Claire Delmar curates ‘Latitude’
As Copenhagen fills with designers, collectors and architects for Denmark’s premier fair 3daysofdesign, ‘Latitude’ showcases the richness and diversity of contemporary Australian design.
Curated by Sydney-based stylist and creative director Claire Delmar, ‘Latitude’ brings over 40 leading and emerging Australian designers to the heart of European design. Held from June 10 – 12, the exhibition explores the idea of natural light not simply as atmosphere, but as a driving force that shapes how objects are made, seen and understood as expressions of cultural identity across different geographies.
Each designer has been invited to respond to Scandinavian light: the pale tonal shifts of northern skies, the darkness of winter and the sharp brilliance of summer. In this way, designers connect their practice to place, climate and cultural context, expanding the conversation around design to create what Delmar describes as “a dialogue between hemispheres”.
This plays out through furniture, lighting, textiles and objects that translate light into material and tactile experiences. Delmar, whose interiors are known for their layered restraint and sensitivity to tone, approaches the exhibition with the same eye. Set in a residential apartment, the natural light and architecture shapes the experience of the works and reinforces the show’s focus on texture, shadow and reflection.
Among the designers is Henry Wilson, whose lighting, furniture and objects in metal, stone and glass are inspired by the Australian landscape and embrace the character of homemade processes. Ceramic artist Jordan Fleming, known for her playful, expressive designs, will exhibit her Soft Monument Cavetto lamp, hand-cast in concrete and created in collaboration with Studio Ceravolo.
Furniture studio Duzi Objects explores metal furniture and objects in unique, exaggerated forms, while sculptor Olive Gill-Hille reimagines timber in bodily, organic shapes. Nicole Lawrence draws on histories of gold and silversmithing, as well as industrial design, for her conceptually resolved furniture and lighting, while Emma Shepherd of Sundance Studio creates rich, earthen-hued tapestries and textiles.
To celebrate the exhibition, opening drinks will be held on June 11 from 4pm – 7pm, alongside a public program including a curator talk with Delmar as well as designer-led sessions. These events provide greater access to the ideas, processes and materials behind the work and are open to the public.
The designers in ‘Latitude’ all favour a slower, richer engagement with materials and ideas, embracing the theme of this year’s festival, Make This Moment Matter. The exhibition invites visitors to observe how light can shape materials, form and perception while introducing them to the very best of Australian design.
‘Latitude’ runs from June 10-12 at Grønningen 5, St., 1270 KBH K, Frederiksstaden, Copenhagen.
