nordic reach issue 37

performance

Rocking out with invisible guitars in Oulu, FInland / p10

fashion

Scandinavia’s new class of avant-garde designers / p16

Best Man Up A New Classof Supernovae

OomIceland

Brand new fashions in some of Iceland’smost ancient sites / p22

A Quarterly of Scandinavia

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8 nordic reach

author: Ulf Mårtensson, Editor In-Chief address: P.O. Box 1710; New Canaan, CT

date: September 2011

subject: From Scandinavia with style

about the cover: Andrea Röfn photographed by Gunnar Svanberg at Seljalandsfoss, one of the most famous waterfalls of Iceland. Styled by Alda B / Make-up and hair by Frida Maria / Dress from Eyglo, trousers from Aftur and Parka from H&M

subscriptions: 1.800.827.9333

email: [email protected]

content: We represent a diverse Nordic-American community in America, and we simultaneously feature Scandinavian culture, design and lifestyles for a new audienceof interested Americans in the u.s. Art and fashion, architecture and design, technology and photography: All of these areas intersect and overlap in modern Nordic culture.Art rarely develops in isolation. The work of other people is key, and one of our greatest challenges is finding the right visuals to present a story – be it for travel stories where our travel editor Bo Zaunders truly excels or for interviews and profiles where we’ve been fortunate to work with some of the best Nordic names available in the u.s.and abroad. Kristofer Dan-Bergman’s greatest joy comes from photographing people he says, “because it is always different – the relationship between you and the person you are photographing is always changing.” The most powerful element at play is that of the unexpected, the unpredictable. Dan-Bergman’s photography has graced our pages many times over the years. You will be inspired by the tale of his becoming what he is and does in In Touch with Creativity. A constant of the Icelandic character and experience, from Leif Ericson’s day on, has been to seek new worlds to conquer. Our fashion photography team in Iceland follows that same tradition. As stylist Alda b and makeup and hair artist Frida Maria join forces with photographer Gunnar Svanberg, it’s as if the Icelandic sagas come alive. The rocky areas of the southern black beach and the Snaefjellsnes peninsula –often considered Iceland in miniature – have created an unusual fashion experience! Small wonder Norwegians, Danes and Swedes, seeking knowledge of their shared history, are all turning to Iceland, both for the rich Icelandic sagas and the truly ethereal scenery.This issue also introduces other talented young designers from the Nordic region as guest writer Ian Morales sets off on a quest to discover the region’s brightest young stars at the Copenhagen Fashion Show. The Finns have raised the sauna to an art form bordering on science – one they’ve shared with the Swedes but relatively few others. The Finns do have an almost missionary zeal when it comes to the saunas, however, so it’s no wonder the 2011 European Capital of Culture, Turku (Åbo in Swedish) features, among other things,a selection of exceptional sauna designs. To experience the natural beauty and rich history of southern Finland our travel editor Bo Zaunders took the Kings Road, the old postal route, dating back to the 14th century, from Helsinki to Turku. Finland’s summer calendar of silly offbeat contests, from mobile phone throwing to swamp football, ended in August with an international event, the International Air Guitar Championships in Oulu. Penelope Colston visited and ran into Chicagoan Nordic Thunder, whose performance earned him a second place at the international competition.

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Bo ZaundersJames Silverman

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no . 37 volume xxiv 9

Best Man Up

A New Class of Supernovae

Cover: from Iceland

On the King’s Road to Turku

In Touch With Creativity

Incidental Intelligence / Web Guide

Nascent Nordic News

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number 37, volume xxiv. contents

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from Ic

eland

In Touch With

Creativity

On the King’s Road

to Turku

10 nordic reach

c u lt u r e s h o c k p e r f o r m a n c e

ustin Howard has intelligent brown eyes, long coffee-colored hair and

a thick beard of the same hue. If it weren’t for his Viking horn, shredded faux-leather loincloth and matching corset, you could imagine him selling heirloom tomatoes at the local farmer’s market. But today, possibly the most exciting day of his life, he is competing in one of the world’s kookiest contests: the 2011 World Air Guitar Champion-ships in Oulu, Finland. “I’ve been air-guitaring my whole life, like for forever,” says Howard, who lives in Chicago. “To be here, in Finland… it’s very emotional. I’ve broken down several times since I got here.” Equal parts absurd, artistic and acrobatic, air guitar boasts a small but fanatical network of global devotees. Twenty-four countries on five conti-nents have had official air guitar com-petitions and sent winners to the world championship in Oulu, which has been going since 1996. In the United States, regional contests have been held in more than 20 cities, and a national final has been around since 2003.

The urge to write air guitar off as a freak show for attention-seekers is tempting, but misleading. Books have been written about it, university theses have been based on it, and documenta-ries have been made about it. This year, according to organizers, 15,000 fans watched the final on the world champi-onship website. (Last year that number was 3,000.) Air guitar supporters have even petitioned Olympic officials to include it as an event. Air guitar may be a sad form of musical pantomime to some, but its fans and practitioners embrace it with a religious-like zeal. “Yes, it’s silly. Yes, it’s absurd. But I have no shame whatsoever as an air guitarist,” says Howard, who is 28 and works as a video editor. “It’s the most freeing thing I have ever done in my life.” Howard’s air guitar persona is, ap-propriately, named “Nordic Thunder.” It has taken him five years of compet-ing in regional and national air guitar competitions – he won the US champi-onship in July – and two serious, air-gui-tar-induced injuries to make it to Oulu. His routine finds him head-banging at

Finland’s summer calendar of silly offbeat contests, from mobile phone throwing to swamp football ended with a truly international event, the International Air Guitar Championships in Oulu at the end of August. The Air Guitar World Championships 2011 saw a record number of female players and one of them, Aline “Devil’s Niece” Westphal from Germany brought home the championship.

best man upNordic Thunder of Chicago

j


c u lt u r e s h o c kp e r f o r m a n c e

12 nordic reach

lightning speed to “Dragonchaser,” by At Vance, a German heavy metal band, while his fingers race up and down the neck of an invisible guitar. A crowd of 7,000, which has been waiting in drizzle for several hours in Oulu marketplace, goes wild. If he makes it to the next round, Howard will have to perform a sponta-neous air guitar routine to a surprise song selected earlier by organizers. But first, he must get past Sylvain “Gunther Love” Quimene, of France, a 29-year-old Parisian who took the world champi-onship two years running, in 2009 and 2010. Copping raunchy and outrageous air-guitar poses for journalists and tele-vision crews backstage in his signature floor-length cape and gold leggings, the sinewy Frenchman clearly is a force to be reckoned with. But even the charismatic Quimene must be shaking in his gold high-tops. A quick working of the backstage area is enough to put to rest the notion that air guitar is the province of anti-social male metal-heads nursing their childhood Yngwie Malmsteen fantasies. Air guitar apparently draws competitors from all walks of life, and this year is no excep-tion: Quimene faces stiff competition in the form of air-guitaring students, art-ists and business professionals. There are even children who air guitar. Aapo Rautio, who came sixth in Oulu last year, performs as “Little Angus,” after legendary acdc guitar-ist Angus Young. Organizers called the cute 11-year-old Finn back to Oulu, his hometown, to perform at this year’s final. Little Angus did just that with an energetic routine to acdc’s “Fire Your Guns” wearing Young’s signature dress

of school uniform and cap. “It’s a little bit exciting,” he says, in English. “There was so many people in the audience. I was a little bit nervous.” But what has the global air guitar network buzzing most is the increas-ing number of women who are being drawn to a performance art that has historically been dominated by men. This year, a third of the 15 finalists were women, a rarity for the compe-tition, according to organizers, who donned the 2011 competition “a cel-ebration of the prettier sex.” One of them is Chelsie Jangord, How-ard’s girlfriend and a fellow Chicagoan. Dressed in a red 1960s square dancing dress, cowboy boots and a freakish Jac-queline Onassis mask, Jangord describes her look as “Loretta Lynn-meets-Satan.” She removes her mask to reveal a face of gothic-style makeup that could make Marilyn Manson feel plain. Jangord, who performs as “Can-nonball Mavin,” is an air-guitar newbie who entered the championship through the “Dark Horse” round, which allows random competitors to enter the world final at the eleventh hour and challenge contestants who got to Oulu by winning a national title. She got turned on to air guitar when she met Howard. “We started dating and I was totally converted,” says Jangord. “I wanted to do it because it looks so much fun.” Jangord is “very nervous, but not throw-up ner-vous,” as she stands backstage waiting for her cue. “The scariest thing about (air guitar) is not being able to hear the music when you’re on stage. You just get lost and you can’t find your place.” A panel of judges awards points to air guitarists for technical merit, stage

presence and the third, less definable category of “airness,” which translates roughly into an ability to turn the act of playing air guitar into entertainment in its own right. Judges are careful not to let the contest turn into a battle between exhibitionists. While theat-ricality and charisma are encouraged, contestants are urged – paradoxically, perhaps – not to lose sight of the task at hand: playing a guitar that isn’t there. “There is a thin line,” says Gyuri Vergouw, who came third in Oulu as

