ISSUE 102 JULY 2017 PROMOTING BRAND SCANDINAVIA
RUNE TEMTE – MORE THAN A NORDIC STEREOTYPE MADE IN SWEDEN – DESIGN, CRAFT & FASHION SPOTLIGHT ON EXECUTIVE COACHING IN FINLAND DANISH CULTURE SPECIAL
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Villa Källhagen is perfectly suited for well-travelled people with high expectations. You sleep well in comfortable beds and eat well in the classic restaurant or the buzzy lobby bar. Staffed around the clock and serving food every day of the week, Villa Källhagen will leave you well rested and rejuvenated to face the challenges of tomorrow. Situated within walking distance from downtown Stockholm, Villa Källhagen is easy to get to, with the bus stopping right outside the entrance, easy access to taxis, and excellent parking possibilities.
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Scan Magazine | Contents
Contents COVER FEATURE 20 Rune Temte – More Than A Nordic Stereotype With a past on the football pitch and a striking look, Rune Temte is quickly becoming a household film name in Norway and beyond. Scan Magazine spoke to the Norwegian actor about The Last Kingdom, growing a beard, and the Nordic stereotype.
20 17
DESIGN 6
Classy, Cosy and Custom-made This month’s fashion diary is all about that classic, sophisticated Scandinavian look. We also list some of our top tips for bringing that summer cottage touch to your city home, and find out how a custommade furniture store in Denmark is being turned around.
SPECIAL FEATURES 12 From Ålesund to The Kitchen Tickle your taste buds with our pick of the best of Asian cuisine in Norway, in addition to a feast of a food festival. While in Norway, do not miss out on the best ways to explore the scenic destination that is Ålesund.
SPECIAL THEMES
39 Leadership Development & Executive Coaching in Finland Whether you are looking for individual coaching or need an entire management team trained up, you will find exceptional talent and boundless passion in Finland. We went east to find out more about unleashing potential and purposeful leadership.
45 Danish Culture History geeks and art fanatics, why not venture to Denmark this summer? Boasting everything from impressive fossils and Viking experiences, to opera and contemporary art for the masses, Denmark is showing no sign of letting go of that label as a wonderful cultural melting pot.
54 Made in Sweden Well-designed technology, handmade brushes, kitchen equipment with a heritage, glass bursting with colour, and a perfect shirt – we have a great deal to thank the Swedish design scene for. We went to speak to the people behind some of our favourite Swedish brands and found, among many other things, a recipe for the bread of the world.
BUSINESS 77 Work The Room As our business columnist ponders what authenticity really is and our keynote writer shares her top tips for working the room, we set out to discover what the future of wholesale looks like.
24 Consulting Denmark
68
With expertise in everything from confident communication to worker integration and intercultural relationships, the Danish consulting industry is booming. Scan Magazine took a closer look at the best consultancy firms and the robot technology scene, and found out why Nordic work culture is the way to go.
CULTURE 98 Laleh and The Next Björk Karl Batterbee, aka Scandipop, brings the latest news from the Scandinavian music scene, and we list the coolest festivals, hottest gigs and most interesting exhibitions not to miss this summer.
90 REGULARS & COLUMNS 6 Fashion Diary | 9 We Love This | 81 Hotel of the Month | 82 Experience of the Month 83 Restaurants of the Month | 86 Attractions of the Month | 90 Activity of the Month 94 Artist of the Month | 96 Museum of the Month | 97 Humour
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 3
Scan Magazine | Editor’s Note
Dear Reader, “They look the way they do because they have to,” Oscar Axhede of Zound Industries said, when asked about the new Urbanears Connected Speakers’ sleek minimalist look. I realised there and then that he had hit the nail on the head of much of the success of the Swedish design scene, succinctly explaining not just the Scandinavian love of minimalism but also much of the design’s appeal. I love our Swedish design specials, this golden opportunity to get acquainted with the brains and hearts behind these world-renowned inventions and clever designs – and the functionalist, minimalist heritage is very much central to my love for them. From Iris Hantverk’s carefully hand-drawn brushes to Ankarsrum’s top-quality kitchen assistants and Docksta Sko’s durable but beautiful slippers, this theme will make you want to fill your home with all things Swedish. It is important, however, to note that we Scandinavians are all quite different, despite that shared love of functionalist design. As Maj Emmertsen of Danish consultancy firm Human House explains, consensus-seeking Swedes can sometimes find Danes almost rudely direct, while Norwegians are so polite that their fellow Scandinavians can sometimes find them stiff. Luckily, our consultancy spotlight presents more than a handful of firms who can help with all things business communication
and beyond. Think purposeful leadership, cultural integration and everything in between – courtesy of both Danish and Finnish firms. Add some groundbreaking cultural institutions in Denmark, asking questions about everything from our history to a modernday utopia, and you can be sure that no stone will be left unturned. Our cover star, meanwhile, does not mind the stereotypes too much. Sure enough, as the tall, blond, bearded Norwegian he is, they may well have worked to his advantage. Recently seen in The Last Kingdom and Fortitude, Rune Temte is the next star to come out of Scandinavia and grace global screens with an irresistible blend of toughness and charm. Gushing about everything from SKAM to the fresh air of Svalbard, he makes a convincing Nordic ambassador too. “Why not come to Scandinavia? We’ve got a lot to offer!” he smiles. And we sure have to agree with that.
Linnea Dunne, Editor
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4 | Issue 102 | July 2017
Made in Roslagen SWEDEN
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Scan Magazine | Design | Fashion Diary
Fashion Diary… According to Christina Exsteen, creative director at By Malene Birger, Danes have a playful way of putting together outfits, while Swedes are good at minimalism and Norwegians are a little more glamourous and like an embellished approach to fashion. Marry the three and you get the Scandinavian style: sophisticated, classy and timeless, yet simultaneously laid-back and always with a twist. Embrace the Scandinavian style this summer, with pieces that will make you feel classy and beautiful. By Heidi Kokborg | Press photos
Scandinavian summer in all its glory – a light summer jacket will be a necessary evil most mornings and evenings. We covet this light blue zip-up jacket, perfect for matching with a white T-shirt and loafers for that casual yet understated, cool Scandinavian summer look. COS zip-up shirt jacket, £59 www.cosstores.com
According to Mads Nørgaard, fashion is meant to set you free, not overrule or control you. What you wear should support you in your ways and beliefs. The designer aims to help everyone be sexier and tougher, but always with a modernist point of view. We say these classic chino turn-up shorts are bang on the money and a must-have this summer. Mads Nørgaard shorts, approx. £83 www.madsnorgaard.dk
The story about Daniel Wellington is fascinating. Filip Tysander, founder of the company, met a British gentleman with impeccable yet unpretentious style while travelling. In particular, the Brit had a fondness for wearing his vintage watches on old, weathered NATO straps. His name? Daniel Wellington. This Classic Bristol watch is elegant, classy and will stand out from any crowd. Daniel Wellington Classic Bristol, £139 www.danielwellington.com
ALEXANDER LYNGGAARD CPH is a Danish jewellery brand founded by Alexander Lynggaard. The jewellery is handcrafted and inspired by Alexander’s personal observations and experiences from over the years, including studying the Mayans at university, travelling through India, and living in both Copenhagen and Los Angeles. The jewellery design reflects a clean Scandinavian look combined with Indian and Mayan spirituality, topped off with a raw Los Angeles attitude. ALEXANDER LYNGGAARD CPH Hope Signet Ring with Labradorite, approx. £200 www.alexanderlynggaard.com
6 | Issue 102 | July 2017
Scan Magazine | Design | Fashion Diary
In 1953, Marilyn Monroe sang in the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. With a ring like this from Danish Ole Lynggaard, it is hard not to agree. Made of 18-carat yellow gold with a white moonstone and 13 diamonds, this ring is for those willing and able to really splash out. Ole Lynggaard Copenhagen Lotus ring, £3,400 www.olelynggaard.com
A classic white dress is a must-have for the summer holidays, whether you spend it on a picturesque Greek island, in a cosy summer house in Scandinavia or in a pulsating big city. This elegant sleeveless dress from COS is perfect for a Sunday brunch, a garden party or a relaxing stroll on the beach. COS dress with folded neckline, £79 www.cosstores.com
If you go travelling this summer, why not travel with extra style with this passport bag? Made from soft buffalo leather with a cotton lining, it has a main compartment with a zip closure, perfect for a passport and mobile phone. It also has one outer pocket for other essentials. Yvonne Koné large passport bag, approx. £190 www.yvonnekone.com
TRIWA was founded in 2007 by four friends and stands for Transforming the Industry of Watches. They wanted to transform the watch into a modern style symbol through a combination of classic silhouettes and contemporary Scandinavian simplicity. This limited-edition watch is classic and elegant with a brushed gold mesh strap and a light blue dial, making it ideal for the summer season. TRIWA watch, Arctic Klinga Gold, £149 www.triwa.com
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 7
Scan Magazine | Design | Street Style
Nordic Humans of London Scan Magazine’s brilliant Sanna Halmekoski has once again hit the streets of London to find out what the Scandinavian fashion fanatics are wearing. Cool, sleek, and full of statements, this is a little piece of Scandiland in the United Kingdom. Text and photos by Sanna Halmekoski | www.nordichumans.com
Eva Fahler Swedish model
Eva Fahler
“My style is casual and chic. I usually shop online or on Bond Street in London. Today I am wearing shoes by Louis Vuitton, a dress from Topshop, a bag and sunglasses by Christian Dior, and a jacket from Sonia Rykiel.”
Thor Schuitemaker-Wichstrøm Norwegian/Dutch with an interest in fantasy writing and architecture “My style is practical as I go to the gym every day. I like comfortable clothes and shoes that I can hike in. I like to invest in good quality. My shoes are by Salomon, my bag is by Ozuko, my cardigan is by Vrikke, and my shorts are by David Naman.
Annamari Tarvainen Finnish barista at Nordic Bakery and photographer @annamaritarvainen
Annamari Tarvainen
8 | Issue 102 | July 2017
“I don’t shop often, but when I do I buy good-quality items. I used to shop more at flea markets in Finland, but I haven’t found similar markets in London. My shoes are by Vagabond, my shirt and jacket are from a second-hand store in Finland, my bag is from Seppälä and my watch is by Daniel Wellington.”
Thor Schuitemaker-Wichstrøm
Scan Magazine | Design | We Love This
We love this… For many, summer means sunshine, being barefoot on a beautiful beach, and spending lots of time with friends and family. Some get to spend a week or two in a summer house near the coast; but if you are not one of them, you can bring the elegant, yet cosy Scandinavian summer house style into your own home. Your house or apartment will have that beachy summer house atmosphere in no time with just a few items. Opt for a hyggelig Scandinavian summer this year with our special summer finds. By Heidi Kokborg | Press photos
This porcelain teapot is perfect for luxurious moments and get-togethers at home over a nice cup of tea. The pot has an elegant, modern idiom with a decorative, brass-coated handle and a built-in strainer, which easily separates the tea leaves from the tea, should you prefer to brew your tea the traditional way. KÄHLER Hammershøi teapot, £89.90 www.skandium.com
This beautiful blue bed linen adds an instant summer feeling to any bedroom. Jette Nevers’ pattern FACET was launched back in the 1980s and is still one of the most popular designs. It is classic and elegant, and the exclusive Egyptian cotton gives it a luxurious look and makes it soft like a dream. Georg Jensen Damask FACET bed linen, Powder Blue, approx. £143 www.damask.dk
HAY was founded in 2002 with the aim of creating contemporary furniture with an eye for modern living and sophisticated manufacturing. Whether you prefer this light blue Dot Cushion on the couch in your living room or in a chair on the porch, it is perfect for adding a touch of summer. HAY Hero Dot Cushion Light Blue, £59 www.amara.com
This beautiful Ekko throw is woven in a soft, luxurious quality of 100 per cent New Zealand lamb’s wool. It is perfect for wrapping up on a late summer evening in the garden with a cup of tea. The throw was designed by Norwegian Günzler.Polmar and comes in four colours. NORMANN Copenhagen EKKO throw, Navy/rose £99.90 www.normann-copenhagen.com
If you would like to add a little countryside feeling to your city apartment or town house, a few glass jars are a lovely idea. They are perfect for storing pasta, oats, rice and other basic dry goods. If you make your own preserves, these make elegant and stylish containers. IKEA KORKEN jars with lids, from £0.95 www.ikea.com
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 9
Scan Magazine | Design Profile | Farstrup Møbler
Left: All furniture from Farstrup Furniture is designed and produced in Denmark. Right: The new owners hope to double the turnover of the business but, first and foremost, they just want the company to start making a profit again. Seen here is Steen Lyhne-Johansen.
