Nationalmuseum showcases smart Swedish design at Arlanda airport
These are exciting times for the design world. New technology is creating new opportunities, but there are major challenges involved in building a sustainable society. Crossing Borders–Smart Design, an exhibition presented in partnership with Swedavia, showcases products by Swedish designers in the fields of digital communication, digital manufacturing and sustainable design. The exhibition will meet travellers departing from Terminal 5, Stockholm Arlanda Airport, starting 28 June.
Thanks to digital technology, not only can we communicate with the things we use daily, but they can communicate with us. For instance, the cycle can warn other road users if the cyclist has to brake hard, or transmit its geographical location if the wearer is unconscious.
"We are very pleased to continue our cooperation with Nationalmuseum and the exhibition series Crossing Borders. The airport is Sweden's window to the world and the first to meet international visitors. Therefore, Arlanda is a very good venue to showcase our country's innovative power through this exhibition", says Kjell-Åke Westin, Airport Director at Stockholm Arlanda Airport.
Technology for three-dimensional printing is creating the opportunity to radically reduce the transport of goods and the associated environmental impact. A guitar designed on a computer and printed on a 3D printer shows the potential of this technology. Perhaps in future we shall be able to buy a digital file for a coffee maker or a mobile phone and have it printed at the supermarket.
New research coupled with lean design may reduce the burden on the earth's natural resources. A smart power cord reminds the user of how much more electricity is needed to power a hairdryer than to charge a mobile phone. A special bag helps reduce the spread of cholera in densely populated areas with no sanitation. An enzyme inside the bag quickly breaks down excrement and turns it into manure.
"It is exciting to be able to highlight Swedish design that can be useful on different levels. That the Nationalmuseum can do it in unexpected places, like at an airport, makes it even more interesting", says Berndt Arell, General Director at Nationalmuseum.
This exhibition, which opens 28 June and is shown until 30 September, is part of a programme by Nationalmuseum and Swedavia to showcase art and design at Swedish airports. In 2014 an exhibition featuring photographic portraits of famous Swedes appeared at Arlanda and later went on tour to other Swedavia airports in Sweden.
Nationalmuseum in Stockholm has Sweden's largest collection of applied art, design and industrial design, comprising 30,000 artefacts and ranging from the 14th century to the present day.