“Pelvis Fenderbender” in 2005. “It either becomes too serious, and then it’s not a good show, or it becomes too silly and then it’s not a good show, either.” Vergouw has researched and written a history of air guitar, which has as cousins the more recent cultural phe-nomena of bedroom-mirror hairbrush bands and singing in the shower, but can be traced as far back as the 1920s. For his research, Vergouw interviewed a man who told a story about a young Jimi Hendrix strumming a broomstick in his bedroom. “[Hendrix’s] father found the broom straws in Jimi’s bed and said ‘What are you doing?’” says Vergouw. “He was playing an imaginary guitar.” Air guitar has become an important part of Vergouw’s life. He has organized the Dutch championship since 2003, and even wrote a letter to Olympic Games officials urging they create an air guitar event. (They politely declined.) Air guitar is “in my veins,” he says. “I will play it until I die.” Vergouw expresses a sense of solidarity with the air guitar community that is palpable throughout the championships. Air guitar has a touchy-feely side, and organizers re-

“I am very happy,”says Westphal after the competition.

“And very exhausted.”


14 nordic reach14 nordic reach

(First page) Nordic Thunder a.k.a. Justin Howard / (Previous page) Sylvain Günther Love Quimene,a former World Champion / (Left) Aline “The Devil’s Niece” Westphal from Germany, took this year’s title / (Below) Grand finale with all performerson stage.


no . 37 volume xxiv 15no . 37 volume xxiv 15


peatedly stress its official message is one of world peace. At the kick-off of each final, contestants must take part in an on-stage, group declaration of world peace. “The philosophy behind this is, that if all the people in the world played air guitar, there wouldn’t be wars because they wouldn’t have time to fight,” says Juha Torvinen, a Finnish air guitar veteran and judge at a competition where serious, cutthroat competiveness is frowned upon. “Really, it is all about having a good time,” Ver-gouw continues, but concedes there is something more, something deeper about the mass appeal of air guitar that is indefinable. After contestants in Oulu have completed the first round, it’s hard to explain, he says, but Vergouw believes he can sense which of them “really have air guitar in their souls.” Vergouw’s air-guitar radar was in working order that day. He predicted the judge’s favorite, Aline “The Devil’s Niece” Westphal, a 26-year-old student from Hanover, Germany. Westphal’s slithery-yet-lively performance to Foo Fighter’s

“The Pretender” was filled with impressive karate kicks and almost mechanical head-banging that made her ruby-red red hair look like a ricochet-ing fire-ball. In the compulsory round, Westphal bounced around the stage in a red dress embla-zoned with a black sequins guitar to “Without a Face,” by Rage Against the Machine, the surprise song selected by organizers. As the winner, she will receive a “real” guitar, the world title, and entry to next year’s final. Westphal, who is writing an academic thesis on air guitar, was one of four women to take the top five places in the final. Howard came second and Quimene, sixth. Jangord took the fifteenth spot. “I am very happy,” says Westphal after the com-petition. “And very exhausted.” For Westphal, Howard and the other finalists, it was time to pack up their imaginary guitars, say goodbye to the air guitar family in Oulu and return to normal life, something that, at least for Howard, it seems, will never be the same. “They were just the most genuine human be-ings I’ve ever met in my whole life,” he says of his air guitar comrades, his brown eyes glassing over with emotion. “We’re from all over the world, and we’re all on the same page. I will do what-ever it takes to get here next year.”

w r i tt e n by p e n e l o p e c o l s to np h oto g r a p h e d by pa s i l e h t i n e n

Playing air guitar is a form of dance and movement in which the performer pretends to play rock or heavy metal-style electric guitar,

including riffs, solos, etc.

N e w f ro m A w a rd-W i n n i n g A u t h o r L a r r y W o i w o d e

T h e I n v e n t i o n o f L e f s e : A C h r i s t m a s S t o r y

Nordic Reach (Fall 2011) 3 3/4” x 10” Designer:CC Disk:8-23-11

The Inspirational Tale of a Time-Honored Norwegian Tradition

To learn more visit www.crossway.org/LEFSE or call 800-323-3890

16 nordic reach

a new class of superno

vaew

ritt

en b

y i

an

mo

ra

l es


here was a noticeable absence of stars at Copenhagen Fashion Week

ss2012. Only a year after making headlines around the globe with the

World’s Greatest Catwalk, the biggest runway show ever, leading fashion designers, stylists and top models appear to have turned their back on the style capital of the North, opting instead to showcase their collections and talent in Berlin or Stockholm, or not at all. The exodus of venerated Danish fashion labels like Wood Wood and Rützou did little to lift the spirits of international journalists already having to contend with the disappointment of gloomy early August skies and intermittent rain shadowing the three-day event. And with the exception of Henrik Vibskov, the slimmed-down schedule, appeared at first glance, to offer little in the way of stellar fireworks. It therefore came as some surprise when newcomer Anne Sofie Madsen opened proceedings at Copenhagen Fashion Week with a scintillating big bang. The impeccable craftsmanship, innovative juxtaposition of fabrics and beautiful detailing of her Samurai-inspired collection stunned the audience and reminded the fashion pack that despite the lack of big names on the schedule they were not in Berlin or Stockholm, but in Copenhagen,one of the great design capitals of the world and an indisputable hotbed of design talent. And so, with one eye on the catwalk and the other on the weather app on our iPhone, we set off on a quest to discover the sartorial stars of the future. There were inevitably a few disappointments in the schedule that comprised mainly of young, unrenowned designers, but, as expected, we also discovered an abundance of new emerging talent, the brightest of which can only be described as a new class of supernovae. Copenhagen Fashion Week’s brightest young stars are Anne Sofie Madsen, Lisa Våglund, Gaia Brandt, Astrid Andersen and Helje Hamre.