Outstanding custom-made Danish furniture Originally a sawmill, Farstrup Furniture A/S was founded in 1910. Over the last couple of years, the company has struggled with a budget deficit, and people have started to forget about the brand – but that is about to change. On 1 March this year, Steen Lyhne-Johansen and four other experienced Danish furniture industry professionals bought Farstrup Møbler A/S, and they are ready to turn the business around to make it a success story again. By Heidi Kokborg | Photos: Farstrup Furniture
Farstrup Furniture was founded more than 100 years ago in the village of Farstrup, just a stone’s throw from Odense. Having started out as a sawmill in 1910, the production was expanded to include furniture after just a few years, and in 2000 the sawmill closed down. What was once a flourishing business has suffered greatly in the last few years, but with five new owners that is hopefully about to change. “The company needs to be entirely rebranded. It has had a budget deficit for years, and honestly the business was ailing,” says Lyhne-Johansen, co-owner and managing director of Farstrup Furniture. “This is going to be a huge turn-around. It will take some time but we will get there.”
Exceptional craftsmanship In order to rebrand Farstrup Furniture, the new owners are taking a range of 10 | Issue 102 | July 2017
new initiatives in order to regain their strong position. The sawmill is scheduled to reopen in August – but now under separate ownership. “When it closed in 2000, there were around 400 sawmills in Denmark. Today, there are less than ten, so we really think it’s the right decision to reopen it,” says Lyhne-Johansen.
the fact that they custom-make almost all their furniture. This means that, for instance, you get a chair that is specifically made for your shape and size. “People are different. We have different bodies and different needs, so we obviously need different chairs to sit on. An 80-year-old tiny lady needs an entirely different chair than a two-metre-tall man. We accommodate this, which makes us unique from any other furniture manufacturer,” says Lyhne-Johansen.
Furthermore, they are going to design new furniture and give some of the existing models a much needed facelift in order to become more modern. “The quality of the furniture is exceptional; everything is made in Denmark and the craftsmanship is outstanding. The design just needs to be more up to date,” he continues.
Customised furniture that fits you The one thing that really sets Farstrup Furniture apart from any other furniture manufacturer – besides great quality – is
Web: www.farstrup.com
Scan Magazine | Artist Profile | Lill-Anita Svendsen
Left: Norwegian artist Lill-Anita Svendsen explores the human mind through painting. Photo: Kerry Grønhaug. Right: Svendsen’s paintings are characterised by faceless models and often draw on aspects of the human psychology and interpersonal relationships. Photo: Lill-Anita Svendsen. Bottom right: Svendsen has transformed her childhood home at Nesland in the Lofoten Islands into a gallery and guesthouse. Photo: Lill-Anita Svendsen
Exploring the human mind through painting Despite dreaming of becoming an artist as a child, it took Lill-Anita Svendsen 31 years to take the plunge and realise her painting dream full time. After earning a degree from Kent Institute of Art and Design and Nordland Art and Film School, she has never looked back. By Linn Skjei Bjørnsen
“I can’t say I chose to become an artist, I didn’t have a choice. For me art is something I just can’t let go of – something I have to do. It might sound strange, but I don’t think I could live without painting. If I had the choice between all the wealth in the world and being able to paint, I would still choose painting,” says the Norwegian artist. Using the ancient technique of oil tempera, mixing linseed oil and egg and then adding colour pigments, most of Svendsen’s paintings are figurative, with abstract elements that explore the interpersonal relationships between people as well as the human mind. Typical for Svendsen’s art is the use of faceless models. “I’m interested in human psychology and the blurred faces have several meanings. It may suggest a desire to be invisible, or the notion of feeling invisible. The images are usually
very complex and accommodate many different interpretations, creating an unexplainable tension and mystery,” she says. “Much of my inspiration comes from children, and they are often the main motif in my paintings,” says Svendsen, whose fascination with children and deep interest in their rights has led her to work with Peacepainting, an association that organises painting workshops for children all over the world, allowing them to express themselves through art. “The context is always peace, regardless of their religious or spiritual beliefs. It’s about making their voices heard, and being a part of Peacepainting is extremely rewarding and binds my two biggest passions, children and art, together nicely.” Svendsen’s paintings also draw on her childhood memories of growing up in the
small fishing community of Nesland on the Lofoten Islands in northern Norway, where she still spends her summers – and has her own gallery. The old house, built by her great-grandfather in 1878, has become a charming guesthouse available to visitors who wish to explore the spectacular nature and warm midnight sun. In the autumn and winter, the house can be rented in its entirety, offering a perfect setting for experiencing the northern lights. “We also have hunting rights for hare and grouse and a small lake for trout fishing, making it great for fishing and hunting enthusiasts,” affirms Svendsen.
Web: www.lillanita.com and www.lofoten-nesland-guesthouse.com
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 11
Scan Magazine | Culinary Profile | Hakkaiza
With a back-to-the-roots concept, Hakkaiza serves hearty sharing platters from around the Asian continent that are fiercely true to the food’s origin.
Bringing Asian food back to its roots in the heart of Oslo Within a year of opening its doors, Hakkaiza has already established itself as a breath of fresh air on the Norwegian capital’s dining scene. Serving up hearty dishes from all over Asia – with a twist, but still fiercely true to its origin – the Asian eating house is the perfect place to kick back and share good food and drinks with friends, while enjoying the stunning views of the Oslofjord. By Linn Skjei Bjørnsen | Photos: Hakkaiza
Tucked away at the tip of the picturesque harbour of Sørenga in Oslo, just steps away from one of Europe’s top ten seawater swimming pools (according to the Guardian), you will find Hakkaiza – an Asian eating house that is a little different from the rest.
True to origin Drawing on his multicultural background, travels around Asia, and childhood memories of food, owner and general manager Hung Duong wanted to create a restaurant where the dishes are as authentic and true to their roots as those you would get served in a 12 | Issue 102 | July 2017
street restaurant in Vietnam, a Chinese dumpling parlour in Beijing or a traditional Japanese izakaya in Tokyo. “A lot of the Asian food served in the west is very Americanised. Ingredients are often swapped or omitted, leaving the dish unrecognisable compared to the original recipe. The Asian kitchen is so varied, so it’s a shame to see most Asian restaurants serving up the exact same dishes. This is where we aim to be different. We want to bring it back to the roots while also showing diversity,” Duong explains. With a seasonal menu that changes frequently, Hakkaiza brings back ingredi-
ents and ways of cooking that have been largely forgotten. Its rib-eye wok, for example, uses breadsticks as one of the main ingredients, while chicken schmaltz is added for flavour to the menu’s small plate broccolini. All the food is made fresh and from scratch in the restaurant daily, using local and seasonal ingredients whenever possible. Duong grew up in a food-loving family, with a Chinese father and a mother of Chinese, Vietnamese and Cambodian descent, and most of his childhood memories are connected to food. “I remember the first time I ever cooked. I was about two or three years old, making rice with my grandfather in Vietnam. As a child, I was exposed to foods from all over the world. My mother loved the Indian culture, Bollywood movies and Indian cuisine. It is these memories that sparked the desire to create a restaurant that showcases all the diverse flavours
Scan Magazine | Culinary Profile | Hakkaiza
of the continent,” says Duong. Over the past few years he has travelled all over Asia, from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan to Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, to discover new flavours.
No limitations Hakkaiza takes its name from the two words ‘Hakka’, which refers to the HakkaChinese people, and ‘izakaya’, a type of informal Japanese gastro pub serving drinks and food to share. The choice of name is hardly a coincidence: “The name is inspired by my background. My family is Hakka-Chinese, while our concept is based around a traditional izakaya. Originally, an izakaya was mainly a place to drink, but the concept has evolved over the years and today there are no rules or limitations. It is a social dining place that doesn’t constrain itself to a geographical area or one type of cuisine, but instead
serves everything from sushi to westerninspired food,” Duong explains. Walking into the 90-seat restaurant in one of Oslo’s most booming areas, you immediately get the feeling of being transported to a backyard restaurant in a bustling Asian metropolis. With exposed industrial ceilings, an open floorplan and a six-and-a-half-metre-long open kitchen similar to those you can find in Asian street restaurants, there is little doubt that Hakkaiza puts a great deal of effort into not only its food, but also its visual representation. This has paid off: the acclaimed Luxury Travel Guide recently crowned the one-year-old eatery Chinese Restaurant of The Year.
about starting his own restaurant and Hakkaiza was in many ways born by chance. At a time when the oil crisis hit the Norwegian economy hard and finding work was a challenge, Duong realised that many people were probably in the same situation as him. “I thought, why not work for myself? Why not try and create work opportunities instead of applying to be employed by someone else?” he says, adding: “I didn’t start my own business thinking I’m going to make a lot of money; instead, my motivation has always been to create something not only for myself, but also for others. Because that’s what food is truly about – sharing it with others. I want to share my experiences with others, both guests and employees.”
Creating and sharing experiences Despite being in the restaurant business for years, Duong never really thought
Web: www.hakkaiza.no
Left: Located at the tip of Sørenga Harbour, one of Oslo’s most booming areas, Hakkaiza offers stunning views of the fjord. Right: The 90-seat restaurant space is inspired by Asian backyard restaurants and offers an informal setting to enjoy good food and drink. Bottom right: Hakkaiza was recently named Chinese Restaurant of The Year by the Luxury Travel Guide.
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 13
Scan Magazine | Culinary Profile | Lotus Sushi Point
Asian food with a panoramic view If you like Chinese food, sushi and traditional Norwegian ingredients, Lotus Mat og Vinhus in arctic Tromsø is the place to bring friends and family the next time you are going out for dinner. By Idha Toft Valeur | Photos: Alfred Johnsen
17 years ago, Eddy Ngan and his family opened a Chinese restaurant with one of their Norwegian friends in Tromsø, dreaming of becoming the place to go for traditional Chinese food. Once they achieved this, the idea of expanding was too tempting to let go of. Ten years after Lotus Mat og Vinhus first opened its doors, they decided to broaden their menu to include Japanese food. This is how the first restaurant serving sushi in Tromsø was born. Not only did they include Japanese cuisine – they also added traditional Norwegian ingredients such as reindeer and lamb into the mix, creating an interesting fusion. “We serve seasonal menus throughout the year, building on the produce that’s in season. During the winter, we have a Christmas menu with the tra14 | Issue 102 | July 2017
ditional Norwegian dish ‘pinnekjøtt’, and in the spring we serve cod tongue. In the summer, there’s mainly fish, whale and lobster on our menu, and as autumn arrives we introduce boar, deer and reindeer for our guests to enjoy,” Ngan explains.
Dine with a view Lotus Mat og Vinhus is located on the pier in Tromsø, and they are especially proud of the breath-taking panoramic views across the famous Arctic Cathedral. Indeed, the beautiful setting has become a well-known and much-loved part of the restaurant experience. The restaurant boasts a spacious venue with comfortable sofas to create that homely feeling while you enjoy anything from modern sushi to a classic stir-fry. “It is very important to us that everyone
has a great experience when they visit. We really are a restaurant for everyone. That is one of the reasons why we have such a varied menu: we cater both to busy businessmen, dashing in and out for a quick lunch, and to the large family with a range of different preferences. We can promise that there is something for everyone on our menu,” Ngan smiles. This summer, Lotus Mat og Vinhus will once again offer their extensive summer menu, and most will agree that few things beat good seafood, a glass of white wine and a beautiful view of the ocean.
