Norwegian designer’s work.

Designer image

Sigve Knutson (b. 1991, Norway) is an experimental designer based in between Oslo and Eindhoven.

He obtained an MA in Contextual Design at Design Academy Eindhoven in 2016. His practice is motivated by a drawing mentality and a fascination for the intuitive and playful rather than the smoothened and planned. Through a series of methods and material combinations that allows for intuition and spontaneous actions, he aims to make his objects in the same free-way as he would make a drawing.

His designs are reminiscent of ancient objects, hammered and shaped with basic tools, evoking thoughts of the stone and iron ages. His desire is to increase the viewers understanding of materials and their relationship with everyday objects. Knutson's integrates art and design, in terms of expression, the sculptural qualities of the works are often emphasized rather than the practical and functional ones. Knutson's works could be defined as studies of humanity: all of his products have been shaped by hand and result in a clear relationship between the human hand and body. In the creation of his pieces Knutson prefers to use old, even ancient materials, and he believes that primitive methods are a way of searching for a connection to the collective past of the humanity.

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