We flew the skies to catch up with the new class of supernovae to talk

design philosophy, Copenhagen Fashion Week and what lies in the future for the extraordinarily talented five. Someday each of these new stars will explode, and who knows, one may even become the most beautiful thing the fashion industry has every seen.

anne sofie madsen

Anne Sofie Madsen opened Copenhagen Fashion Week ss2012 to rapturous acclaim. The talented designer and illustrator showcased her couture for the masses –a commercial approach to couture that combines made-to-measure and ready-to-wear styles – with a breathtaking interpretation that took the international press by storm. The young Dane first captured the attention of the fashion industry with her mesmerizing graduation project from the Danish Design School at Copenhagen Fashion Week in 2009. The project, which drew inspiration from Maori plaiting, relief carving and tattoo, and combined it with classic, European clothing, was equally impressive. Madsen trained under John Galliano in Paris and worked as a junior designer at Alexander McQueen, before starting her own label in 2010. She presented her first couture inspired collection at London Fashion Week's Vauxhall Fashion Scout Showin February 2010.

nr / At what age did you first become involved in fashion?asm / Kind of late actually – I guess I was around 20 years old. I had a boyfriend who was really into fashion. He wanted to be a fashion photographer. I wanted to make cartoons. I started to study fashion and later on he began to make animation and motion graphics. Life is strange.

nr / What’s your design philosophy?asm / I want to show the unknown through the well-known.

nr / What’s your connection to Japan and the Samurai?asm / None to be honest, but the legendary Japanese animation film director Hayao Miyazaki has always been a great inspiration for me. I think the main theme in his work is the same that runs through my collections, especially in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) and Princess Mononoke (1997) – the animation film I was inspired by in this collection.

nr / How much do cultures like the Maori and the Samurai influence your design?asm / I am really interested in warriors. What is human strength? How to look dangerous? How to make you enemy fear you? I am fascinated by contrasts like barbaric and civilized.

nr / What are the other influences behind your ss2012 collection?asm / Mononoke is a general term in Japanese for spirit or monster. The duality is expressed in the contrast between the ethereal and solid garments in the collection. Techniques and fabrics from classic European ballet costumes meets craftsmanship and silhouettes from the late Muromachi period of Japan and unveils a world of the contradictory and the complimentary. It is as a meeting between a mechanical ballerina and a graceful samurai. The film is from the late 90’s and I wanted to have that as a feeling lying beneath.

18 nordic reach

nr / How would you describe the Anne Sofie Madsen women?asm / Strong, vulnerable, natural, wild and sensual.

nr / What’s next for your eponymous label and where do you see yourself in five years time?asm / I hope time will tell….

nr / What was the music played on the drums during your ss2012 show?asm / It was Japanese Taiko drums accompanied by my friend and electronic musician Lars Pellarin.

see more at annesofiemadsen.dk »

lisa våglund

Of all the graduates at this year’s Danish Design School ma Show at Copenhagen Fashion Week, one stands out as being capable of emulating the success of alumna Anne Sofie Madsen. Menswear designer Lisa Våglund presented her final year project entitled ‘I Wear You Out’ twice during fashion week: at the Danish Design School ma Show and Designer’s Nest. Working under the label Lisoka, the young Swedish designer made quite an impression with her display of deconstructed coats and pants, an edgy

combination of knitwear and glossy fabrics, and the beautiful application of gray/earthy colors. “‘I Wear You Out’, the title of the project refers to the garments’ actual shelf life: each garment is meant to be worn out and not thrown away because of fast-changing trends,” said Våglund. The young Swede, from across the border in Malmö, is a passionate supporter of the environment and considers it important to use organics fabrics in her collection. Some of her pieces are knitted by the fair trade handcraft cooperative Chola in Bolivia. Våglund believes that fashion discovered her before she discovered fashion. “It’s always been more like an attraction. To be exact I think it initially started out with me dressing my brother in different outfits when we went to daycare, I was about 3 and he was a few months old,” she said. As a fresh graduate, Våglund hopes to do more collaborations with other artists and is currently considering a project with a friend who makes documentaries. “But I‘m also going to look for work as a designer, preferably with a menswear brand. I will try and look for work mainly in Copenhagen, but I’m also open to moving abroad.”

see more at lisoka.com »

gaia

One designer who has blurred the line between menswear and womenswear is Gaia Brandt Rasmussen. After her successful debut in aw2011, the 34 year-old Dane continued to evolve her trademark androgynous style this season with loose-gown silhouettes with hand-sewn letters, and a pastel color scheme, presented by models sporting a schoolboy/girl gender bender look. Brandt studied Fashion Design with Knitwear at Central Saint Martins College in London and set up her label gaia in 2009, three years after graduating. Her ss2012 collection was inspired by the German Dada artist Kurt Schwitters as well as the paintings of the Danish artist Vilhelm Hammershøi. Gaia Brandt Rasmussen is a nominee for the Max Factor New Talent Award 2012. All the pieces in her collection are handmade.

nr / How did you first become involved in fashion? g / I was about 20 years old backpacking in India with my sister. After a few months, I got really frustrated of just hanging around and going from one place to another. It seemed pointless, so one day I decided to go back to Denmark where I started training as a tailor.

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nr / What advantage does studying at Central Saint Martins in London offer over fashion schools in Denmark?g / I actually tried several times to apply for the Danish Design School, but did not get in. Saint Martins is exciting because of the location and the many different people who study there. And Saint Martins places an emphasis on research in their teaching, which I was very happy about.

nr / What’s your design philosophy?g / The composition of styles and colors, not least, materials and qualities, old and new – in other words, 'visual tension'. Within these visual fields, I try to create unique combinations, which might leave an enigmatic and poetic picture of the world we live in. nr / Your label is often described as androgynous. Is there a danger of this style becoming outdated?g / I don't think the androgynous style is becoming outdated. It has been part of our history for many years, up through the 20s, 30s, etc. Strong women are a continuous source of inspiration for me, especially if they dress with a boyish look. Nostalgic, old yellowed photographs of women with strong auras of a bygone time.

nr / What’s the inspiration behind Gaia Brandt’s designs?g / On the whole, research directs much of my work. I find much inspiration in the world of art. Especially in artistic movements such as Dada and Surrealism. I enjoy exploring the visual contrasts between illusion and reality. The inspiration for the ss2012 collection is based on a true Danish legend, William Hammershøi. His interior paintings, which have many graphic elements such as chairs and doors and his blue color scheme, and the quiet atmosphere in his paintings, inspired me most. But there is also references to the German Dada artist Kurt Schwitters (1887-1948) and his graphic collages, which are known as Merz. The result of this is a collection of loose-gown silhouettes with hand-sewn letters applied, that I have cut out from second hand t-shirts

astrid andersen

There is nothing androgynous about Astrid Andersen’s collection. The Danish-born menswear designer’s signature is a tough, sporty, über-macho look inspired by American athletic wear and urban street culture. Andersen studied at Teko Design and Business School in Denmark before heading to London to do her ma at the prestigious Royal College of Art. She graduated at the top of her class in 2010. In the same year, she received a nomination for Vogue Talent 2010 by Vogue Italia, and a further nomination for Danish Design Talent of the Year by Dansk Fashion Award in 2011. Andersen’s rca graduate show immediately captured the attention of influential British fashion editors with

her hip-hop sportswear luxe style – a combination of urban fashion influences and textiles such as lightweight nylon and jersey fused with luxury fabrics like fur and silk. Andersen not only applied couture techniques to give her pieces a unique edge, the collection also had a lot of pink. If she had failed to convince anyone at her ma show that she had a bright career ahead of her, then her sensational debut at Copenhagen Fashion Week aw2011 – where she presented a fusion of ghetto sportswear and high fashion inspired by 1980’s hip-hop aesthetic and the Spike Lee film Do the Right Thing – would have silenced her critics. For her latest collection, Andersen held a presentation in a fitness gym in the center of Copenhagen with models pumping iron and flexing their muscles as she continued her sportswear theme – naturally with a twist. The well-built boys posed in delicate unconventional pieces, including gym shorts, tops and vests adorned with sheer lace. The violinists playing classical music in the background did little to ease the stark contrast. There is nothing ghetto about the prices for the Astrid Andersen collection. A pair of leopard print basketball shorts will set you back ca. $500.

see more at astridandersen.com »

nr / How would you describe the Gaia women?g / A woman that has self-confidence, a sense of style and courage.

nr / Where do you see yourself in five years time?g / That is very hard to say. I hope I will still be able to make my designs, and to see them out and about in the world.

see more at gaiabrandt.com »


nr / You spent 13 years working in fashion New York, why did you return to Norway?hh / I always wanted to start my own label one day, and I felt the time was right. The economy played a big part in me choosing to start the brand in Norway. Norway has been fortunate and has been less affected by the hard economic times.

nr / What’s your design philosophy?hh / I want to design clothes that are well made, with focus on fit, fabrics and construction. My collection will always have its roots in classic design, but the goal is always to update the classics and make them modern and contemporary.

nr / How much does living in New York in the noughties influence your design?hh / I definitely think my years in New York have influenced me esthetically as well as in business.