Web: www.lotusmatogvinhus.no
Scan Magazine | Experience Profile | SOIC
A journey from the 18th century to the present day – welcome on a tour aboard the East Indiaman Götheborg A genuine working ship with a vibrant history, the East Indiaman Götheborg is a new historic visitor destination that takes you on a journey marked by storms and adventures – all through guided tours in the heart of Gothenburg. By Linnea Dunne | Photos: SOIC
“It was madness, really – an incomparable, quite un-Swedish mission,” says Chatrine Fritzell, CEO of the East Indiaman Götheborg. She describes the dedication and passion that led to the excavations and rebuild in scale 1:1 of the original East Indiaman Götheborg ship, part of a legacy that put Gothenburg on the world trade map. The Swedish East India Company was founded in 1731. It was ground-breaking in its proactive approach to trade in the aftermath of the Silk Road, which had brought exotic goods to Sweden, and ended up being one of the most profitable companies in the country’s history. 37 ships journeyed across the seas to the Orient, totalling 132 voyages. The original ship, Götheborg, supposedly crashed into the Hunnebådan rock in 1745 on its way back into Gothenburg harbour after its third voyage to China. In 1993, the company was reborn as a relationship-
forging door opener to Swedish business and culture across the globe.
Welcome on board The ship now resting in the Eriksberg harbour in Gothenburg is a replica of its inspirational original. “It’s been built entirely according to 18th century methods and using authentic materials, like cow’s skin to waterproof the rudder – no cheating,” says Fritzell.
Indiaman as well as the adventures of the original 18th century expeditions. We welcome guests for guided tours every day this summer,” says the CEO. Next, the ship will become a permanent visitor destination, open all year round, in the brand new Masthuggskajen district. “I love telling the story of Gothenburg, and this is a fantastic opportunity to do so with the ship as a starting point,” says Fritzell, adding that history enthusiasts and fans of maritime vibes also book the ship for conferences, weddings and other gatherings. “The environment we offer here is completely unique, and the guided tours are simply spectacular.”
Unveiled in 2003, with millions of people watching from across the globe, the ship has been on eight expeditions around the world and welcomes visitors on guided tours. The guides are dressed in authentic costumes and all have experience of sailing with the ship. “The tours on board the ship are the real deal – you can smell the tar, admire all the handmade details and learn about the unique construction of the East
Web: www.soic.se
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 15
Scan Magazine | Ålesund Spotlight | Kayak more tomorrow
Join Kayak More Tomorrow on SUP adventures in beautiful Ålesund.
Self-powered adventures in beautiful Ålesund Visit western Norway’s treasured Ålesund and you will meet plenty of people telling you which fjords to see, what mountains to climb and where to go outside the town of Ålesund. But Jonathan Bendiksen, founder of Kayak More Tomorrow, does not disagree with them. He is convinced that there is no need to leave at all, as the best adventures start right in the heart of the town. By Karen Langfjæran | Photos: Kayak More Tomorrow
You may say that Bendiksen is biased, as he runs a highly successful outdoors centre in central Ålesund, but the Canadaborn Kayak More Tomorrow founder has an incredible background in kayaking and definitely knows what he is talking about. “When I first travelled to Norway, I set up a kayaking centre in the Lofoten Islands, and later by the Geirangerfjord, but they were nowhere near as highly visited as our outdoors centre in Ålesund,” he says. Now based in beautiful Ålesund in the northern part of western Norway, he specialises in tailored outdoors adventures on the famous Bridge Sound 16 | Issue 102 | July 2017
and the ocean as well as kayaking holidays on famous fjords, beautiful coastlines and the Lofoten Islands.
Tailored outdoors adventures The Kayak More Tomorrow outdoors centre is located in the heart of the town by the famous Bridge Sound, with quick access to the nearby islands and the beautiful coastline. Though you can rent kayaks, hybrid and EL bikes and stand-up paddleboards for self-guided trips, you will appreciate Kayak More Tomorrow’s menu of tailored packages to ensure you get the most out of your trip. “You may
choose to simply rent the essentials and go, or you can book a guided tour or take part in our outfitting programme,” says Bendiksen. The popular outfitting programme always includes all equipment, route planning, local knowledge and necessary information – but the rest is up to you. Choose between different paddling routes and decide whether you want to book one of the guides to come along. You may also tweak the package to include transport and airport transfers, among other things. “We also do private tours that include hotel stays, so in general we are more than happy to tailor to whatever needs and wishes guests might have,” Bendiksen adds.
Extraordinary tours The outdoors centre stays open throughout the day and until 11pm, except in the
Scan Magazine | Ålesund Spotlight | Kayak More Tomorrow
early autumn days of August and September when the centre closes at sundown. “If you want an evening kayak trip slightly out of the ordinary, we would recommend booking a Wine & Cheese Paddle, where we paddle out to an island, then walk around and share a bottle of wine before paddling back as we watch the setting sun,” says Bendiksen, painting a dreamy picture of what a kayak adventure can be. If you are instead keen on being as active as possible when you travel, why not join one of Kayak More Tomorrow’s combination tours – like the aptly named Kayak & Hike, one of their signature tours? “With this one, we paddle out to the local Sugar Summit, have lunch and walk up to the top, where you have an incredible
view of the town, the nearby islands and the sea,” says Bendiksen. “You can also book shorter tours of under three hours, depending on how much time you’ve got available and what you would like to see.” Regardless of your pick, you can expect views of picturesque islands, impressive mountains and relaxing waves – and return home with a feeling of having been both active and relaxed.
Exploring Ålesund If you are the type of traveller who shrugs at the idea of exploring a town through café-hopping and town strolling, you could take a closer look at Ålesund from a stand-up paddleboard and have a guide tell you all about the architecture and its quaint streets. “Another great way of exploring Ålesund is by renting EL bikes
Kayak your way through the famous Bridge Sound and out and about on the sea, past Art Nouveau Ålesund and picturesque islands.
and cycling around,” Bendiksen suggests. “That way, you can rest your legs when needed – yet get to see everything the Ålesund archipelago has to offer.” Kayak More Tomorrow also offers daily walking tours through historic cobblestone streets, past famous landmarks and up to the must-see lookout on town mountain, Aksla. Kayak More Tomorrow is located less than 20 kilometres from the nearest airport, Ålesund Vigra, which is easily reached via Oslo and other international airports. The unique archipelago of Ålesund is well worth a visit for many reasons, known among other things for its high concentration of Art Nouveau architecture. The town is also home to the annual Norwegian Food Festival in August. Web: www.kayakmoretomorrow.com
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Scan Magazine | Ålesund Spotlight | Fjellstua
Located 418 steps up from the town park, Fjellstua caters to a wide range of guests. Photo: Rune Haugen.
The magnificent views over Ålesund can be enjoyed from both inside and outside the restaurant. Photo: Fjellstua.
Fjellstua is located on top of the town mountain and viewpoint Aksla in Ålesund. Photo: Harald Valderhaug.
Dinner atop a mountain with panoramic views As one of the oldest eateries in Ålesund, Fjellstua is located at the very top of Ålesund, with unparalleled views of the town. Situated 418 steps up from the town park on top of the town mountain at the viewpoint Aksla, Fjellstua welcomes guests to stop by for lunch, dinner, coffee or drinks – inside or outside, depending on the weather.
making it even easier for tourists to visit the viewpoint and restaurant. Fjellstua, circa 1934. Credit: Unknown.
By Line Elise Svanevik
In 2015, Fjellstua went through major renovations in both the café and the restaurant and, as a result, the management decided to open for dinner in the evening and lunch during the day. It now welcomes a whopping 300,000 tourists every year. Dating back to 1903, Fjellstua is a top attraction known both for its magnificent views from the restaurant located 130 metres above sea level, and for the food made using only the best ingredients. Catering to all taste buds, their food includes a range of allergen-free dishes.
Local food made from scratch “We produce all our dishes from scratch and use local suppliers where possible – especially our klipfish, cured meats and whale products,” explains owner Helge 18 | Issue 102 | July 2017
Jan Breivik Farstad, who runs Fjellstua with his wife Hege. “We cater to a wide range of customers – from businessmen who want to come up for a better lunch or dinner, to families who want to bring their children.” Fjellstua serves up to 400 portions of fish soup per week, which equals almost 80 litres. Farstad explains that the fish soup is a best-seller, with whale steak, seafood salads, sandwiches and klipfish close behind. The café and restaurant also features banquet facilities and an outdoor area that seats up to 200. Most visitors currently arrive at Fjellstua by bus, but there are conversations taking place at the moment to see whether a lift transporting people from Ålesund town to Fjellstua could be a possibility,
What: Restaurant and café with panoramic views, dating back to 1903. Where: On top of the town mountain and viewpoint Aksla, 418 steps above Ålesund. Menu: Local food produced from scratch, serving lunch, dinner, coffee and drinks. Popular dishes: Fish soup, whale steak, seafood salads, sandwiches and klipfish.
Web: www.fjellstua.no
Scan Magazine | Festival Profile | Mersmak i Skien
The whole of Norway’s food festival Every year, during the first weekend of August, the whole of Telemark in Norway get together and appreciate good food, drink and the liveliness of the beautiful city of Skien at Mersmak food festival. By Synne Johnsson | Photos: Mersmak i Skien
This year, the festival celebrates its tenth anniversary and invites the whole of Norway to a feast with no comparison. Local food and agriculture will be celebrated, and 120 different exhibitors from Norway and beyond will present their offerings. “It started mainly as a way to display all the good food that exists in Telemark. Telemark is a food region and we wanted to show this, and it has later developed to include exhibitors from other places in Norway and further afield,” says general manager Kurt Olsen. The festival is divided into different markets. There is a farmer’s market, an organic vegetarian market, a restaurant and beer market, an international market and a children’s market, so it is safe to say that there
is something for everyone. “Unfortunately, I get way too little time to enjoy the food. Every year, I realise by the end of the festival that I have completely forgotten to eat,” Olsen laughs. Mersmak runs different courses throughout the weekend as well: one on how to pack a nice, healthy lunchbox for children; one on what beer goes with what food; and one on how to bake traditional Norwegian flat bread. “It is such a buzzy atmosphere from the start on the Friday until the very end on the Saturday. There are generally around 60,000 visitors throughout the weekend, and the exhibitors bring bands along, everything from Brazilian samba music to traditional Norwegian music. It’s just a big feast,” says Olsen proudly.
Swedish culinary craft in a historical environment
The Inn Ulla Winbladh, its’ name inspired by the muse of the national bard Bellman, is renowned for it’s high class Swedish food tradition. At Ulla Winbladh you are able to savour genuine Swedish culinary craft in a historical atmosphere. Here we serve traditional Swedish cuisine, the way it is supposed to be, that is: a truly sense widening experience. www.ullawinbladh.se | Phone. 08-534 89 701
Web: www.mersmakiskien.no Facebook: www.facebook.com/ mersmakfestivalen Instagram: @mersmakiskien
Scan Magazine | Cover Feature | Rune Temte
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Scan Magazine | Cover Feature | Rune Temte
Rune Temte
– more than a Nordic stereotype With notable Scandinavian and international screen roles under his belt, Rune Temte is ready to take on the world. Scan Magazine spoke to the Norwegian actor about his beard, Nordic authenticity, and bringing what he learnt as a professional football player to the world of acting. By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Arild Sønsterød
It is the morning after the UK snap election when Scan Magazine talks to Rune Temte. He talks about “payback time for Theresa May” and is keen to hear what the general feeling is like “over there”. The Norwegian actor himself is just back from LA. “I was stopped ten times a day by people who recognised me as Ubba, others as coach Bjørn from Eddie The Eagle,” he says. “It’s not like I can hide – if they’ve seen me, they’ve seen me.” It is hard to argue with that. His presence is dominant in more ways than one, the blond wisps falling across his high forehead, the ginger beard providing that Viking-like contrast and his gaze deeply kind yet piercing. He is the embodiment of the Nordic stereotype. “If you want a Scandinavian, you’re going to look for someone tall and blond – and I’m obviously tall and blond and very handsome!” Temte chuckles. “I’m not concerned about that, and I’m not concerned about type casting. I can play the bad guy as long as I get to fill the character with life. TV and film are all about type casting; it’s only Daniel Day-Lewis who gets to be a chameleon and change all the time,
but then he only does one film every few years so he has the time to prepare!” He laughs again. As part of the cast of the BBC’s The Last Kingdom, where he played the Danish warlord Ubba, one of the main antagonists, Temte got to add a little bit more reality to a trend of fantasy and fiction. “Look at Vikings – sure, we’re gathering evidence, but who really knows what was going on back then? And Game of Thrones, it’s pure fiction. Maybe with The Last Kingdom we’re a bit closer to mixing facts with fiction – that’s one of its strengths,” he says. Earlier this year, Temte was also seen as Frank in the second season of the Swedish drama comedy series Torpederna, and as Lars Ulvenaune in Sky Atlantic’s international show Fortitude, the second series of which premiered in January. The psychological sci-fi thriller is set in the fictional Arctic Norwegian small town of Fortitude, where a brutal murder sparks mistrust in an otherwise tightknit community. “It was really interesting
to be there with Richard Dormer, Dennis Quaid, Michelle Fairley, Robert Sheehan and all these stars. The cast was fantastic and we were taken away from everything to this place in Iceland where we could really get together as a team,” he says, adding that the setting, while fictional, has very strong references to Svalbard in Norway. “It’s like we’re the exotic part of the world now – people are looking into our history and myths, and the world is opening up to what we have to offer,” he ponders. “So, if the bad guy used to come from, say, the Middle East, now it’s me! It’s refreshing, and in five or six years the bad guy will come from somewhere else. But with Iceland, it’s supposed to be the safest place on earth, so there’s an interesting contrast there. That’s said about Scandinavian actors as well, that we convey a different energy, more restrained, like we have a little secret we always carry around combined with completely open friendliness. It’s an odd combination – something volcanic that could blow up any second.”
