DOGA is organising the joint Norwegian Presence exhibition for the design week in Milan, which was originally scheduled to be held between 21–26 April 2020. For the sixth year in a row, Norway was to be represented here with a joint exhibition of Norwegian design, furniture and interiors.
To prevent any further spread of the coronavirus, the authorities in Milan and the organisers of the design week have decided to postpone the event for two months. The new dates are now 16–21 June.
– We were about to announce all the amazing things that we will be exhibiting in Milan. Instead, we now have to inform everyone that the exhibition has been postponed. Fortunately, we just got confirmed that we will have the same venue in June, says Benedicte Sunde, DOGA’s project manager for Norwegian Presence.
Flexible and sustainable exhibition
Exhibitors in Norwegian Presence 2020 include 11 of Norway’s top designers. They were selected early last autumn, from the 37 candidates who had submitted applications. The applicants were asked to use natural materials like wood, aluminium, stone and/or paper, and the contributions they sent in were evaluated on the basis of criteria such as aesthetics, function, innovation, sustainability and commercial potential.
The exhibition has been curated by Benedicte Sunde, together with Marit Haugen from Haugen/Zohar Architects. Haugen/Zohar have also been responsible for the exhibition architecture, and had just submitted the final sketches for this year’s exhibition. The exhibition architecture is simple, using as little material as possible. This reflects the sustainability perspective which is a feature of the entire exhibition, and it will be built locally in Milan.
– The exhibition is based on simplicity and frugality, and this is a major benefit now that the project has encountered such a major and unforeseen obstacle, says Sunde.
Photo: Ellen Heggestad