nr / What’s the inspiration behind your ss2012 collection?hh / The inspiration started with pictures of peaceful beaches, horses with flowing manes and cityscape from tropical countries. I wanted to do a mix of flowing light almost weightless dresses and tops to recreate the peaceful and breezy feeling from the pictures. I also included more masculine, urban inspired pieces like leather jackets and pants to give it more of an edge.

nr / How would you describe the Helje Hamre women?hh / She appreciates quality. She likes to dress in classic clothes, but is not afraid to mix the classics with new more innovative pieces.

nr / What's next for your eponymous label?hh / As a new brand I think it is important not to try to do too much too soon. We want to sell in a few top high-end stores in the beginning. We have decided to focus on the northern European market this season.

helje hamre

Helje Hamre is no stranger to America. The Oslo-based designer spent 13 years working in the fashion industry in New York. After graduating from Parsons School of Design in 2002 he was appointed apprentice to Narciso Rodriguez. He then went on to work as a designer at dkny before returning to Norway to start his own label. For his first show in Copenhagen, Hamre was inspired by pictures of horses galloping along a beach with flowing mane. The collection features simple silhouettes, all from natural fabrics such as silk, and muted colors. Hamre’s ss2012 catwalk show was without doubt one of the highlights of Copenhagen Fashion Week.

nr / When did you start your own label?hh / I started the label in 2010, when I moved to Oslo. After spending 13 years in the fashion industry in New York I felt I was ready to create my own vision and brand.

nr / Why did you choose to study at Parsons School of Design in New York as opposed to a fashion school in Oslo?hh / Parsons School of Design is one of the leading fashion schools in the world, so when I got the chance to study there, it was an easy decision to make.

nr / Where do you see yourself in five years time?hh / If all goes as planned we will be ready to launch in America next year and Asia in the beginning of 2013, if not sooner. The goal is to have a strong position in the high-end market within 5 years, and also start the process of developing our own freestanding stores. Accessories are also something we are planning to do next year, but we will not launch accessories on the market until we feel that they are top notch.

nr / What do you miss most about New York?hh / I miss friends, the hustle and bustle and the fast pace. New York is the greatest city in the world in my opinion. Its diverse cultures, and neighborhoods, museums and restaurants. I try to visit as often as I can.

see more at hel jehamre.com »


Oom Icelandp h oto g r a p h e d by g u n n a r s va n b e r g

s t y l e d a l d a b / a l d a g u d j o n s d ott i rmodel / andrea röfn from s people agency

made-up by frida maria using mac cosmeticshair by frida maria using bumble & bumble


(Previous page) It’s an unusual beach: no regular sand. Reynisfjara

is a beach of black volcanic rock and columns situated between

Vík and the rock formations at Dyrhólaey (in the background).

Dress from Elm. \ (This page) Dating back approximately 4600

years, Raudholar are clusters of pseudo-craters in the Icelandic

landscape. In places where the rock is bare, the clusters are prominent

because of their reddish color. Dress by Helicopter; Socks and

holders by Arora; Shoes from Kron by Kronkron.


Low tide with wet seaweed spreads across the rocky expanse. Boulders

of all shapes and sizes, smoothed by the passage of a million tides,

make up the Reynisdrangar. The basalt sea stacks are located under

Reynisfjall mountain near the village Vík í Mýrdal in southern Iceland.

The high cliffs of columnar basalt could have been custom-designed

by the creator as a high-rise dwelling for seabirds. Shorts from

Spaksmannsspjarir; Sweater by Ella; Blouse by Atfur; Shoes from

KronbyKronkron.

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The Rauðhólar in the Elliðaárhraun lava fields on the south-eastern

outskirts of the nation’s capital are part of Reykjavík’s nature reserve of

Heiðmörk. Dress by Ella; Cape by Kron by Kronkron.

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The moorland Hellisheidi, the lava fields to the south of Mt.

Henglafjoll, are covered with moss and low growing bush. Jacket by

H&M; Skirt- Spakseyglocollection.commannsspjarir; Hat by

Spaksmannsspjarir; Socks by Arora; Shoes from Kron by Kronkron


Along a quiet section of Skóga river, below the Skógafoss waterfall,

dramatically located at the cliffs of the former coastline. After the

coastline receded seaward (it is now a distance of 3 miles from the

cliffs) the former sea cliffs remain parallel to the coast and stretch

hundreds of miles. Jumpsuit by Aftur; Jacket from Elm; Hood by

Spakmannsspjarir.

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on the king’s roadto turku

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After a couple of days in Helsinki, exploring the city and making a study of how it prepared itself for turn-ing World Design Capital 2012, Roxie, my wife, and I decided to go on a quick tour outside the capital. Why not pay a visit to Turku, the European Capital of Culture this year? We dismissed the notion of taking the fastest route, which would have brought us there in less than 2 hours. We wanted to experience the natural beauty and rich history of southern Finland, so what could be more appropriate than taking the Kings Road, the old postal route, dating back to the 14th century, and used through the centuries by kings, bishops and other notables? This

– and other roads linked to it – would take us to towns and villages steeped in history. And, as we wound our way to Turku, we would pause for the night at Fiskars Village, long famous for its iron works, and now a thriv-ing Finnish art and design center. From previous visits we knew a little about what an extraordinary country Finland is. Millions of birch trees and 187,888 lakes apart (the exact number was given to us by an authority on the subject), this is where tango dancing rivals that of Argentina, and just about every-one, even those living in studio apartments, is expected to have a sauna. And where else would you see men with women slung across their backs, pushing through difficult terrain in an annual wife-carrying contest? On a more serious, musical note, Finland, of course, is the birthplace of the great composer Sibelius. And what about designers? As it happened, just 18 miles out of

Helsinki, we ran into the lakeside retreat of three leg-endary architects: Saarinen, Geselius and Lindgren. Built in the beginning of the 20th century, and once the home of these men and their families, Whitträsk is now a museum. As I toured the rooms, I was impressed by the rich ornamentation, the detail, and the often deep dark colors, all in the National Romantic style that prevailed at the time. A lighter note was struck in the studios upstairs: windows opening to the woods out-side, long rows of drafting tables, drawings and photos everywhere. A couple of hours later we reached Svartå Manor, the largest non-ecclesiastic wooden building in Finland, and considered one of the most exceptional manor houses in the country. On the outside it loomed large and yellow; on the inside it presented a mix of styles, from rococo to neo-classicism. It dripped with history. In 1745, mining-master Magnus Linder, born in Små-land, Sweden, came here to inspect the iron works. Two years later he married the daughter of the estate and became the lord of the manor. For the next 200 years, the Linder family owned Svartå. Most colorful of the lot was Hjalmar Linder, who presided in the early part of the 20th century. A photograph from 1902 shows him sitting in the first car ever seen in Finland. “It was a Mors,” said my guide, Kerstin Elander, “Linder brought it from France, along with the driver and the driver’s wife.” Since it moved without the pull of any apparent animal, it caused consternation, even fear, among the


locals. Because of that, Halmar Linder became known as “Mr. Devil.” Svartå Manor, during its long history, has received many high-ranking visitors, including royalty, as evi-denced by the “King’s Room.” When I made a comment on how short the bed was, Kerstin launched into a lit-tle speech about, how in the old days, you never really slept lying down. “If you did, people thought your tongue might fall back and strangle you to death,” she said. “Did you know that King Gustav V of Sweden, whenever he traveled, brought along three pillows?” We were now on the Kings Road, the old postal route dating back to 14th century, which, at one point, had started in Bergen, Norway, passed through the capi-tals of Oslo and Stockholm, continued via Mariehamn to Turku, and ended up in Vyborg, and later St. Peters-burg. Dense woods surrounded us, and every so often we caught a glimpse of one of these innumerable lakes for which Finland is famous. Finally, in the late afternoon, we reached Fiskars, and checked in at its oldest and most venerable inn, the Fiskars Wärdshus. A walk through the historic village followed. At the Fiskars Museum, miniature models of the iron works

were on display, as well as various items, such as ploughs and cutlery, manufactured after the first machine work-shop was set up back in 1837. Not unexpectedly, on dis-play were also some of the bright orange-handled scis-sors for which the village became worldfamous in 1966. More than anything I was charmed by the tranquility and beauty of the narrow river that runs through Fis-kars with its green banks, lined with silver willows and harboring such oddities as an old locomotive and – in