Football Player of the Year in 1988 Volcanic, explosive – call it what you like, but for Temte it is likely to have been equally beneficial in his previous career as a professional football player. Having grown up in Solbergelva on the outskirts of Drammen, not far from Oslo, he started playing football at an early age and got Issue 102 | July 2017 | 21
Scan Magazine | Cover Feature | Rune Temte
The Last Kingdom. Press photo – Carnival Film & Television Ltd
his first professional contract aged 18. He played for Strømsgodset Football Club for five seasons and was named player of the year in 1988 – but then he quit. “I was only 25 and at the top of my career, being paid as a pro player in Norway – but storytelling was always a big dream of mine; I wanted to be in front of the camera,” he explains. “When you’re young, you’re bold and think you can do anything, and you make big decisions just like that. My dad didn’t speak to me for a few months, but we all recovered and I went to study at Drama Studio London. Was it a big transition? Sure, but it’s just something that grew, something I had to let out. All the time when I was doing sports I was reading a lot. The others were reading, I don’t know, Donald Duck, and I was there reading Dostoyevsky.” Sure enough, the world of sports provides a great deal of transferable skills. “It’s about stamina, giving it your best, always trying to be on top of your game,” says Temte, shrugging off the cynicism displayed by some as they insist actors of his ilk only get certain parts due to their looks – in his case specifically the beard. “Yes, yes, it’s just a little bit more than 22 | Issue 102 | July 2017
the beard!” he laughs. “There’s a good story about the beard, actually. I was trying to get into Game of Thrones for ages and thought I’d grow a good beard, and then one afternoon, after yet another rejection, I just thought ‘sod it’ and shaved it all off, and the minute I put the razor down I got a call from my agent about The Last Kingdom, and I was like ‘oh my God, the beard is gone!’”
Waiting for that phone call Prior to his international screen work, Temte was seen across a wide range of theatre stages throughout Scandinavia, most specifically in his home country as well as in Sunne in Sweden as part of Västanå Teater. He has acted in roles including Hamlet, Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Melchior Sinclair in Gjøsta Berling’s Saga and, as recently as in 2014, Håkan in Let the Right One In. Now the strategy is to steer clear of stage work, at least for the most part. “We are raised to say yes to as many things as possible all the time because you never know when you’re going to work again, so we should be grateful that we have work. But it’s an odd way of looking at things,” he says. “What happens when you work
around the clock, as can happen here in Scandinavia where actors don’t really choose either or but take on both film and stage work, is that you’re always in rehearsal or performing so once that phone call comes in you’re out touring somewhere in Finnmark where there’s hardly any food,” he laughs, “it’s freezing cold in the middle of nowhere and you can’t get to that casting in London because you have to travel by sleigh, swim and walk on water to get there! So now I’m turning down those jobs and waiting for that phone call.” He may be contented with type casting for now – and audiences sure love him in those very Nordic roles – but the ultimate goal, he admits, is to get the chance to go against the stereotype. “I want to go in front of the camera and bring all the nuances I can convey as an actor of 25 years, not just come and say ‘I’ll hit you’ and be the bad guy,” he says. “That’s not to say I don’t want to play the bad guy – I’m very happy with that, at least for now. I play bad guys and funny guys and complex guys, and I’ve been told Ubba was very nuanced – maybe that’s one of the reasons why he’s such a success.” This summer, he is filming in Finland alongside directors Jukka Vidgren and Juuso Laatio, and he is hoping to also get to work with LA-based Norwegian director Tommy Wirkola in the future. With The Last Kingdom and Fortitude having hit American platforms and with hopes for additional seasons of both Fortitude and Torpederna, the door to the rest of the world is slowly but surely opening – something Temte is very excited about. Yet, his love for Norway is still strong. “Did you see SKAM? It’s such a great series, and it has definitely made people look to Norway more,” he says and bursts into yet another hearty laugh. “The women are beautiful and the air is fresh, so why not come to Scandinavia? We’ve got a lot to offer!”
Rune Temte is represented by Laura Munsterhjelm at Actors in Scandinavia. Web: www.runetemte.com
Scan Magazine | Cover Feature | Rune Temte
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 23
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Technology starts at home Denmark is among the most technologically advanced countries in the world. Not because of innovation, but thanks to application and inclusion. By Sten Løck | Photos: Devoteam
“I travel frequently to Silicon Valley and I’m continuously in awe of the sheer power of innovation in that place. They constantly come up with new groundbreaking solutions. But then, when you travel around the United States, you realise that the rest of society has not caught up. In Denmark, it is almost the other way around.” Søren Nielsen is the CEO of Devoteam, a Danish management consultancy specialised in IT services. Devoteam 24 | Issue 102 | July 2017
helps companies and authorities to utilise digital technology in their work, and Denmark is doing well, according to Nielsen. “We have one of the most digitally advanced public sectors in the world, and we regularly present best-practice cases abroad. In Denmark, we have not invented the technologies, but we work hard to make the most of them in the way we function as a society.” It is all about application and inclusion, he says. “Technology starts at home. It
is not some remote phenomenon but a massive trend affecting every member of society. Accordingly, our solutions need to be inclusive and demonstrate the positive effects of new technology where it matters in everyday life.”
150 steps per day equals one million euros per year One such area is healthcare, where every developed society in the world is trying to make ends meet. The new hospital in Bispebjerg, Copenhagen, was developed based on digital analyses to improve patient care. “All the staff, doctors, nurses and porters walk long distances every day in order to do their work. 80 per cent of the costs are wages, so by reducing
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Consulting Denmark
walking the hospital would save time and money. In fact, calculations showed that if an employee walked just 150 fewer steps per day, the hospital would save one million euros per year,” Nielsen explains. The hospital reached this remarkable conclusion by analysing the physical movement of the staff over a period of time, through sensors installed in the new building. “Doctors and nurses can now spend more time on their actual job, taking care of patients. The people involved need to experience the benefits of new technology.”
The agreement with IBM is taking technology to another level, where the super computer named Watson becomes a doctor of sorts. “Watson is a super computer that can hold and analyse vast amounts of data – often more than any human brain can manage. So Watson becomes a super doctor in terms of diagnostics, because it has access to millions of patient files and all the research ever done. Thus, the diagnosis becomes much more precise, providing a much better chance of combatting the disease, in this case breast cancer.”
From super computer to super doctor
Unbelievable change demands new leadership
Indeed, many health professionals accept technology as a tool and not an obstruction. That is also the case with one of the most coveted technologies of our time, Artificial Intelligence (AI). Nielsen explains: “When the Capital Region of Denmark recently entered a five-year agreement with IBM about AI, the chief physician of radiology at Herlev Hospital put it well. He said it is like if back in the Stone Age someone had said, ‘I have heard of this new thing called fire, do you think it would be useful?’ AI is that powerful, and this health professional really got it.”
But today’s technology also comes with challenges that are hard to master or even comprehend, such as the speed of change. “We are experiencing exponential growth in technological performance, and such an explosive, non-linear development is very hard for the human mind to understand. Here is an example: from 2005 to 2015, the world-leading analysts forecasted an ‘unprecedented’ yearly market growth of 20, maybe even 30, per cent. In reality, the market more than doubled every year in that period. This kind of growth is literally unbeliev-
able, which is why we as humans have to change the way we think about time and planning.” In business terms, a new type of leadership is needed in the digital age, where speed and adaptation are of the essence. “Today’s leader needs to master change. That means making quick decisions based on patterns derived from vast amounts of data. And you need to be in tune with your organisation by being a proficient communicator on all platforms. Technology only works if you get people on board.”
Devoteam is a Danish management consultancy company specialised in information technology. Through digitisation, they streamline IT and optimise digital services for companies and organisations. The company employs more than 100 consultants in Denmark and is part of Devoteam Group with 4,000 consultants, listed on Euronext Paris.
Web: www.devoteam.dk
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Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Consulting Denmark
A company built on integrity 11 years ago, Patrick Sorrentino set up Peak Consulting Group. Since then, the company has grown to become one of Denmark’s most trusted and successful consultancies. By working with some of Denmark’s biggest companies and setting high standards for its consultants, Peak is a company that continues to reach new heights for itself and its customers. By Josefine Older Steffensen | Photos: Peak Consulting Group
In just a few short years, Peak has become a prominent fixture of the consulting industry in Denmark. They have set themselves apart by creating a company that only employs senior consultants, dares to question its clients and aims to deliver solutions that work every time. “After many years in the industry, I wanted to create a company where integrity was at the heart of everything that was 26 | Issue 102 | July 2017
done,” explains Patrick Sorrentino, CEO and founder of Peak.
At least ten years’ experience Every consultant employed by Peak has at least ten years’ consultancy experience prior to working there. “It creates a team of well-rounded, mature and engaged individuals who know what to do and how to do it,” says Sorrentino. “They are quick
to get stuck in and curious about the projects and the industries they work with, all of which makes a good consultant.” The consultants’ experience also means that they can easily spot where the problems lie or might arise within a company, and a plan can easily and efficiently be created. Once a consultant has started working with a client, they remain their contact throughout the process.
A partner for all industries Peak works across many industries and can help with anything from new IT implementation and optimisation to portfolio management in both the private and public sector. Every process is different
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Consulting Denmark
Patrick Sorrentino, managing director of Peak Consulting Group.
and unique to the particular client and their needs. “We create a solution that we believe in, rather than the one the clients want to hear,” explains Sorrentino. Peak’s clients are not always right, and they are often challenged on their approach to a project. “Challenging a client might seem strange, but our experience means that we know what works and what doesn’t. Therefore, if we’re not happy with the solution and the process, it’s likely that it’s not the right process, so instead we develop something new.”
away projects if we don’t believe in them, but that also means that the projects we do take on are worth working on, because we know they’ll lead somewhere,” says Sorrentino. “Everything we do has to be sustainable and able to stand alone once we’re finished with it. We want people to come back to us because of a new project and not because an old one hasn’t worked. Our consultants play a vital role in achieving this, as their experience and drive to become the best in their field set them apart and make them exceptional to work with.”
Peak Consulting Group has become a successful company with double-digit growth three years in a row. The team of 65 consultants are working with some of the biggest businesses and public organisations in Denmark and the Nordic countries. In only a short space of time they have become renowned in their field. Clearly good values and excellent expertise are a winning combination.
Web: www.peakconsulting.dk
Courses and training Every year, Peak hosts 270 courses about project management. The courses range from basic to advanced project management and over 3,000 people take advantage of them each year. The courses are open to anyone looking for inspiration, or for those wanting to learn more about project management. Peak also offers training in best practice within project management and is a certified training organisation for the international PRINCE2® and the Danish IPMA®, as well as providing training in PRINCE2 AGILE™, APMG change management and Scrum. These training courses provide comprehensive and engaging ways to implement project management strategies into a business.
