Dot-to-dot
Designer Ini Archibong is one of the keynote speakers for Disegno’s talk series at Stockholm Furniture Fair (image: courtesy of Ini Archibong).
The artistic and social influences that inspire the objects that surround us are an endless source of fascination for designers and design enthusiasts.
To explore the cross-cultural and multidisciplinary themes that shape contemporary design, Disegno is proud to have curated a series of talks for Stockholm Furniture Fair 2025, which will this year centre around the theme “Connecting the Dots”.
The speakers for the Disegno talks are drawn from across the worlds of architecture, furniture, textiles, and museums, and include keynote speakers Ini Archibong and Alison Brooks, along with two panel discussions. Chaired by Oli Stratford, Disegno’s editor-in-chief, the conversations will bring perspectives on design’s interaction with culture, national identity, queerness and sustainability, among other topics.
Keynote speaker architect Alison Brooks will explore the value of designing culturally specific spaces (image: courtesy of Alison Brooks).
To investigate the importance of storytelling in design, keynote speaker Ini Archibong will kick off our series of talks by discussing his work creating objects, lighting, furniture and architectural installations that use traditional craftsmanship techniques to engage with cultural and mythological themes.
Architect Alison Brooks will also explore the value of creating culturally specific work, discussing her practice’s process of researching the geography, climate and communities her buildings serve in order to create beautiful, sculptural outcomes that are tailored to individual groups and ecosystems.
Marcia Harvey Isaksson, director and founder of textile gallery Fiberspace, will participate in a panel discussion about how we can improve the sustainability of design displays (image: courtesy of Marcia Harvey Isaksson).
The first panel discussion, meanwhile, will explore how we can improve the sustainability of design displays and installations. Daniel Golling, a curator at ArkDes, will discuss the museum’s modular, reusable display system, and Marcia Harvey Isaksson, director and founder of textile gallery Fiberspace, will reflect on upcycling displays and choosing more sustainable materials. Marianne Goebel, managing director of furniture brand Artek, will discuss creating installations that meet the company’s commercial needs while upholding its environmental values.
Olorunfemi Adewuyi, the founder of OMI Collective and the Nigerian Modernism Memory Drive, will participate in a panel discussion examining different methodologies for preserving lost or endangered architectural spaces (image: courtesy of Olorunfemi Adewuyi).
Questions over how historic buildings and space can be preserved and transformed will be the theme of the second panel discussion. Designer Olorunfemi Adewuyi, who documents and archives modernist buildings in Nigeria, will be speaking alongside Katarina Bonnevier, the co-founder of Mycket, a group whose projects include installations that recreate queer nightclubs of the past. They will be joined by architect Anders Johansson, founder of Ateljé Södersvik.
The conversations are open and free to all visitors to the fair, offering a space where leading practitioners can inspire critical engagement and reflection on the purpose and impact of design. Details of Disegno’s talk series can be found below, whilst further information on the fair’s exhibitors and programming can be found online at the Stockholm Furniture Fair website.
Marianne Goebl, managing director of Artek, will consider how companies can make displays which meet commerical needs while upholding environmental values (image: courtesy of Marianne Goebl).
THURSDAY 6 FEBRUARY
The Luxury of a Story: A Q&A with Ini Archibong
Blending cutting-edge technology with traditional craftsmanship, designer Ini Archibong creates objects, lighting and furniture whose beauty is paired with deep investigation of mythological and spiritual themes. In this interview Archibong will discuss the importance of storytelling and cultural exploration within the creation of luxury design, examining the value they bring to brands, designers and consumers in the 21st-century.
WHEN: 11am, Thursday 6 February
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Re: Installation
A panel discussion that weighs up the environmental impact of installations, fairs and exhibitions. The panel brings together Daniel Golling from ArkDes, Marianne Goebel from Artek and designer Marcia Harvey Isakkson to discuss methodologies to improve the sustainability of displays, and the potential opportunities that are opened up by new, more socially and environmentally conscious approaches towards design installations.
WHEN: 1pm, Thursday 6 February
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FRIDAY 7 FEBRUARY
The Memory of Space
This panel discussion will examine how our relationship with the past plays out in architectural form. Designers Olorunfemi Adewuyi from Nigerian Modernism, Katarina Bonnevier from Mycket, and Johan Arrhov from Aarrhov Frick will discuss using unconventional methods to preserve historical architecture, from digitally archiving historical buildings to physically recreating lost spaces and searching for new uses for old buildings.
WHEN: 1pm, Friday 7 February
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The Construction of Research: A Q&A with Alison Brooks
A keynote talk with architect Alison Brooks, who frames her architectural practice as a form of cultural research. Over the course of this talk, Brooks will discuss different ways in which architecture can engage sensitively with place, community and landscape, and explore how expanding our built environment can tell us more about our selves, our cities and our social values.
WHEN: 2pm, Friday 7 February
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DETAILS
All events will take place at PAPER I BAR / SFF Talks stage area by Fyra architects, Hall A.
No RSVP is required, the talks are open to all fair goers.