(Previous page) Hollyhocks can be seen everywhere in the small community of Fagervik. / (Below) An old locomotive on display in Fiskars. / The “King’s Room” at Svartå Manor.


this day of ubiquitous cell phones – the kind of stately old-fashioned phone booth that, so far, I’ve seen only in Stockholm’s Old Town. A few visits to stores exhibiting the work of young designers and dinner at Kopparsmed-jan, a restaurant housed in an old smithy, and we were ready to call it a day. The King’s Road twisted and turned, and was now called the Fagervik road. It was about 10am, and we were entering the small community of Fagervik, an outdoor museum, consisting of a red-painted church next to a lake and a small cluster of tree-shaded houses from the 17th and 18th centuries. I rarely saw so many flowers. Roses and hollyhocks climbing up the walls, everything embedded in lush green vegetation. We lingered for a while, before con-tinuing on to Ekenäs, where we planned to have lunch at Café Ada, a restaurant that came highly recommended. On the way we would stop at the Raseborg Castle Ruin. As we approached this old pile of stone, you could tell that something was afoot. Many of the people heading in the same direction were outfitted in medieval-looking costumes and had an expectant air about them. Sure

enough, it was Saturday and market day. Rows of tents had been set up in front of the castle. Here, from vendors in equally medieval-looking outfits, you could buy all kinds of handicrafts, hone your skills as an archer, stick your head in the opening of a painted backdrop to look like a princess or a crusader, and even – later on – watch a tournament. Café Ada, after we arrived in Ekenäs, proved a fabu-lous little eatery. Our meal began with two glorious ap-petizers: salmon in three different ways, and goat cheese with asparagus terrine. A main course of fried perch with cauliflower-potato puree followed. Having successfully resisted a tempting offer of dessert (goat’s milk crème caramel with carrot sherbet), we left the restaurant for short walk in the neighborhood. A city with a population of about 15,000, Ekenäs boasts any number of well-kept pretty old buildings, many of them painted bright yellow, with window trimmings suggestive of the Russian influ-ence back the 19th century.

(Opposite page) An appetizer at Café Ada in Ekenäs: “Salmon in three different ways.” / (Left) The red-painted church of Ekenäs. / (Right) Silver willows in Fiskars.

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In the late afternoon we reached Turku, Finland’s old-est city, and once the capital. That, of course, was when Finland was still part of Sweden, and known by its Swed-ish name, Åbo. My Swedish upbringing kicking in, I was inundated with bits and pieces of half-forgotten history lessons. It was here, in 1550, in an old castle, that King Erik xiv was thrown into prison and a year later died from eating poi-soned pea soup. Tomorrow I would visit the castle, but right now it was time to check into Sokos Hotel Ham-burger Börs. Entering this classic establishment in the center of the city, we were treated not only to a good view of the square below, but to a welcome table with diminutive bottles of sparkling wine and fresh strawberries – the latter being of the particular sweetness found only in Scandinavia. Later, a short walk along the River Aura, the waterway that divides city, took us to ms Rudolfina, the vessel we were booked on for a three-hour cruise in the Turku ar-chipelago. As we left the quay, the boat filled with pas-sengers already scrambling for the buffet laid out on a long table, I thought about the things I’d learned about Turku so far. It is the third oldest university town in all of Scandinavia; like Rome, it was built on seven hills; it has nine bridges; and, over the centuries, has been ravaged by 31 fires, the worst of which occurred in 1827. Up on deck there was a glimpse of the castle. Then, lit-tle by little, the city disappeared, giving way to the Baltic and its countless islands. An hour passed, and, after the tables had been cleaned, a few couples began to dance – not the passionate tango one would have expected, just a little gyrating in the small cabin space. Once again out on deck, as we were about to turn back to the city, I chatted with the ship’s hostess. Ahead lay the pretty town of Naantali, and next to it stretched the Moomin World Theme Park Island. “And out there,” she said excitedly, pointing in a different direction, “you can see Kultaranta, the summer house of the President of Finland!” The next day, as I toured the castle, more history came to life. Originally a medieval fortress, it appears to have entered its most colorful phase of royal glory when Queen Katarina Jagellonica, a Polish princess and the wife of John iii, moved here in 1552. She brought culture at this time unimaginable in Finland, introducing such novelties as forks and napkins. The castle is considered one of Finland’s national treasures, and is about the same age as the nearby cathedral, which I also visited.

“The inauguration,“ my guide told me, “was in the year 1300, and these days services are given in six languages, including one for deaf people.” As we exited, she pointed to the area next to it. “This is the University campus,” she said, “with some 25,000 students.” That evening we dined at Pinella, a classic among Turku restaurants, located on the riverbank and to all appearances highly popular. A mini bbq of pulled beef (a so-called “slider”) followed prawn crackers with mari-nated salmon, and this time around we indulged in a des-sert: chocolate brownie cake with vanilla ice cream & chocolate sauce. All satisfying. Walking to ms Rudolfina on the previous evening I had noticed some bizarre constructions along the riv-er. One was a dark grey box, protruding over the water and connected to the quay by a small gangway; another was bright yellow and garlic-shaped; and a third was a glassed-in structure, which, on the inside, looked suspi-ciously like a sauna. As it turned out, that’s exactly what it was – what they all were – saunas designed by differ-ent artists. Being chosen as the European Capital of Culture in-spired Turku to a multitude of projects, and this was one of them: artists were invited to build saunas that would bring new dimensions to Finnish sauna culture. The dark box was named “Tar and the River Aura.” It featured a latticed floor as well as an opening through which bathers could jump right into the river. The yel-low garlic sauna had a sound system and was called “The Sounding Dome Sauna.” One I missed was called “Sauna Obscura,” which was said to give you the illusion of be-ing inside a camera, and featured a summery landscape projected on the walls inside, and on the skin of the bathers. The most surprising – conceivably a rave with peeping Toms and exhibitionists – was “Solaris,” the transparent sauna, offering the bathers an unobstructed view of the city, and the city a view of the bathers? All slightly wacky, cutting-edge design. Only in Finland.

writtten & photograhed by bo zaundersmap drawn by roxie munro


(Previous page) Boy practicing with bow and arrow on market day at Raseborg Castle Ruin. / (Saunas, counter-clockwise) “Solaris,” “Tar and the River Aura,” and “The Sounding Dome Sauna.” / (Bottom)The old castle wall in Turku.

40 nordic reach

When talking to Swedish-born New York City-based photographer Kristofer Dan-Bergman, a couple of words keep coming up. One is yoga [more on that later]. The other is process. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, process is a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end. With Dan-Bergman you get the feeling that the process, which led to what he is and does – which in his case, as with most artists, is the same – began a long time ago. Perhaps when he was ten. “I grew up in a theater family. My parents were both actors and they had a theater [Lilla Teatern] on Regerings-gatan in the center of Stockholm,” Dan-Bergman says. “It was a very stimulat-ing environment for a kid. My friends and I used to go wild in the costume and make-up rooms.” At the theater Kristofer met actors – people like Nils Poppe, Harriet Andersson, Viveca Lind-fors, Gunnar Björnstrand, and Inga Gill among others, “interesting, different people” he recollects, each of whom had an impact on the young boy. And at home there were always people around.