A business ally How can Peak maintain its integrity without compromising its own profit? “Ultimately, our work and solutions speak for themselves. Yes, we sometimes turn
Case study Peak Consulting Group has been an exclusive project management supplier/partner across the Danish Defence for the past four years, and has recently won the EU tender for a period of a further four years. When choosing a preferred supplier/partner, the Danish Defence values quality, flexibility and reliability. “We need to be able to trust our suppliers and partners. We assess both their professionalism and their flexibility. Knowledge is nothing if you don’t know how to collaborate,” says Torben E. Simonsen, head of programme and project management at the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO). “Peak has been assisting us with some of the largest procurement projects in the Danish Defence. They have always been able to meet our needs on short notice.” Issue 102 | July 2017 | 27
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Consulting Denmark
Starting a business in Denmark has never been easier Many budding Danish entrepreneurs learn by trial and error. However, it does not have to be that way. If you are thinking of setting up a business, startupsvar.dk gives you the answers to all your questions – even the ones you never knew you had. By Signe Hansen
When the four young entrepreneurs behind Dancatech decided to turn their innovation – sustainable disposable medical equipment – into a business, they found more help than they realised they needed on startupsvar.dk. “It’s often the things you think you know that you actually need help with,” says Kasper Tindbæk, one of the company’s four partners. “The site helped us transform our idea into a business. When you start out, you have a lot of ideas about how things are going to be, but when you go into the real world, it’s often very different.” Startupsvar.dk offers help at all stages of establishing a firm, from idea development to fundraising, market surveys and administration. All the information is sorted into different stages and steps to bring a helpful
28 | Issue 102 | July 2017
structure into the chaotic start-up phase of a company. “The site has helped us a great deal with a lot of information, which was really useful in the start-up phase when we needed to develop, structure, and mature our concept,” says Tindbæk. Facts: Startupsvar.dk was developed and authored by Mogens Thomsen. The online guide is available in Danish and English. Thomsen also runs Thomsen Business Information, offering advice and guidance to start-up firms.
Web: www.startupsvar.dk
Kasper Tindbæk, Mads Reinholdt, Mathias Snejstrup and Morten Keil, the founding partners behind Dancatech, found startupsvar.dk to be ‘an incredible help’ in the start-up phase of their company. Photo: Dancatech.
Mogens Thomsen, the consultant behind startupsvar. dk, has worked with start-ups for more than 15 years and has authored numerous books and digital texts on the subject. Photo: Thomsen Business Information
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Consulting Denmark
Translate your leadership skills Having worked with intercultural integration in the workplace for decades, Danish consulting firm Human House talks to Scan Magazine about potential misunderstandings between cultures. Interestingly, the consultants maintain that even within the Nordic countries, our differences can cause slight hiccups. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Human House
How far ahead do we need to plan? What makes a strong leader? Is the main purpose of communication to be efficient or polite? Innately, different cultures will have different answers to these questions, causing potential misunderstandings in a multicultural workplace. Through consulting, courses and global management development, Human House helps cross-cultural management boards and leaders working with and in different cultures to understand and turn potential difficulties into strengths. “What you see is only ten per cent: the language, clothes and posture, it’s the tip of the iceberg. The other 90 per cent you can’t see,” explains consultant Maj Emmertsen. “It’s the norms and values that people have been taught throughout their lives that are most likely to cause difficulties when working across cultures. Most people will be fine with
dressing a bit differently, but when it goes deeper and affects your cultural values, conflicts can arise.”
When strength is seen as weakness In a recent job, Emmertsen worked with a Danish leader who was heading up a production project in Poland. The manager had a management style typical of successful Danish leaders, seeking to create consensus through a flat, inclusive management structure. But before long, his employees began to display a lack of respect towards him; they saw his consensus-seeking leadership as a sign of weakness. Typically occurring when leaders are not aware of, or expecting, cultural differences, this kind of problem is likely to happen even in very similar cultures, explains Emmertsen. “A problem that we encounter again and again is that people
within Scandinavia assume that because we all look the same, eat the same and speak almost the same language, we should act exactly the same. But that’s not how it is. For instance, the Danish directness is often perceived as very rude to more consensus-seeking Swedes, and Danes often experience Norwegians as overly stiff and formal because of their generally politer way of communicating.” However, cross-cultural collaborations should not just be perceived as a potential source of problems. “They are also a potential source of strength, and the first step to move from one to the other is to be aware of, and address, the differences,” Emmertsen concludes. Human House is currently working on an extensive study of cross-cultural integration in the workplace. Interested organisations are invited to take part and should contact Human House directly at info@humanhouse.com
Web: www.humanhouse.com
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 29
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Consulting Denmark
Power plant ski slope, Copenhagen.
Competent and committed consulting Local presence, a solid concept and a more modern way of working on projects are the essence of the consulting company MOE and their success throughout all of Scandinavia. By Nicolai Lisberg | Photos: MOE A/S
For many years, the early design phase of a new building project was primarily a job for architects who, once they had finished their design, would pass it on to the engineers. They would then take a look at the design and start pointing out what had to be changed. “We have turned the way of working around. By joining forces with the architects from the very beginning, our technical knowledge enhances the design instead of limiting it. The design process becomes much smoother and 30 | Issue 102 | July 2017
the client simply gets a better product,” says Sune Wendelboe, managing director of MOE in Norway. “Buildings today are technically very complex things. That’s why we need to work together from the beginning in order to understand the idea and build around it, so to speak, and in the end create intelligent and sustainable buildings.” MOE’s primary fields of work are consulting in connection with the planning,
design and erection of all types of building projects, as well as infrastructure, environmental, energy-related and industrial projects. The company was originally founded in 1930 and has offices in Norway, Denmark and the Philippines and is also involved in plenty of projects in Sweden. One of those projects was the Mall of Scandinavia – Scandinavia’s biggest shopping centre, which opened a few years ago. In Denmark, they have been involved in the new ski slope on top of a new power plant in Copenhagen, and in Norway they were on the team that won the competition for the new Life Science Centre Oslo University, which is the biggest university building project to date in Norway. “None of these projects could
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Consulting Denmark
have been made if we hadn’t done it the MOE way, where we work closely together with the architects throughout the entire process,” says Wendelboe.
Local presence Other than having over 85 years of experience and a strong concept, what really separates MOE from so many other consulting companies is their local presence. Where other companies might have centralised discipline management, MOE has geographical management. “This means that we are truly present in the region or country where we are working on the projects. One might think that consulting on buildings is pretty much the same thing in all of Scandinavia, but it isn’t. There are a lot of small differences that in the end make a big difference – differences you can only be aware of if you are present in the country where you are building,” says Wendelboe. “This is the key to success. In each region, each country, we know our client’s expectations, local regulatory requirements and building codes, so our customers don’t have to worry about that. And knowing the differences between the countries
allows us to use the same strong design concept.” Geographical management is an advantage not only for MOE’s customers but for their employees as well, as they always have their manager right next to them. “This allows us to keep a flat organisational structure, even though the company is growing rapidly. The board of directors is put together by managers from each of the geographical regions where we have a presence, so no matter where you are based, you are sitting right next to your manager. This way, even employees who have only been here for a short time have the opportunity to influence decision processes directly. We are very open to suggestions and feedback from our employees, because that’s what keeps us on our toes,” says Wendelboe.
International career opportunities MOE has made a virtue out of creating a cheerful and casual working environment. The company provides their employees with challenging and exciting projects with a focus on utilising the
various competencies that each employee has, which has created an open environment for knowledge sharing and continuous professional development. “Our employees are a corner stone of our success. They create the projects and, among other things, we want to repay them with international career opportunities. We arrange inspiration trips to different cities in Europe, and with offices in Scandinavia and the Philippines our employees can go and explore the world,” explains Wendelboe. “For instance, I had an employee who started here in Oslo but then met a girlfriend in Copenhagen. Instead of having to let him go, I could recommend him to our department in Copenhagen and we could hold onto a valuable employee. It’s a huge advantage for us that we can offer an international workplace.” Web: www.moe.dk and www.moe-as.no Facebook: www.facebook.com /MOE.AS Instagram: @moeconsultingengineers
8-tallet, an award-winning building complex in Ørestaden.
The Blue Planet (Den blå planet).
Life Science Centre Oslo University. Photo: RATIO Arkitekter
Mall of Scandinavia.
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 31
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Consulting Denmark
Nordic work culture A satisfied employee is the key to happy customers. That is the mantra at AMC, where they make a virtue out of creating a good working environment that heightens the energy level and dedication of the employees. By Nicolai Lisberg | Photos: ArbejdsmiljøCentret
“From a financial point of view, a good working environment is always a sound investment. In Scandinavia, people generally go to work to create value for their company. Thriving employees are key to having happy customers. We call this Nordic work culture. That’s why it’s so important for managers to make everyday work life better for their employees,” says Kenneth Ajslev, CEO at ArbejdsmiljøCentret. “Companies that are successful in developing and maintaining the Nordic work culture have a special competitive advantage, as challenges are acted upon proactively and tasks are solved smoothly, efficiently and with integrity,” says 32 | Issue 102 | July 2017
Ajslev. AMC – which is one of the largest, authorised occupational health and safety consulting companies in Denmark – helps customers build an even stronger in-house Nordic work culture by improving their physical work environment, their managers’ leadership skills, and the culture in the company. How to create and enhance the Nordic work culture can be explained by what AMC refers to as the ‘circle of investment’ and the three Nordic core values: proactivity, integrity and customer understanding. It all starts with the company investing in its employees. If the company is able to provide a safe and inspiring
working environment, the right tools and usable management directions, making the work of their employees as easy as possible, then the employee is both able and willing to go the extra mile in terms of helping out a colleague or the customer with the task needed, thus investing their effort in the company. This results in a happy customer, who is likely to do
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Consulting Denmark
business with the company again, and so the circle of investment is complete.
Construction.
More than 500 new customers AMC is authorised by the Danish Working Environment Authority to provide advisory and consulting services within all areas of competence. With departments in both eastern and western Denmark – that is Copenhagen, Randers, Kolding and Aalborg – AMC has a nation-wide presence.
Production.
AMC has grown significantly over the last two years, adding more than 500 new customers to their portfolio, ranging from minor businesses of ten employees to some of the largest companies in Denmark. In the same period, AMC has grown from 20 to 43 employees and currently has more than five new job openings. “The success we are experiencing is due to our employees. They have contributed very much in building this inspiring environment that new employees want to join, and they are the ones who have brought on so many new customers,” Ajslev explains. When he and his family bought the company two years ago, they quickly realised that in order to give other companies advice on a better work environment, they had to create one for their own employees. “Talented people want to work with other inspiring people. So we made sure we didn’t just have one person representing each field of expertise, but more aggressively employed a whole group of knowledgeable professionals to constitute each department. All our employees are well-educated, but it is equally important that they have the right personality. If there is good team spirit among your employees, working life just becomes so much easier,” says Ajslev.
Nordic in Singapore Until now, AMC has been present only in Denmark, but the plan is to expand their vision to other parts of the world. From August onwards, they will start consulting on Nordic work culture in Singapore, and Ajslev is looking forward to the new challenge. “Not all places in the world are ready for this way of working, but we
Education.
Psychosocial culture.
believe Singapore is a good place to start for us to share our dream on Nordic work culture.” More and more countries and companies are starting to see the competitive advantages of AMC’s way of doing things. Ajslev believes that companies buy consultancy services based on the same pretext: that you get what you are promised and that there is trust between the two parties. “Trust is everything,” he says. “Our work culture is characterised
by employees who feel responsible for solving their tasks, who dare to give their opinion and share knowledge and insight with colleagues and managers. Unlike what some might still believe, integrating Nordic work culture into your company is not an expense. It’s an investment!”
Web: www.amcentret.dk
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 33
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Consulting Denmark
Successful foreign worker integration Forward-thinking decision makers are looking to Mozhi Consulting for successful new cultural employee integration. By Nicolai Lisberg | Photo: Mozhi Consulting
Today’s decision makers are looking at candidates from all around the world to meet their companies’ needs. Finding qualified candidates for the work you want done is fairly easy, but the problem often occurs when it comes to the new employee’s inability to fit in with the culture of the new country they find themselves in. “This can be a stressful situation, which can affect the candidate’s performance, which consequently affects the company in a negative way. That’s why we prepare the employees for the Danish or European culture so that they can avoid big culture clashes when they start their new job,” says Mozhgan Gerayeli who, together with her daughter Yalda Tabesh, owns Mozhi Consulting.
