{"id":208297,"date":"2025-10-18T07:04:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-18T07:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/208297\/"},"modified":"2025-10-18T07:04:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T07:04:13","slug":"zeitgeist-2-0-exhibition-showcases-new-norwegian-design-movement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/208297\/","title":{"rendered":"Zeitgeist 2.0 exhibition showcases “new Norwegian design movement”"},"content":{"rendered":"

As part of Designers’ Saturday<\/a> festival in Oslo<\/a>, curators Kirsten Visdal and Per Olav S\u00f8lvberg displayed an array of vintage and contemporary Nordic design objects in the home of artist Paul Hellsegg.<\/p>\n

Visdal and S\u00f8lvberg described the exhibition, called Zeitgeist 2.0 or Tids\u00e5nden 2.0 in Norwegian, as an interactive show that presented classic designs and products by emerging talents in a genuine domestic context.<\/p>\n

\"ZeitgeistZeitgeist 2.0 took over the home of artist Paul Hellsegg<\/p>\n

The title refers to what the curators describe as a move away from rational, modernist principles and towards a focus on tactility and emotional connection with everyday objects.<\/p>\n

“After years of modernism, we are now witnessing a new movement; one in which memory, heritage and personality gain prominence,” said Visdal. “People are drawn back to beauty, colour and ornamentation, which is reflected in both public and private spaces.”<\/p>\n

\"ChairsAmong the pieces on show was Gunilla Lagerhem Ullberg’s\u00a0Anemon rug<\/p>\n

“We are so impatient today; everything is expected to be ready-made, but creating a home is a patient process; it needs to be built layer upon layer,” she added.<\/p>\n

The apartment and studio of artist Paul Hellsegg<\/a>, located in Oslo’s Cort Adelers gate neighbourhood, was chosen as the setting for the presentation, which aimed to make visitors feel like participants rather than spectators.<\/p>\n

\"WoodVarier contributed its classic kneeling chair<\/p>\n

“We wanted to bring design back into a real environment \u2013 not a gallery, but a lived-in space,” S\u00f8lvberg told Dezeen.<\/p>\n

“The space also includes his atelier, which inspired much of the concept. It gave us a sense of artistic freedom and authenticity \u2013 an environment where creativity is literally part of the walls.”<\/p>\n

\"DiningTextile vases by Kristine Five Melv\u00e6r provided a pop of colour<\/p>\n

Pieces from Norwegian and Nordic brands were integrated into the interior alongside Hellsegg’s expressive abstract paintings and functional sculptures to give the exhibition a casual and inclusive feel.<\/p>\n

“The idea was not to erase the soul of the home, but to let design dialogue with it,” said S\u00f8lvberg. “We repainted, re-lit and adjusted the layout slightly \u2013 but kept the spirit intact.”<\/p>\n

\"LoungeNorwegian brand Northern contributed several lamps<\/p>\n

The show featured objects with a narrative quality from established brands like Kasthall<\/a>, Northern<\/a>, Varier<\/a> and Fogia<\/a>, alongside works from younger studios like Nedre Foss<\/a>, Andersen & Voll<\/a> and Pettersen Hein<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“We wanted to show the new while placing it in a personal, lived context, allowing the pieces to speak to each other and form a genuine dialogue,” S\u00f8lvberg said.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

Norwegian designers use reclaimed materials to customise USM Haller furniture\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

The objects displayed as part of Zeitgeist 2.0 included a dining table and chairs by Jenkins & Uhnger<\/a>, a cabinet by F\u00e4rg & Blanche<\/a>, lighting from Northern<\/a> and a coffee table from Fora Form<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A focus was placed on quality of design, craftsmanship and a connection to Norwegian heritage, as exemplified by the Anemon rug designed by Gunilla Lagerhem Ullberg for Kasthall<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This modern piece, based on an archival pattern, was presented alongside playful, handcrafted textile vases by Kristine Five Melv\u00e6r<\/a>, and a steel storage unit designed by emerging designer Jonas Stokke<\/a> for Eskoleia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"DiningDesign duo Pettersen Hein showed their concrete vases<\/p>\n

Other pieces chosen to demonstrate Norway’s heritage of innovation and craftsmanship included the sculptural Ekstrem chair designed by Terje Ekstr\u00f8m in 1984<\/a>, the simple Less sofa from LK Hjelle<\/a> and a selection of crafted objects from Nedre Foss.<\/p>\n

The exhibition’s domestic setting created a relaxed atmosphere where visitors were encouraged to sit down, linger and engage with each other and the objects on display.<\/p>\n

\"DeskA Flokk office chair features in the apartment’s workspace<\/p>\n

According to the curators, some people commented that “it felt like being inside a conversation between art, design and life”, while others shared childhood memories triggered by familiar objects such as wool rugs and wooden chairs.<\/p>\n

The show’s format is an extension of S\u00f8lvberg and Visdal’s professional practice as curators of spaces that are rooted in everyday experiences.<\/p>\n

\"WhiteThe exhibition formed part of Designers’ Saturday<\/p>\n

The pair suggested that the Hos Paul concept may evolve into a recurring series that would see different domestic spaces used to showcase contemporary art and design.<\/p>\n

Visdal’s previous projects include an exhibition of Norwegian furniture, objects and sculptures<\/a> that was installed in a former smoking room at the Mus\u00e9e d’Orsay in Paris.<\/p>\n

The photography is by Anne Meranda.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As part of Designers’ Saturday festival in Oslo, curators Kirsten Visdal and Per Olav S\u00f8lvberg displayed an array…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":208298,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[6225,6485,6486,1120,89719,96,10993,4160,32887,40339,41464,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-208297","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-design","12":"tag-designers-saturday","13":"tag-entertainment","14":"tag-exhibitions","15":"tag-norway","16":"tag-oslo","17":"tag-sectionall","18":"tag-sectiondesign","19":"tag-uk","20":"tag-united-kingdom","21":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208297"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208297\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/208298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}