In Touchwith Creativity

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With that kind of background, Dan-Bergman seemed destined for a life in the arts. He enjoyed drawing and writing stories, but found himself increasingly drawn to sports. As an eight-year old, Kristofer initiated inter-school soccer tournaments, and began sailing dinghies. Whilst his passion for sports defined his youth, there was a seminal event that occurred very early on in his life. At the age of eleven he was selected, with other children from across the world, to spend a month at the Children’s International Summer Villages (CISV) camp on Van-couver Island, Canada. “Looking back, I can see how important that was for me. I learnt, at an early age, to live away from my family, and more importantly, to develop a feeling of togetherness and friendship with children from other countries.” During his teenage years, his love for sports continued [Kristofer began competing in squash tournaments, and ocean sailing regattas], as did his open-

ness to other cultures. Kristofer repre-sented Sweden at CISV international events, and in college, went worked with AIESEC, the world’s largest international student’s organization,.

the business man explorerWith that sort of eclectic, rather free childhood it’s a bit surprising that Dan-Bergman chose to study Business—first at the University of Stockholm, and later at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor from where he received an MBA. After Business School, Kristofer began working in the banking industry in New York. (Whilst in High School, he had been an exchange student in Seattle, and had fallen in love with the sense of freedom that only the States could offer, and was glad to be back here.) While Kristofer continued in the corporate world, he ad-mits that he always “knew that it wasn’t for me, that it wasn’t right.” He was waiting for something to reveal itself, some sort of calling.

In the meantime, Kristofer continued to explore his limits. Here in New York, he started running marathons, playing competitive squash and soccer, and of course, sailing: He participated in the World Cup in International One Design (IOD) as well as the World Cup trials in J24’s. “I’ve never been the kind of per-son who could just sit still,” he told me.

“I think I learned that from sports – to never give up and to always move for-ward”. Then in the early ‘90s Kristofer signed up, somewhat on a whim, for a weekend course in photography at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in mid-town Manhattan. He always had more of an interest in photography – he recollects – than most people around him seemed to, but it had never occurred to him to pursue the art. In the ICP dark room, when he developed his first pho-tograph, he felt that he had struck gold:

“It was like ‘Wow! This is it!” He may have finally found his calling, but the transition from a steady job to


an unknown and traditionally uncertain profession was hard to conceptualize. So Kristofer waited some more. And then his firm asked him to take a new role in Europe, and this made Kristofer realize that he had to make a decision about his future. He neither wanted to work in Finance nor move back to Europe. So he quit. “I was terrified,” he recollects. The next two years were spent learn-ing about the camera, and trying to get work. It wasn’t easy. He had no network in the business, and jobs as a stringer were infrequent. He became increas-ingly nervous. Then, when life looked really bleak, Kristofer received another enticing offer from the banking world. He was consid-ering it, and then one night, somewhere far out on the Atlantic Ocean [he was on a sailing trip to the Caribbean], he de-cided he couldn’t possibly go back to the world of Finance. I said to myself: ‘Who am I kidding?’ The rest is history.”

Not many of us can pinpoint exactly when our lives turn around. Few of us experience that moment of “wow” that Dan-Bergman had in the dark room with his first developed photograph in hand. But if we do, a leap of faith is usu-ally required. It took Kristofer a while to get there, but now he was clear about this decision. “I was in a different place mentally after I had taken that decision. I had let go of all thoughts of money and so on.” A few weeks upon his return from the Caribbean, Dan Bergman found out that he had won the Green Card lottery. Now he was also armed with a work per-mit that allowed him to stay in the U.S. Now let’s get back to yoga.

yoga and the buildingof a life in photography

“I began taking yoga classes at my gym 15 years ago and it changed my life,” said Dan-Bergman. “Now I do 10-15 minutes of yoga every morning, and always finish by doing a headstand. It’s amazing! I tell

everybody to try it. If they had yoga in schools for little children, imagine how much we would save later on in terms of health care money!” Yoga, he continues, takes away stress and makes him feel refreshed and ready to work. “It gets your entire system go-ing in such a nice way. Through yoga I also discovered the power of the mind. You know, there have been periods in my life when I’ve been depressed personally but successful in work, and then periods when the opposite has happened. It’s important to understand that it’s all in your head.” With a clear focus on photography, Kristofer began slowly but steadily de-veloping a clientele. Over the years he has photographed for publications in-cluding: Corriera Della Sera, Dagens Ny-heter (DN), El Pais, Esquire, the Source, and Verdens Gang (VG). He has shot campaigns for clients including AT&T, Clarins, Kay Jewellers, Panasonic, Pfizer and Tag Heuer.

44 nordic reach

Kristofer’s greatest joy comes from photographing people, “because it is always different – the relationship be-tween you and the person you are photo-graphing is always changing.” The most powerful element at play is that of the unexpected, the unpredictable. In con-junction with his commercial work, Dan Bergman has always devoted consid-erable time and energy to his own art. While he values commercial photogra-phy for the intensity (time-sensitive) it demands, the clear goals that it presents, and for the interactions with his team, the client and the agency, Kristofer also needs to pursue more open-ended per-sonal photography which comes with

“both the frustration and the freedom” that exploration entails. What motivates him is the desire to feel that he is constantly developing.

“In the beginning this was easy” he rec-ognizes, “because everything was new.”

“With time, it gets more challenging.” But the challenge is what he wants. “That’s how I knew I had done the right thing in choosing photography. I still have this feeling that I’m always evolving,

and I know that if I just persevere long enough, something will happen, some-thing new will come out of it.” Is there a philosophy that he keeps in mind during this journey of experimentation I asked?

“Don’t dwell on things too much” he said, “don’t fret, just go with the flow, with your own perspective and practice, and something will come out of it”. With this open-ended approach to creating his work, Kristofer’s art proj-ects start and find themselves in inter-esting ways. Lets start with the genesis for his exhibit, Touch.

how to photograph (a) rockOne desolate winter he locked himself up in the studio with a few rocks. He had wanted to photograph them for a long time, but had no clue how to go about it. How does one photograph rocks in an interesting way? “I had no idea. So I locked myself up for days, turned up the music really loud, and kept taking photos. Nothing happened. Absolutely nothing. But I kept going, because I knew that at the end something was bound to happen. That’s always part

of the process.” After days of frustra-tion and feelings of failure, something did happen, something quite interest-ing happened. “I showed these photo-graphs to an artist friend of mine, and he told me I ought to exhibit them. So I had this exhibition Touch at my studio. The show was quite successful.” The next year, Dan-Bergman received a book of short stories, Amerika, written by a grand uncle, and decided to photo-graph it. Same story: He locked himself up in the studio, turned up the music, and began – without any pre-meditated ideas – snapping away. The result: The series Unbound. “In reality I am not a still-life photographer” Kristofer states,

“but I am an explorer in what I do. I have confidence in my head that something will happen.” This confidence that the process will run its course is a lead theme in Dan-Bergman’s career as a photographer.

from ‘hollywood portraits’to ‘space’Some years ago Kristofer began another project in this improvisatory fashion. He

“With time, it gets more challenging. That’s how I knew I had done the right thing in choosing photography. I still have this feeling that I’m always evolving, and I know that if I just persevere long enough, something will happen, something new will come out of it.”


decided to invite his friends over to his Tribeca studio the week before Thanks-giving and photograph them. “I missed my friends. We had all hung out at my studio on Nineteenth Street and Park Avenue, and when that building closed, we were scattered all over the city. So I had the idea that I’d invite them over to my new studio, and photograph them at the same time.” He asked each of them to dress based on an idea that was spe-cific to their person, but loose still. For example, he asked a friend who loves the movie, Dr. Strangelove, to dress up as the character, another who was Italian-American to represent that story. The evening was a lot of fun for his friends, and hard work for Kristofer, who creat-ed, Time Capsule, two long photographs pieced together by shots from that eve-ning. The project was successful enough to be repeated the same time the follow-ing year. This time Kristofer used images from the book Hollywood Portraits, as in-spiration, and his friends again served as models. The series was exhibited under the title Yearbook.