They will learn how to cope with the stress that a new position along with a culture shock can cause, and this will of course benefit the company as well,” says Gerayeli.
Successful cultural integration improves your bottom line Companies are discovering just how important a broader cultural integration and assimilation is, in order for foreign workers to succeed and become a true asset for the company. “Employees that integrate better and faster into the culture of their new country experience less stress, are more productive and stay longer. A happy life outside of work also contributes to a better performance at work,” says Tabesh. Mozhi Consulting have developed stress relief techniques for the employees, as well as a unique cultural integration programme. “This provides new foreign employees with a much better cultural understanding of the country they will be living and working in.
Web: www.mozhiconsulting.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ MozhiConsulting LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mozhgan, www.linkedin.com/in/yalda-tabesh Instagram: @mozhi_consulting Phone: +45 30353542 / +45 40151503
Specialist knowledge when and where it is needed An increasing need for project-specific competencies means that the ability to find and hire flexible specialists has become crucial for many companies. With a large network of engineers and technical consultants, Danish Uni Consulting helps companies and consultants make the most of new opportunities. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Brian Nonbo
Founded in 2008, Uni Consulting has had almost a decade’s head start in developing the network that many companies are today realising that they need. Since then, the company has been connecting technical specialists with small and major corporations within a range of industries such as wind power, brewery, medico, IT and telecommunication. “If you look ahead a little, it’s very clear that we will see an increasingly projectorientated job market in Denmark. That’s why our main mission was, and still is, to help organisations hire the people they need here and now, without committing to a permanent contract,” explains Tommy Both Juul, director at Uni Consulting. “We 34 | Issue 102 | July 2017
are able to guarantee that our consultants match the required professional skills not just on paper, but in real life too. And, equally importantly, we ensure that as a person too the consultant is a match for the company, its structure and the specific project.” This structure benefits not just the organisations, but also the consultants. When employed by Uni Consulting, they are guaranteed all regular employee rights such as holiday pay, sick pay and more.
Tommy Both Juul, director at Uni Consulting, has more than a decade’s worth of experience of working with technical projects within different industries.
Facts: Uni Consultants employs 25 engineers and technical specialists. On top of this, the company has a continuously updated database of around 500 consultants. Uni Consulting is located in Skanderborg and Kolding but employs consultants for all parts of Denmark.
Web: www.uni-consulting.dk
Visit us! Stockholm: Swedenborgsgatan 3 & Jakobsbergsgatan 9 | London: 79 Berwick Street | Gothenburg: Andra LĂĽnggatan 22 | www.sandqvist.net
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Robot Technology Denmark
On Robot launched the dual gripper, which can save producers even more time and resources.
Get a grip of the future In an increasingly competitive global market, collaborative robots and collaborative grippers have become a more and more common sight at global production sites. The rapidly expanding robot firm On Robot is one of the companies making the technology available to SMEs. Versatile, safe and user-friendly, the Odense-based company’s collaborative grippers are the definition of ‘plug and produce’. By Signe Hansen | Photos: On Robot
Developed by Bilge Jacob Christiansen and Ebbe Overgaard Fuglsang back in 2015, the electrical RG2 gripper has quickly made an impact on the emerging global market of collaborative robots, also called ‘cobots’. The key ambition behind the development of the gripper was to provide a cable-free gripping solution without the complications of traditional pneumatic 36 | Issue 102 | July 2017
grippers, explains head of sales in Europe, Kenneth Bruun Henriksen. “The idea was to create a flexible gripper that would be able to handle different sizes, objects and weights. Unlike the majority of the existing, usually very complex, grippers on the market, which need extensive wiring and external air supply, it was to be simple to install and operate.”
Last year, On Robot received a large investment from Vækstfonden and a group of leaders within the robot industry including Enrico Krog Iversen, former director of Universal Robots, and Thomas Visti Jensen, CEO at Mobile Industrial Robots ApS (MIR). The company has been expanding rapidly ever since, and its new technology is being picked up by companies and distributors around the world.
Human and robot hands working safely side by side Traditional robot gripping solutions often require not just a lot of space and energy, but also a high level of expertise to install and operate. On Robot’s grippers, on the
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Robot Technology Denmark
contrary, are easy to mount, program and operate and can be reconfigured by production workers in as little as ten minutes. “We have made our grippers so user-friendly that the employees will be able to get involved in the work with the cobots. This also means that instead of being intimidated by the technology, the employees become really engaged and fascinated by the possibilities, and even get ideas of how to optimise and develop their production,” says Kenneth. Like all collaborative robots, On Robot’s grippers are designed to work safely side by side with human employees with no additional barriers, fences or security measures. As an extra integrated safety feature, the grippers have a failsafe operation, maintaining gripping force even in cases of power loss.
Creating more jobs With an ambition to become the leading provider of collaborative grippers, On Robot has been expanding both its development team and its network of distribu-
tors in the past year. In 2016, the company launched a dual gripper configuration, which is just as easy to mount and control as the single, requires no extra cables and improves production time. This year, On Robot is introducing the RG6 gripper, which has a wider stroke and higher payload. The grippers enable companies to become even more cost-efficient and have helped several medium-sized Danish producers save the time and resources vital to staying competitive on the global market. “Often times, the installation of collaborative robots is what enables a company to keep their production in Denmark,” explains Bruun Henriksen and rounds off: “There are so many benefits of investing in collaborative technology. It relieves your staff of exhausting and monotonous work and, though many worry that this may cost them their job, statistics show that collaborative technology leads to a larger workforce because it leads to improved competitiveness and greater production.”
On Robot’s flexible grippers require no extra wires, external air supply or extensive programming, but can be easily and quickly installed and operated.
Facts: Collaborative robots, or ‘cobots’, are robots that can safely work side by side with human employees, are easy to install, program and operate, and are profitable and efficient. The company’s collaborative gripper technology can be used for productions of all sizes. It is widely used by SMEs globally, within tasks such as ‘pick & place’, CNC machine automation, machine tending, packing and palletising, assembly and more. On Robot currently employs 15 people but is looking to expand to up to 30 people within the next year. On Robot is rapidly expanding its distribution network, currently counting 80 distributors in Europe, North America and Asia. The company’s headquarters are located in Odense, Denmark’s robotic cluster capital.
Web: www.onrobot.com
On Robot is expanding rapidly, and head of sales in Europe, Kenneth Bruun Henriksen, is one of the people working to develop the firm into the leading provider of collaborative grippers.
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 37
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Robot Technology Denmark
Turnkey solutions RoboTool deals with the development and sale of robot technology. The company has many years of experience and aims to create value through innovation. By Nicolai Lisberg | Photos: John Pedersen, Mediekompagniet
“We do what we say, and we say what we do!” This is the mantra that has made RoboTool successful over the years. The company, which was founded in 1997, has made it their trademark to create innovative robot solutions for the metal industry as well as the food and pharma business.
deliver the total solution. It’s important for us to make the customer feel comfortable and safe with the new technology, which is why our experienced project managers go through the project with great care to help them,” says Thomsen.
“Buying one of our products might be seen as an expense at first, but you should really consider it an investment instead. Often, you will earn your money back in less than three years, so the right solution will quickly improve your company’s finances,” says Leif Thomsen, CEO at RoboTool.
RoboTool is more than just a supplier. They are in close talks with the client throughout the entire process and can deliver customised solutions no matter how difficult the task. At the moment, they are delivering solutions to Terma, who are responsible for delivering components and parts to the new F35 planes. “The rudder on the plane is a tricky thing. It’s made out of carbon fibre, and each part has to fit into a shape. To ensure the right dose, the carbon fibre is placed in a soggy, soaked version that is similar to double-sided tape. It has to be placed very accurately to avoid air bubbles, because if you make a mistake you have to start all over again. This used to be a two
The company’s solutions are mainly based on robots from two of the world’s leading robot technology manufacturers, ABB and Güdel. Other than selling robot technology to both smaller and larger companies, RoboTool also makes a virtue out of educating the companies’ staff in how to operate such machines. “We 38 | Issue 102 | July 2017
or three-man job, so it’s another great example of how you can save money when automating processes,” explains Thomsen. Photo: Ingolf Sveidahl, RoboTool A/S.
Saving money on optimising processes
Web: www.robotool.dk
L Mi EX DE EA ni Th EC VE DE eme UT LO RS : IN IVE PM HIP FI C EN NL OA T AN CH & D IN G
Scan Magazine | Mini Theme | Leadership Development & Executive Coaching in Finland
Yet another leadership programme? Think again Companies are investing more than ever in leadership competence development, providing managers with the tools needed for the day-to-day running of their companies. But for successful executives already achieving great results, growth comes from developing their thinking, character and integrity. By Caroline Edwards | Photo: Henri Lassander
Senior executive coach Nonna Babitzin’s career started as one woman’s rebellion against mediocre leadership. After years of taking part in leadership competence development training, she has come to believe that it has little effect on the actual growth of true leadership.
A journey of self-discovery Today, Babitzin coaches senior executives in character-building and selfawareness. Since she founded Adare Oy in 2009, she has helped leaders around the world take their business to the next level by setting and achieving new standards for leadership. “Coaching provides executives with a space to reflect on and deepen all areas of their thinking. It’s a journey of selfdiscovery and powerful insight. Instead of competence development, we at Adare Oy focus on thinking and character development, the foundations of true leadership,” says Babitzin.
She dares her clients, as well as herself, not to settle for being great. “Exceptional leadership is about more than producing results and being a high performer; it’s about your character, setting standards and doing the right thing. It’s about vision, courage and integrity. Influential leadership is based on how you think and who you are.”
Long-lasting results Babitzin works with clients through skilled dialogue, creative interventions and collaborative learning. She challenges executives to think from a new perspective, and together they achieve long-lasting results. With a confidential and impartial coach, dedicated to the growth of the client, executives can explore their thinking in full partnership with the coach. “Successful leaders already understand that in order for their company to grow, they must challenge themselves, and they invite me to help them,” she reflects.
Babitzin is an ICF Professional Certified Coach with years of experience behind her. “I give a 100 per cent satisfaction guarantee for my work, and I am proud to say that I have only satisfied clients,” she concludes. Babitzin invites leaders to step up. After all, an ever-evolving world requires everevolving leaders.
Testimonials: “Results are remarkable.” Client CEO “The ROI has been significant.” Client vice president “NOWENA® gave me more than all the previous leadership trainings combined.” Client CEO “I got a lot of depth and new dimensions to my thinking.” Client senior vice president
You can download a free coaching buyer’s guide on the website. Web: www.adare.fi/en Twitter: @NonnaTweeting
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 39
Scan Magazine | Mini Theme | Leadership Development & Executive Coaching in Finland
An overview effect of leadership “The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution (Frank Wright, 1987) creates profound shifts in consciousness. They are global perspectives evoking a sense of personal responsibility since the dawn of space travel. Seeing Earth as a whole system, with everything on it connected and an integral part of it, changes you. Interviews with educated astronauts verify their inability to convey this life-altering experience. Someone aspiring to purposeful leadership relates to this inspiration,” Jim Grant, leadership and executive coach of Diversitas Oy, writes in a blog post.
tor in the success and failure of a leader. Their levels of wellbeing define how they currently think, and how comfortable they are with ambiguous challenges,” says leadership and executive coach Sari Ajanko. Wellbeing is precisely what she and fellow coach Jim Grant invite their clients to explore.
By Signe Hansen
In 2003, the Global Leadership Foundation™ founders Gayle Hardie and Malcolm Lazenby set in motion a similar vision for the world leadership community. Their work is internationally recognised, as contributing to the development of transformational leadership journeys within the private, professional, community and public sectors.
focus is on working with individuals and businesses to create and provide pathways for building leadership capability. The outcomes offer a sustainable positive difference for people, businesses and communities, through a commitment to three guiding principles: self-realisation, collaboration and stewardship.
