LIBRERIA FOLKFORM

During design week, Folkform will take over an old bookbinders workshop in the old Town of Milan. Collaborating with the bookbinders workshop craftsmen Folkform will manufacture a series of unique books. Folkform have worked with objects closely related to literature and books for some time, one example being bookends for Skultuna brass works, and the new bookcases produced by Svenskt Tenn is a natural development of their work. Folkform have chosen the beautiful rooms of the venerable bookbinders workshop for the exhibition of their new book cases and reading lamps, a place lled with books from oor to ceiling, where they will put their new sculptural bookcases on show for the rst time in Milan.

During the week Folkform will also further develop their format «Production Novellas», created to communicate knowledge of the production process and focusing on past industrial processes and craft techniques. These includes situations, fragments and scenes from the production process as described by the designer.

In addition, Folkform aim to explore the old craft of bookbinding, as an art in it self. The book, just like a vase or a cabinet, represents a production process of thinking, shaping and transforming a material through which knowledge is created. The crafting of art and design take place within speci c contexts and relationships, which means that manufacturing processes taking place outside the actual design of an artefact are relevant to communicating the design process.

Folkform

Folkform is the name of a design duo comprising designers Anna Holmquist and Chandra Ahlsell, both having studied at Konstfack (University College of Arts, Crafts & Design). Since starting their partnership in 2005 they have maintained a clear focus and ambition – to make use of and highlight parts of the Swedish cultural heritage. In their unique designs and furniture making, Folkform have been inspired by classic industrial materials and expressions from Masonite to brass, bronze and stone. They began with a competition entry for Masonite manufacturer Rundvik’s 75th anniversary and ended up with Folkform, a design studio now with 10 years of experience and an impressive success record, both in Sweden and internationally. 

The revolving bookcases

The bookcases are a new interpretation of traditional revolving bookcases, these often featuring three or four levels with larger volumes being stored at the bottom. Folkform believe, that in this time of increased digitalisation of texts, the book as a physical object will become increasingly desirable and that the reader will prefer a smaller number of well chosen volumes housed in a beautiful piece of furniture to a large number of books in a wall-to-wall bookcase. 

Website: www.folkform.se