An invitation to Dan-Bergman’s stu-dio before the Christmas rush has now become an annual tradition among his friends. By creating new conditions for the same actors, Kristofer takes a fluid continuously evolving approach to his work. “I am not a perfectionist,” he ex-plains. “Also who is to decide when some-thing is finished and ready anyway?” Dan-Bergman’s next project was in-formed by the desire to represent im-ages of different realities that physically co-exist side-by-side. His plan is to real-ize the root concept – one that he calls Divided World – through a documentary project. However, last year, for his an-nual November studio shoot, he decided to apply this concept to an indoor stu-dio setting. And so built a set, with two connecting boxes, within which people could sit-stand-dance-glide, basically, do whatever they wanted. The result is Space, a creative, spontaneous and humorous document of friendship, to-getherness, and loneliness. That year Kristofer took his photo project further. He created a film with the footage, and also began preparing for an exhibition

that intersperses “reality” with a new “reality” through exchanging people in and out of the two different spaces. With this series, Kristofer starts col-lecting material without necessarily knowing what the end product will be. The end product is quasi-documentary and quasi-art. “It’s the process that is exciting, the journey” Dan-Bergman muses. “As long as I feel I am evolving and challenged I am happy”. Some of Kristofer Dan-Bergman’s works is featured in Embrace!, a ma-jor art exhibition with works by over 30 contemporary Swedish-born artists who live in the United States. The theme is the American dream and the Swedish identity. The exhibition opened on Sep-tember 14, 2011 in Utvandrarnas House (the House of Emigrants) in Växjö, Swe-den, and will run through the end of January 2012. Dan-Bergman exhibits photos from Yearbook, Space, and from his latest installation Wall(k), as well as films from these projects.

w r i tt e n by e va s t e n s k ä r

For more info, see: kristoferdanbergman.com,and embrace.se

(Left) A representation of the artist by the artist himself, inspired by the newest installation by Dan-Bergman, Wall(k) / (Previous pages) Photographs from the series Space / (First spread) Photographs from the series Touch

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The King’s Road to Turku / Finland Population: 5.4 million Geography fact: Some 70 percent of the country is covered in trees. That’s fortunate, because the Finns buy and borrow books enthusiastically. On average, a Finn will borrow 20 volumes per year from public libraries. Fly Finnair, direct to Helsinki, www.finnair.com or select one of the other Nordic Airlines to connect through one of the other hubs throughout Scandinavia, SAS – www.flysas.com, www.icelandair.com

Tourism website / visitfinland.com andfinland.org (official Finland site)

Turku / turku2011.fi/en, and turkutouring.fi/en

from Iceland From the sagas: Legend has it that the glacier of Snaefjellsnes is inhabited by a man named Bárdur who went inside it in a bout of depression after his daughter drifted away to Greenland on an iceberg. He’s considered the guardian spirit of the area and the glacier, and possesses supernatural powers. Above image, outside one of the many “hellir” (caves) of Iceland. The water cave of Snaefellsnes was the first cave in Iceland to open for tourists. Kron by Kronkron

photography Gunnar Svanberg

styling Alda Gudjonsdottir

hair & make-up Frida Maria / fridamaria.com

suppliers Aftur / aftur.isArora / aroradesign.netElla / ellabyel.comElm / elm.isEyglo / eyglocollection.comH&M / hm.comKronKron / kronkron.comSpaksmannspjarir / spaksmannsspjarir.is

Kristofer Dan-Bergman’s photographic exhibition Space is currently showing in New York. See: kristoferdanbergman.com for contact information.

Hvitträsk studio, home to the famous architects of Saarinen, Geselius and Lindgren is as much a cultural as an educational experience. / nba.fi/fi/hvittrask

Fiskars Village (about 75 miles from Helsinki) / fiskarsvillage.fi/en

Fiskars Wardshus, Fiskars / wardshus.fi

Fagervik Manor / fagervik.fi/FIN/museo.htm

Raseborg Castle Ruins / raseborg.org/raseborg/slott/fin

Ada Café, Ekenäs / ada.fi

Sokos Hotel Hamburger Börs, Turku / sokoshotels.fi/hotellit/turku/hamburgerbors

Do’s and don’ts in Finland? Finns may appear shy and serious, but their humor is dry and sarcastic, and they are opinionated and competitive. Finns follow all the traditional sports religiously, and every now and then new competitions come along, like carrying a wife, throwing a cell phone, or dancing tango. There are a few things an American should know when visiting Finland.

don’t Wonder out loud why Sweden has more world-famous products, artists, and athletes than Finland, or why the western neighbor always beats Finland in ice hockey. Too much to handle for the touchy Finns. Make the mistake of asking if Finland once was a Communist country, like Estonia, Poland, or Hungary. End of conversation, right then and there. Hesitate to talk to the person next to you in a bus or a train. The almost-hostile look is deceiving, and in most cases you’ll get a response, which could be the start of a real conversation. Finns follow the news, both domestic and international, and have strong opinions about the events. No such attitude as “whatever.” Think you’re seeing things if you have a feeling that almost everyone is wearing small rectangle-shaped eyeglasses. They are. Keep your shoes on if you are invited to someone’s home. First thing after entering a house or an apartment: shoes off. Also, don’t even think about leaving before kahvi and pulla (coffee and bun) have been served. Visit without calling first. The door may not open without a prior notice, especially on weekends. Make empty promises. If you say to a Finn, “Let’s do lunch,” he or she truly believes you have set up a lunch meeting and expects to hear from you. Tip: People are not used to tips and don’t always know how to react. Be surprised if you see Finns order and pay things with their cell phones. They are not just for talking anymore. Be confused if you see people walking with poles even if there is no snow on the ground. It’s called Nordic Walking, and it’s a very popular activity among all ages.

doCompliment Finns, even though they don’t take compliments well and don’t necessarily know how to reply. Take a risk and pass McDonald’s, Subway, and Pizza Hut. The Finnish cuisine is well worth trying. Leave Helsinki, the capital, and discover the countryside. There are many beautiful places between Helsinki and Lapland. Not all the bus drivers speak English-- so what? It’s an adventure. (A visit to Rovaniemi and the Arctic Circle to see Santa Claus, not a must.) Offer to buy a drink if you’ve made a new friend in a bar. But keep in mind, Finns can hold their drinks well, and you may not be able to keep up the pace of drinking. Make an effort and say, “Excuse me,” if you want to pass someone. But don’t expect a reaction. The right way to do it is to just push your way around. Use a fork and a knife when eating. No food is finger food in Finland if the silverware is available. Keep in mind that two things are expensive: alcohol and gas. And yet, both are consumed in high volumes. Refrain from discussing architect Alvar Aalto or composer Jean Sibelius; instead,talk about contemporary talent, like singer Karita Mattila or conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen. Know a few athletes’ names, and you’ve made friends for life. Learn a few words in Finnish, even though it’s hard. It’s an ego-booster for a Finn to hear a foreigner speak his language. Remember that Finnish women are independent and believe in equality. And especially that young women drink equally to men.

c o m p i l e d by va r p u s i h vo n e n


web directory

the gift box | www.genevagiftbox.comGeneva, IL, (630) 232 4151Since 1947. We invite you to come on in, reconnect with your Scandinavian roots, and enjoy the products you remember from your family history or native country.

ingebretsen’s | www.ingebretsens.comMinneapolis, MN, (800) 279 9333An old world marketplace of fine Scandinavian foods, imported gifts, music, books, clothing and needlework. Shop online, call for a catalog or come visit us!

sewphisticated / sverigedräkterwww.sverigedrakter.seNew Hope, PA, (301) 661 3033Swedish National costumes, custom made and material kits. Textiles, gifts and imported clothing of highest quality. Dolls in National Nordic costumes. Uniquely handcrafted Reindeer leather/pewter thread jewelry.

scandinavian touch | www.scandinaviantouch.comShop Online, (215) 813 1315Your best resource for Scandinavian gifts and collectables. Everything Christmas, Crystal, Ceramics, Candles, Music, Books, Linens, Trolls and Vikings, T-shirts, Sweats, Novelties and much more.

sturdiwheat foods | www.sturdiwheat.comShop Online, (800) 201 9650Limpa Sweet Rye & Sweet Cardamom Bread Mixes