The zenith of this global initiative is raising the emotional health levels on the planet by helping to develop emotionally healthy leaders and organisations. The
“In a business context, conversations about emotional health can be taboo subjects for executives. The emotional intelligence, however, is the biggest fac-
40 | Issue 102 | July 2017
Talking about the walk…
As fellows with the Global Leadership Foundation, their company Diversitas Oy is proceeding with one of the first Tables of Ten, a global leadership initiative helping leaders leverage their strengths and understand their impact with a facilitator and in partnership with each other. “People grow and change by thinking differently in each other’s company, by not judging, in sharing and being open, while actively listening,” says Ajanko, and Grant adds: “It’s not abandoning the business, but exploring roles as participative business partners in social communities.”
Scan Magazine | Mini Theme | Leadership Development & Executive Coaching in Finland
“This is why we’re so passionate about the Tables of Ten,” continues Ajanko. “We are bringing people together to look at their current way of seeing, thinking, feeling and functioning – or not – in the way they lead and engage others. Then add what these leaders can do together that they can’t do apart and we are in a position to support them in developing a more sustainable mindset and creating a collaborative future.” Jim says: “We help clients create foundations of trust and freedom to discuss anything. People change by experiencing how adaptive quantum thinking impacts roles when seeking solutions. What leadership needs is sitting with ‘both/and’ thinkers around a corporate table to experience how to trust themselves, each other and talk openly.”
Walking the talk… A Finnish/Canadian partnership, in business and life, Ajanko and Grant landed in their current roles via very different careers. Grant began studying leadership principles in the ‘80s to avoid repeating
the gaffes he experienced as an employee and manager working with some low-functioning leaders. Culminating a 35-year flying career in civil aviation and increasingly responsible executive and management roles in Canadian government flight operations, he chose to retire in 2010 and turned to coaching as a way to contribute and make a difference. Leadership and executive coaching became his platform to integrate and continue learning how to offer clients the benefits of a broad knowledge base and background experiences. For Ajanko, it was a persistent search for ways to develop her self-awareness and leadership skills that set her off on this path. Her leadership career began in a voluntary organisation and continued with 12 years as a director in the language services business. In 2008, coaching was an emerging profession in Finland. She quickly became an expert coach and leader in the professional training and consulting industry. Her earlier intention to become a great leader led her to the new dynamics of leader-
ship coaching, training, and mentoring of aspiring coaches. “We both have strong leadership and training backgrounds and know that, as leaders and coaches, you never finish learning. By doing your work, you step up to support others in doing theirs. People know, expect and demand this kind of rigour from a leader,” explains Ajanko, and Grant adds: “It’s where they learn how. I’m using a cliché, but this is about walking the talk. When employees and clients see that you’re doing the right things, they’re inspired; they find the confidence and permission to do the same.” Imagine a leadership journey… … that lets you know yourself while connecting you to a network of likeminded people across the globe… … enabling understanding your influence on others and creating opportunities for you to affect and influence others in communities and around the world… … where you develop qualities and capabilities, supporting you now and in the future enabling your business and organisation to flourish and sustain a future for others… … where an opportunity for nine leaders and a Global Leadership Fellow meet for half a day each month to construct this journey, while making a difference. You have a Table of Ten – a global initiative now available in the Nordics.
At a Glance The Tables of Ten will be in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Hong Kong, Singapore, North America and Australia. For more information, please visit: www.tablesoften.com Find Ajanko and Grant on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/ in/sariajankodiversitas and www. linkedin.com/in/jimgrantdiversitas
Left: Co-owner and Partner of Diversitas Oy Jim Grant spent 35 years in the aviation industry and is now a professional certified coach with more than 1,500 hours of coaching experience. Photo: Anna Dammert. Right: Founder and CEO of Diversitas Oy Sari Ajanko was one of the first to become certified by the International Coaching Federation on PCC-level in Finland. Photo: Anna Dammert
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 41
Scan Magazine | Mini Theme | Leadership Development & Executive Coaching in Finland
Christine and Tom Suvanto, founders of Positive Life Solutions.
Tapping into limitless potential Christine and Tom Suvanto set up Positive Life Solutions in 2012, based in Hanko and Helsinki on the south coast of Finland. They offer a number of coaching services for individuals, couples, businesses and groups, with the aim of building on the untapped potential in each person to create long-lasting, positive results. By Ndéla Faye | Photos: Positive Life Solutions
Positive Life Solutions’ clients range from individuals to businesses in the food sector, banking and education sectors among others, and their coaching services are available in Swedish, Finnish and English. “My professional background is in human resources, but I wanted to be more involved in the development and training side of things, so I made the leap and started my own business, and Tom joined me later. I am responsible for Positive Life Solutions, CoachCompanion 42 | Issue 102 | July 2017
Finland and TotalSDI Finland, where I coach, train and develop businesses, teams and individuals – which means I’m living my dream,” Christine laughs.
Interactive, accredited coach training The couple also run CoachCompanion, where they train people in coaching. “Our participants are managers, teachers, sport trainers and people interested in personal development and communication. We offer high-quality coaching train-
ing, where we develop organisations and train people using coaching tools,” says Christine. “We have a number of courses available: from a two-day training course to longer training programmes of varying lengths, for example ICF accredited international certification in coaching or TotalSDI certification.” The courses are organised throughout the year, and there are a number of tailored courses available for businesses. “For example, we can arrange for all managers to get coaching training together, and we also offer individual executive coaching for managers,” Christine explains, and Tom chimes in: “Our coaching trainings are not dull lectures full of PowerPoint presentations;
Scan Magazine | Mini Theme | Leadership Development & Executive Coaching in Finland
they’re interactive sessions where we explain, then show, then practise. We have noticed that clients learn a lot not just about coaching, but also about themselves, in a short period of time.”
‘Anything is possible’ The couple believes that coaching starts from a person wanting a change in their life or to get more from their life. “Our busy lives can often mean that we lose track of what we truly want, that we feel stuck. We believe that there is so much unused potential in each person – and we want to tap into that. We can help establish what a person wants and what they dream of. We often ask: ‘If anything was possible, what would you do?’ and challenge people to push their own boundaries,” says Christine. “Anything is possible if people are willing to put work into it,” she continues. This principle is applied throughout Positive Life Solutions’ training, whether coaching couples, individuals or businesses. “A coach will never offer advice: it’s the client who knows what they want. My favourite moment in coaching is when a client’s eyes suddenly open wide and they
say: ‘I’ve never thought of it like that!’ and figure out something that’s been staring them in the face all along,” Tom adds. “This is not therapy,” says Christine. “We work and build on people’s strengths, instead of focusing on their weaknesses. We believe that there are no failures in life, only learning opportunities.”
Improving employee satisfaction and cooperation Another service Positive Life Solutions provides is conflict management for businesses. “But we don’t go into businesses telling them what they are doing wrong. We use a coaching approach, listen, ask questions and collaborate within the workplace. This principle applies to whatever size the business is and in whichever field,” says Tom. Companies often do not have specific budgets targeted at conflict management, yet conflicts within the workplace cost businesses a great deal of money and can have big repercussions. “Not only will they have an impact on employees’ stress levels, health and wellbeing, but they can sometimes lead to employees’
absences due to illness, which is costly to the business, whereas if an employee is happy, they perform well,” says Tom. “We help train managers to resolve conflicts efficiently and quickly, and we have often received feedback from our clients saying that our courses have paid for themselves several times over as the cost of employee absences has dropped dramatically.” In the future, Positive Life Solutions aims to grow further, develop their coaching services and train more staff. “Wherever our services are needed, we will go. There are no limits. We always have very specific aims when we work with our clients, but the best-case scenarios are those where the client tells us that they had set their hopes very high, and we managed to exceed them. We always set our goals very high and aim to go above and beyond them, but the key aspect of our coaching is teaching clients new ways of thinking and behaving as well as valuable skills they can utilise in their professional and personal lives,” Christine concludes. For more information, please visit: www.positivelife.fi
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 43
Scan Magazine | Mini Theme | Leadership Development & Executive Coaching in Finland
In individual PhD-level coaching, everybody wins International business experience and a broad understanding of the language and culture of the country in question are the keys to succesful coaching when attracting, supporting and keeping the best talents working abroad.
PhD Raija Salomaa.
By Taina Värri | Photos: Vilja Vuolle
PhD Raija Salomaa’s doctoral research dissertation in the management field, Coaching of International Managers: Organisational and Individual Perspectives, was overviewed in May 2017 at Vaasa University in Finland. According to Salomaa, coaching techniques, along with language, should always be tailored to fit the customer’s needs. The structured process of a coaching journey ensures its results. The coaches must be fully aware of the customer’s personal goals and future prospects, since successful coaching inevitably also increases the career capital of the expatriate coachee. Salomaa’s doctoral dissertation is a useful tool for human resource professionals, coaches working at home and abroad, as
well as other professionals working within international organisations. “Both internal and external coaching should be practised with the same quality and criteria,” she says. “Furthermore, coaching must be profficiently measured and evaluated. Organisations should make use of available academic research in order to develop their coaching strategies,” Salomaa encourages. The learning starts where the comfort zone ends. The wisdom of coaching lies in focusing on the holistic view of the person and challenging the individual, not the circumstances. As one client put it: “The values and the emotional side of the brain was the key. ‘If you are not happy, you will not perform well’ was a real revolution for me!”
Web: www.crossnomads.com Twitter: @crossnomads
DA Spec ia NI SH l The CU me: LT UR E
Homo Sapiens inside the museum.
Summer at the museum last year.
Experience history in a true sensory explosion Located just outside Aarhus, Moesgaard Museum is surrounded by nature reminiscent of a painting from the Danish Golden Age and could not wish for a more picturesque setting. Get ready for a world-class museum experience, where culture, nature and architecture all come together. By Heidi Kokborg | Photos: Moesgaard Museum
With 500,000 visitors every year and premises of 15,000 square metres, the archaeological museum Moesgaard Museum is a must-see if you are in Aarhus. Not only is the surrounding nature breath-taking; the architecture of the museum itself, designed by Henning Larsen, is astonishing. “It was important for us that the architecture of the museum fits into the beautiful landscape. It is modern Danish architecture in the middle of nature that looks like a painting from the Romanticism era,” says Bodil Jensen, head of communications and marketing.
Take a walk through the past You do not have to be a fan of history to find the museum interesting. Moesgaard is for children, parents and grandparents alike. The past comes alive at the museum, and
visitors get a better understanding of history and gain a sense of identification. “We want to engage people and make it an interesting experience for all generations. We use storytelling and scenography to engage visitors. For example, we use virtual reality so that people can take a walk through the Stone Age or experience a visit to Antarctica,” says Jensen. “We also have a floor in the Iron Age section where it feels like you are walking through a bog. It is a real treat for all the senses.” Moesgaard currently hosts a cinematic exhibition without any artefacts at all, called The Journey. The exhibition is about seven human conditions: birth, death, love, faith, fear, loss and rationality. It was filmed across seven continents and shooting took close to a year.
The world’s largest Viking Moot If you possess an inner Viking, have kids, or perhaps just want to know more about your heritage, you should consider paying Moesgaard a visit during the last weekend of July, when Viking Moot is on. “Around 1,000 Vikings from all over the world will come to this event. It is the world’s largest Viking Moot and there will be stands, fights and horses. You can shoot with bows and arrows and much more,” says Jensen. But that is not the only exciting happening at Moesgaard this year. In October, the final part of the permanent exhibitions is due to open. So far, there are exhibitions on the Stone Age, Bronze Age, the Iron Age and the Vikings and, in October, a Medieval part will be added to the permanent exhibition as well. Web: www.moesgaardmuseum.dk Facebook: www.facebook.com/ MoesgaardMuseum Instagram: @moesgaardmuseum Twitter: @MoesgaardMuseum
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 45
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Danish Culture
Even the smallest details in the Iron Age village are meticulously based on archaeological knowledge and finds.
Living life the Viking way If you are one of the many Viking fans who just cannot get enough of life in the Scandinavian past, why not take a trip back in time and spend your holiday in an authentic Iron Age village? In Odin’s Odense, you can do almost that. Originally constructed for educational purposes, the small, beautifully located village is reopening this year with a focus on private visitors who want to experience the life of the Vikings and their Iron Age ancestors. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Odin’s Odense
Crouching down to enter one of the small thatched clay homes in Odin’s Odense, the smell of smoke and sound of an Iron Age family chatting around the fire meet you. As you enter the dim room and your eyes slowly begin to adjust to the lack of electrical lighting, the many unfamiliar details that made up the homes of our ancestors come into sight. The Scandinavian design of the Iron Age is made up of animal enclosures, kilns, flour grinders and tools. 46 | Issue 102 | July 2017
Many of the tools you might never have seen before, but the village’s volunteer inhabitants will help you get acquainted with their use. “One of the special things about our village is that our guests can pick up and touch everything. That way, you come to feel like you’re part of that time,” explains Annette Bøge Huulvej, managing director of Odin’s Odense. “Everything has been reconstructed with careful attention to detail, but we also have one original artefact, a flour
grinder. This means that you can grind flour on a grinder used by our ancestors 2,000 years ago.” Located just five kilometres outside Odense, the Iron Age village also offers beautiful green surroundings perfect for walks, picnics and angling.
