HDK plays in Milan

Play is a fundamental human activity.  But what if your playground is a dump? Are all materials acceptable to play with? How can light and sound give new dimensions to public spaces?

Imagine a  toy box inspired by Icelandic myths and a cabinet  where you can both express yourself and hide. Students from the unique Swedish master’s programme Child Culture Design exhibit  ”Play in progress” in Milan 17-22 April.

Play is a fundamental human activity. Play is a creative force that affects actions, artifacts and
environments. All we need is a play signal. What kind of signals can attract both adults and children? Imagine order in chaos. Explore what you can do with wood bricks and a coffee table, how you can use a table to trigger storytelling, play in the living room, secret cabins and artifacts for both relaxation and play.

“Play in progress” is presented for the first time at Ventura Lambrata, the furniture fair in Milan17-22 April 2012, and will tour in Sweden later during the year, starting 5/5 at Röhsska museet in gothenburg, later continuing to Dalsland and Tibro. With “Play in progress” eleven students from the unique, international master’s programme Child Culture Design at HDK – School of Design and Crafts, University of Gothenburg , Sweden, share their ideas with visitors. From a Child Culture perspective they have looked on communicative aspects and built-in stories in the artifacts of the room. Visitors are welcome during the period 17-22/4, opening hours: 10.00-20.00.

Are you curious to know more about each student? Welcome to look at their portfolios on the HDK website:
Bernhard Sandqvist, Griet Bouciqué, Helga Björg Jónasardóttir, Jessica Arosenius, Johanna Larsson,
María Markovic, Cheng Si, Lin Yu-Nung, Gustaf Nygren, Amanda Erixån and Denis Drouet.

The international master’s programme Child Culture Design is unique in the world: it focuses on children and a fundamental human activity, namely play - rather than products. At HDK – School of Design and Crafts future designers, craftsmen, artists, teachers in visual arts and sloyd gather in the same building as doctoral students and researchers. HDK is more than 160 years old, placed in the city centre of Gothenburg , Sweden, and is a part of University of Gothenburg and Scandinavia’s biggest  Faculty of Fine, Applied and Performing Arts. 

Exhibition period: 17-22/4
Place: Ventura Lambrate at Milan Furniture Fair, Italy

Play in Progress on Facebook 
Ventura Lambrate on Facebook

Watch short video on YouTube, where children try the students' products

Later, touring in Sweden together with others, curated by Svensk Form väst:

• 5-20/5 at Röhsska museet, Gothenburg
• 26/5-15/7 at Dalslands konstmuseum
• Octobre at Inredia in Tibro