Light works: SFF 2018

Every year, Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair draws approximately 40,000 visitors of which around 10,000 are foreign buyers, architects, designers and journalists from more than 60 countries. About 700 companies, including 300 international, set up exhibitions in Stockholmsmässan’s 70,000 sqm. Around 80 percent of the exhibiting companies come from Scandinavia.

Every year, Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair invites a highly acclaimed international designer or design studio to create an installation in the entrance hall. This time the assignment has gone to the Italian architect, product designer, decorator and artistic director Paola Navone.

New for this year is that Design Bar, which combines an exhibition with a top-class restaurant, has been moved to Victoria Hall and integrated with Stockholm Design & Architecture Talks. Together, they will form a completely new area for conversations, food and meetings. Designer Luca Nichetto created the framing and the concept, Ratatouille Arena, and chef Lina Ahlin from Agrikultur in Stockholm created the menu.

The fair’s forum for knowledge and discussions within the area of design and architecture hosts influential guests such as Paola Navone, Piet Hein Eek, India Mahdavi, Penda and Assemble. This year’s theme is Visionary Thinking. An extra day has been added to Stockholm Design & Architecture Talks, and its program now covers five days. An up-to-date program is available at www.stockholmfurniturefair.com.

This year’s trend exhibition has been created by Christian Halleröd design, which designed store interiors for Acne Studios and Byredo, among others. The exhibition investigates themes such as real, fake and craftsmanship and is a collaboration with the Materials Library.

This exhibition highlights how architecture can contribute to democracy, and at the same time aims to stimulate discussion around this important topic. It’s a collaboration between SF&LF, the Swedish Association of Architects and the architecture-art-design collective MYCKET. Along with the exhibition you can listen to a panel discussion called “Aiming for democratic architecture”, a part of the fair’s seminar program, right here on stage.

To highlight the significance of Greenhouse, the fair’s area for unestablished designers, has been as a meeting place, the designer Nick Ross has been given the job of creating an exhibition, called Prologue. Another addition this year is the “Best Performance” award – a distinction awarded by the Greenhouse Jury. This year, there are 31 stands with independent designers and 32 design colleges from 13 different countries at Greenhouse.

SF&LF’s award – Editor’s Choice - will be handed out for the third year. The jury consists of editors-in-chief from several of Europe’s most important design forums. The award covers three categories: Rising Star, Best Stand and Best Product. The 2018 jury consists of Marcus Fairs, Dezeen; Adeline Seidel, Stylepark; Costas Voyatzis, Yatzer & Donatella Bollani, DOMUS.

Many visitors like the possibility of being able to purchase design objects at the fair. Pop Up Store will be run this year by stylist Soraya Forsberg and Lisa Karlsson, who runs the store, uMe. The store is open when the fair is open.

Opening Hours: Tuesday - Friday 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The public is also welcome on Saturday, February 10.

Updated information about the events arranged in Stockholm during Week 6 can be found at www.stockholmdesignweek.com.