LINGONBERRIESCall for nearest location or order online. Great gift baskets.

food & gifts

feline day spa | www.Felinedayspa.comNew York, NY, (800) FELINE1FELINE DAY SPA on the Upper West Side, more than just a SPA REFUGE offers massages, facials sea salt scrubs, waxing, manicure & pedicures and more for both men and women. We carry MD FORMULATION, DERMALOGICA AND SKIN CEUTICALS.

julie lindahl nordic wellbeing abwww.julielindahl.comWelcome to Lindahl’s new book at lettersfromtheisland.com (purchase in the u.s. at nordicsampler.com). Learn more about her expertise concerning Nordic Wellbeing at jl-nordicwellbeing.com and at her e-magazine for wellbeing with Nordic inspiration, nordicwellbeing.com.

american swedish historical museumwww.americanswedish.orgPhiladelphia, PA, (215) 389 1776The Museum is a place where people of all nationalities who appreciate Swedish contributions to history, art, architecture, music science and technology can come together.

the american swedish institutewww.americanswedishinst.orgMinneapolis, MN, (612) 871 4907Historic mansion and museum celebrating Swedish and Swedish-American culture, offering educational programs, events, holiday celebrations, special exhibits, group tours, and a gift shop.

the danish immigrant museumwww.danishmuseum.orgElk Horn, IA, (800) 759 9192Share the stories and experiences of Danish Immigrants, displayed in exhibits and works of art. Explore Danish Heritage at the Family History & Genealogy Center.

finland center foundation | www.finlandcenter.orgNew York, NY, (646) 704 8000A nonprofit organization for Finnish and American culture, commerce and community. Sponsors cultural events and offers membership benefits for $30/yr to all friends of Finland.

nordic heritage museum | www.nordicmuseum.orgSeattle, WA, (206) 789 5707We share Nordic culture with people of all ages and backgrounds by exhibiting art and objects, preserving collections, providing educational and cultural experiences, and hosting community events.

swedish american museumwww.swedishamericanmuseum.orgChicago, IL, (773) 728 8111Your Swedish American Museum of history and culture in Andersonville, Chicago. Visit The Brunk Children’s Museum of Immigration, an interactive, hands-on museum, or any of our exhibits, events and museum store.

vesterheim norwegian-american museumwww.vesterheim.orgDecorah, IA, (563) 382 9681This national treasure showcases the best in historic and contemporary Norwegian folk and fine arts, and explores the diversity of American immigration. In scenic Decorah.

health & beauty

institute & museum

services

winter reading

scandia-germania davis | www.scandiagermania.com222 South 9th St, Suite 3220Minneapolis, MN 55402 (651) 253 3697A division of Skjold-Barthel, P.A. is a boutique legal practice offering companies, entrepreneurs, and individual clients, both in the United States and abroad, high-quality legal services and international expertise.

nordic studies press | www.nordicstudiespress.comChicago, IL, (773) 610 4283Nordic Studies Press supports the production and distribution of books and other media on topics related to the countries of the Nordic region — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

education

bethany college | www.bethanylb.edu/studyswedenLindsborg, KS, (800) 826 2281Carrying on the rich traditions and heritage of our Swedish-Lutheran founders through international study opportunities in Sweden and the Pearson Distinguished Professorship of Swedish Studies.

scandinavian studies at north park universitywww.northpark.eduChicago, IL, (773) 244 5615The Department of Scandinavian Studies offers courses in Swedish and Scandinavian Studies and study abroad opportunities in Scandinavia. The Center for Scandinavian Studies brings Scandinavian scholars, artists, and performers to campus.

sigtuna sigtunaskolan sshl | www.sshl.seSweden, +46 (0)8 592 571 00Sigtunaskolan Humanistiska Läroverket, sshl, Sweden’s largest boarding school offers International Baccalaureate (ib) and educational programs from the seventh grade until school-leaving examinations. Close to Uppsala, Stockholm and Stockholm Arlanda airport.

organizations

the american scandinavian society of new york, inc. | www.americanscandinavian.orgNew York, NY, [email protected] Society( founded 1908) promotes the ties between the Nordic countries and Scandinavians in New York through cultural events and other programs, with the Christmas Ball being the annual highlight.

All the recipes you nfd fora Swedish Chrilmas, translated for the American home and modified to fit today’s lifelyle. 72 recipes – the perfed book for Chrilmas! Order our belseller at the discounted price, call 1.800.827.9333 ext 10.

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Best of Chicago 2011!Brunk Children’s Museum of Immigration, part of Andersonville’s Swedish American Museum, was named best hands-on ex-hibit for kids by Chicago Magazine. Rep-licating a Swedish farmhouse (stuga), an immigrant steamship, and, at the jour-ney’s end, an American log cabin, this staid-looking exhibit is in fact enthralling. Girls especially seem drawn to the striped pinafores hanging from pegs near the en-trance and will spend hours harvesting wooden vegetables and eggs, milking the fake cow and hanging laundry on the line with old-fashioned clothespins. The museum, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, is more than ever at the heart of the historic Andersonville district of Chicago. Now a vibrant and di-verse community, the area was first set-tled by Swedish immigrants who moved into the area after the Chicago fire of 1871. Laws restricting the building of homes out of wood were introduced after the fire and the Swedish immigrants who could not afford to make their homes with stone or brick relocated north of what was then Chicago city lines.

Expansion at VesterheimQueen Sonja of Norway, visiting Luther College and Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum with hrh King Harald v, dedicates Vesterheim’s new addition, the Asbjørnsen Gallery, on October 13. By consolidating two stores next to the Visi-tors Center and moving the museum store to this new area, the museum freed up space to create this new gallery space on the first floor, which will be used for rotat-ing exhibitions. Sigvald Asbjørnsen, born in Oslo, immi-grated to the United States in 1892 seek-ing greater artistic opportunities. After some time in Michigan he moved perma-nently to Chicago, Illinois. His best-known work is a statue of explorer Leif Ericson, located in Humboldt Park in Chicago.

Sculpture by Sigmund Asbjørnsen, on view at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in the exhibition, “Sigvald Asbjørnsen, Sculpture.”

Te Danish VillagesThe Danish immigrant landscape archi-tect Jens Jensen is acknowledged in the Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park, cur-rently being developed in the backyard of the Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, IA. Jensen, one of America’s greatest landscape designers and conservationists of the early 20th century designed several elements of the Chicago Park system, as well as hundreds of landscapes for wealthy industrialists, schools and universities.

The park, expected to be fully installed in June 2012, is the first step of a long term plan that will effectively change the entire community, called Danish Vil-lages Great Place. The Danish Villages in Iowa, Kimballton and Elk Horn, are work-ing together with the museum to create a model green community based on the practices currently used in Denmark. The Great Place entails a “bridge” from the past – showcasing the Danish Windmill, Danish Immigrant Museum, Little Mer-maid and other attractions – to the future with new technologies, including solar power and green roofs. Plans are to in-corporate the Prairie Park into The Little Mermaid Trail, a trail which will begin at the bronze sculpture of the Little Mer-maid in Kimballton and end at the Iowa Welcome Center on the Danish Windmill grounds in Elk Horn, with stops at The Danish Immigrant Museum, new Confer-ence Center, city parks and ballparks.

Turnblad Mansion opensfor ChristmasThe American Swedish Institute’s Turn-blad Mansion is set to reopen to the public on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011, following a six-month closure for remodeling. ASI’s annu-al Christmas Fair will be held on Saturday, Nov. 19 and the annual Nordic Christmas Rooms display, featuring holiday table set-tings, trees and décor in the traditions of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, will have a special focus on hand-craft this year. The recent remodeling was part of a larger campus expansion project that in-cludes construction of the 34,000-square-foot Nelson Cultural Center addition, set to open in June 2012. The new addition will make it possible to better preserve the original Turnblad Mansion by housing offices, museum shop and gallery along with a café and crafts workshop areas.

For more info, see: www.americanswedishinst.org

nascent nordic news

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nordic reach issue 37

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