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Archive for Mikaela

Blogs about design, art and everyday life in Sweden

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If you can’t get enough of  reading blogs I might have some suggestions for you. If you also happen to have an interest in art and design these tips should be just perfect!

Talented illustrator Camilla Engman shares the world with us from her point of view with a lot of beautiful and playful pictures.

If you are looking for home styling inspiration, Emma Fexeus blog Emmas designblogg, is the one to pay a visit.

Antonia is the girl behind the blog Swedish Love Affair. Her blog is more from an everyday-life in-Sweden perspective but you can definitely tell her passion for fashion and photography by reading the blog.  

If you want even more insight into the everyday life in Sweden, why not check out Surviving in Sweden?

And if you want to read more about Swedish design I strongly recommend our new fact sheet on the topic.

Magazine rack Front Page by Front.
Magazine rack Front Page by Front. (CC BY NC SA)

Have a nice weekend!

Mikaela

February 18, 2011

Rag and bone with a blanket in Stockholm

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There is a sad little Stockholm figure sitting just outside of Rosenbad (Prime Minister’s Office and the Government Chancellery in Sweden) right before the bridge leading to Gamla stan (the Old Town) and Riksdagshuset (the Parliament building). The first thought might be to look away but if you dare to rest your eyes on it for a moment you’ll soon realize it’s a sculpture.

Rag and bone with a blanket in Stockholm. Sculpture by Laura Ford.
Rag and bone with a blanket in Stockholm. Sculpture by Laura Ford.
Photo: Michel Alessandrini, (CC BY NC SA)

Hemlös räv (Homeless fox) is created by artist and sculptor Laura Ford and was bought by Stockholm konst in 2008. To decide where in Stockholm to place the sculpture, a vote organised by Situation Sthlm (a Stockholm-based newspaper which discusses homelessness, sold by homeless people) took place. During three weeks in May 2009, Situation Sthlm’s readers got to vote where to put the sculpture. The result was the street corner where Drottninggatan and Strömgatan meet, right in the vicinity of the most influential circles in Sweden. The little homeless fox sits there, night and day, like a constant reminder that there are still improvements to make in the Swedish welfare society.

Mikaela

January 26, 2011

A hotel built of ice and snow

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Last week, sustainability blogger Sara Jeswani wrote about the somewhat special Treehotel which was recently opened in the north of Sweden. Another, maybe a bit more well-known, Swedish hotel with a spectacular design is the ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi in Swedish Lapland.

Every year the ICEHOTEL is re-built in a new design. The only thing constant is the Crystal Chandelier placed in the ICEHOTEL Main Hall.  Ice blocks from Torne River are used as construction material and a large number of artists from all over the world transform the ice into a gigantic work of art. When springtime comes the ICEHOTEL slowly melts away under the sun, only to be rebuilt once again when the winter makes its entrance.

Mikaela

January 18, 2011

Merry Christmas!

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The Christmas tree is decorated. The food is being prepared. All the gifts are wrapped. Yeah, I think Christmas is finally upon us! 

Christmas gifts waiting under the Christmas tree.
Christmas gifts waiting under the Christmas tree. Photo: Erik Forsberg, (CC BY NC SA)

Mikaela

December 24, 2010

A good cause during Christmas time

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Most people would say being together with family and friends is the most important part of celebrating Christmas. A lot of Swedes would probably add watching Donald Duck on TV at 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve to the list of important features during Christmas.

Everyone is unfortunately not in a situation where they can enjoy the holiday with loved ones. According to a survey made by Stadsmissionen (charity organization) in April 2010 at least 2982 persons are homeless in Stockholm. To make people more aware of this problem Stadsmissionen created the campaign “Help us bring down an old Christmas tradition” (”Hjälp oss att bryta en gammal jultradition”) to raise money to this cause.

On Christmas Eve Stadsmissionen will put up big flatscreens at Stureplan in central Stockholm and broadcast “Donald Duck and his friends wish you a merry Christmas” (“Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar en God Jul”). The hopes are, of course, that the ratings will be as low as possible.

Another part of the campaign is an exhibition of gingerbread houses. Architect Eva Grane and confectioner of the year, Roy Fares, have created gingerbread houses framed as symbols for what a home can look like for a homeless person. The exhibition is open until January 9 at the Museum of Architecture in Stockholm.

One of the gingebread houses in the exhibition to help put focus on homelessness in Sweden.

One of the gingebread houses in the exhibition to help put focus on homelessness in Sweden. Photo: Stadsmissionen

Mikaela

December 21, 2010