Learn the trades of the Vikings First constructed in 1973, the Iron Age Village that is today known as Odin’s Odense was, up until last year, mainly used for educational purposes. With four authentic Iron Age homes as well as outbuildings, workshops, tools, games and an abundance of everyday artefacts, the village provides an authentic and engaging environment for school children to learn about the time when the Iron Age turned into the Viking Age.
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Danish Culture
“Our village covers the entire Iron Age from approximately 500 BC to 1066 AD, but our houses are from the time between 250 BC and 775 AD, and in our presentation we focus mostly on the period from 0 to 750 AD, the Roman and Germanic Iron Age. It’s the time when the foundation for the adventurous and inventive Scandinavian Viking culture was developed,” explains Huulvej. Different events will focus on different parts of the Iron Age, with some events focussing fully on the Viking Age and others on their ancestors. The village will also often be inhabited by volunteer Iron Age families and workers, demonstrating some of the trades of the time, such as basket weaving, herb gathering, flour grinding and blacksmithing.
Stay an hour – or a week Previously managed by the municipality of Odense, the Iron Age village was on the brink of destruction last year. The municipality had to stop its funding, and a contract clause stated that if the village was not to serve its original purpose, it should be destroyed. Luckily, Huulvej and a group of other previous employees and volunteers were de-
termined not to let that happen. Taking things into their own hands, they created Odin’s Odense with the help of its 350 members and volunteers who are now managing to keep the village open and alive. “We didn’t want to lose what we considered a remarkable place,” explains Huulvej. “We still want our school children to be able to learn about their roots through this unique place, but we also want to open it up so that more people can come and experience our history.”
The change in structure means that the village will, this summer, for the first time be open every day of the week except Fridays. Moreover, visitors who do not just want to visit but live in the village can do so. During the months of July and August, Odin’s Odense is open for prebooked one-week stays, during which families can enjoy all the comforts of life, long before iPhones, cars and TVs.
Web: www.odinsodense.dk
Upcoming events:
Facts:
21 July: Midsummer celebration – bonfire, games and Iron Age salads and bread (or bring your own food).
Odin’s Odense covers the historic period of the entire Iron Age from approximately 500 BC to 1066 AD, with a special focus on the period from 0 to 750 AD, the Roman and Germanic Iron Age.
19 August: Bard Fest – song, dance and storytelling from our ancient past. Volunteer musicians perform on the instruments of the Iron Age. 23 September: Blot – experience the interpretation of ancient rituals to celebrate the changing of the seasons, thank the forces of nature and hail the old gods. 23-24 September: Days of Craftsmanship.
Guided tours, craftwork courses and one-week stays can be booked online. For safety reasons, guests will not spend the night in the Iron Age houses, but will sleep in nearby shelters or tents. Visitors can also rent an activity basket, through which the whole family can take part in different Iron Age activities and games.
Odin’s Odense includes four reconstructed Iron Age houses from the period from 250 BC to 775 AD.
Volunteer Iron Age and Viking inhabitants make Odin’s Odense come to life (at least during peak season).
Different events focus on different periods of the Iron Age, from before Christ to the time when the Vikings roared through Europe.
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 47
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Danish Culture
One of the international performances to premiere in Denmark at the Eutopia festival is Bianco Su Bianco, a stunning performance created by Daniele Finzi Pasca, who also writes and directs Cirque Soleil’s Corteo. Photo: Viviana Cangialosi/Compagnia Finzi Pasca
Discovering Eutopia In Greek, ‘Eutopia’ means a beautiful and lovely place. Set in Gellerup, an area of Aarhus where more than 80 nationalities live side by side, Eutopia aims to create its own Eutopia: a place rich in artistic performances and possibilities for different cultures to learn from and admire each other’s world. By Signe Hansen
Whether we are old or young, Danish or Arab, rich or poor, the way we sense and experience beauty is the same for all of us. That belief is at the core of Eutopia International Festival which, as part of Aarhus 2017 (European Capital of Culture), seeks to create open and genuine meetings between humans, cultures and art forms. On top of the many concerts, plays and dance performances that form the backbone of the festival, guests are also invited to participate in a range of smaller events such as workshops, debates and guided 48 | Issue 102 | July 2017
tours in the area. The aim is to include as many active participants and spectators as possible, as artistic director Brigitte Christensen explains. “In our time, we are not just divided by generational and social barriers, but also by ethnic ones – in Denmark, it’s both the Danes and the other ethnicities that keep to themselves. We want to break down the taboos and look at the areas where we can learn from each other. The moment you are listening and experiencing something together, you’re putting aside politics and engaging on the premises of the soul and the body. That’s what live art can do – it awakens the
essential feelings and thoughts that we all face about life, death, love and jealousy.” The events of the festival take place in a string of distinctive spaces in the neighbourhood, including tents, an old theatre, the homes of local people, a church and a number of outdoor oases.
A cultural meeting Many of the festival’s outdoor events, including the grand closing show – a concert by Danish singer Tim Christensen – are free, while most indoor events are priced at a modest 50DKK (approximately six pounds). The low prices are part of the strategy to make everyone feel included. “In general, it’s only a very small part of the population that watches theatre and, as the number continues to drop, it’s becoming something rather elitist. We also want to create art at an elite level, but
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Danish Culture
we’re intentionally making it accessible for everybody, also financially,” stresses Christensen. The festival will include a string of spectacular international performances by artists from 23 different nations, many of which will have their Danish premiere at Eutopia. This includes Zaafaran, a richly layered dance performance by the Lebanese Maqamat Dance Company and Iranian MaHa, as well as Bianco Su Bianco by Compagnia Finzi Pasca. The company is led by Daniele Finzi Pasca, who was behind the closing ceremony at the winter Olympics in Toronto.
Hamlet at home A number of performances have been created specifically for Eutopia. One of the most distinctive of these is a 20-minute
enactment of Hamlet taking place in the homes of local Gellerup residents. The act is performed by Danish actor Thure Lindhardt and Palestinian/Danish actor Chadi Abdul-Karim, who have each chosen their favourite parts of the famous Shakespeare play to perform. “We call it home theatre,” Christensen explains. “We’ve chosen Hamlet because it is about all those big questions that we face in life. When you take that and present it in an intimate setting surrounded by a group of people from different countries – some of whom might never even have heard of Hamlet – it becomes a completely different experience.” After the performance, the host family invites everyone to sit down to take part in a home-cooked meal and a dialogue
with the actors and other guests. Having spent large parts of her life as an actress in Italy and France, Christensen rounds off: “What it’s all about is getting back to a more humane way of relating to each other. It’s not based on some naive idea that everybody will leave being best friends, but it’s about people meeting and learning from and about each other. If there’s one thing I’ve learned after many years abroad, it’s that as long as you’re open-minded and curious, you can always learn something new.” Eutopia International Festival takes place 26-30 July 2017. Web: www.eutopia2017.dk Facebook: www.facebook.com/ EUTOPIA2017
Top left: Eutopia International festival will include a number of performances by recognised international and Danish artists as well as local performers from Gellerup. Photo: Laura Salvinelli. Middle left: The festival will close with a spectacular free outdoor concert with Danish singer Tim Christensen. Photo: Skipper Photography. Bottom left: Japanese actor and director Yoshi Oïda will be one of the many international artists performing at Eutopia. Press photo. Bottom right: Bianco Su Bianco. Photo: Viviana Cangialosi/Compagnia Finzi Pasca
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 49
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Danish Culture
Fossils, foundry and family fun on Mors If you love natural history, fossils and a bit of wind in your hair, a visit to the beautifully located Fossil- og Molermuseum in Northern Jutland might be just the thing for you. Located on the inland island of Mors, the museum not only presents some of Denmark’s finest and best-known natural finds, but also the possibility for you and your family to excavate your own fossils.
Støberimuseum), set in the old production site of Morsø Støbejern, one of Denmark’s oldest, still operating companies. Here, visitors can explore the influence and work of the foundry industry in the history of Mors and Denmark.
By Signe Hansen | Photos: Mors Museum
At Fossil- og Molermuseum on the island of Mors, you can not only explore the prehistoric past of Denmark through a remarkable fossil exhibition, but even go digging for it yourself. Thanks to the thick layers of moclay created by microscopic algae 55 million years ago, the underground is bursting with fossils. In fact, the area is the origin of almost 40 per cent of all Danekræ (a Danish term for natural history finds that, due to their significance, belong to the state), explains Jan Audun Rasmussen, museum curator with a PhD in geology. “The moclay is made of the empty shells from algae dropping to the bottom of the sea, which would back then have been about 300 to 400 metres deep. As the algae decayed, it created a state of deoxygenating, and that meant that as nothing could live there, everything that dropped to the bottom – dead fish, sea snakes and turtles – was left untouched and beautifully preserved. That’s what’s so special about 50 | Issue 102 | July 2017
moclay; it contains gorgeous fossils, many with exceptionally well-preserved fins, tails and heads.” Among one of the most famous finds exhibited is a 55-million-year-old sea turtle, which has, due to its well-defined flippers, been nicknamed Luffe (meaning ‘flipper’) by the museum’s many young visitors. Despite the fact that all of Denmark was, during the deposition of the moclay, covered by the sea, the museum also contains a large number of fossils from land-based insects and birds that somehow lost their lives above the Danish sea. New species are discovered regularly. One of the more recent finds is a previously unknown species of earwig, discovered last year by Rasmussen’s colleague, curator Henrik Madsen. Fossil- og Molermuseum is part of Museum Mors, which also includes the popular Foundry Museum (Dansk
Museum Mors also includes: Dueholm Monastery, a beautiful historic monastery founded in 1370. The Agricultural Museum at Skarregaard, based on and designed as a larger cattle farm from the 1950s. The latter is located within walking distance from Fossil- and Molermuseum, with a wonderful trail connecting them.
Web: www.museummors.dk
National Park Thy Denmark’s greatest wilderness
• Year round adventures • Abundant wildlife • Incredible hiking • Romantic getaway www.nationalparkthy.dk
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Danish Culture
Among counts and baronesses
By Heidi Kokborg
Opera i Rebild presents a casual and enjoyable afternoon – even if you are not a hardcore opera fan. This year, Bo Boje-Skovhus and Henriette Bonde-Hansen will take to the stage, Giordano Bellincampi will conduct the orchestra and the Danish Opera Choir, and Preben Kristensen is the compère. Opera i Rebild started in 2002 as part of a one-off culture project in the municipality, but it became so successful that it has been running ever since. The event is a collaboration between the local union Opera i Rebild, the Danish National Opera and Aalborg Symphony Orchestra. “This year’s theme is ‘counts and baronesses’, and the two world-famous opera singers Bo Boje-Skovhus and Henriette Bonde-Hansen will be in the show. We are so honoured that they want to be a part of Opera in Rebild – it is a dream come true for us,” says Søren Steen Nielsen, chairman of Opera i Rebild.
Rebild. Danish and Italian Giordano Bellincampi will be conducting the orchestra and Opera Choir, and Danish actor Preben Kristensen will be the compere. “We really have the cream of the crop at the event this year,” says Nielsen. If you think you have to know everything about opera to enjoy the day, think again.
“We have around 3,000 guests, and they are not all opera fans. Opera i Rebild is for everyone. It is a very casual event; the atmosphere is relaxed and people bring their own lunch in the beautiful surroundings of Rebild Bakker,” smiles Nielsen. Opera i Rebild takes place Sunday 13 August 1pm-4.30pm. Web: www.operairebild.dk Facebook: www.facebook.com/ operairebild
The best of the best Boje-Skovhus and Bonde-Hansen are not the only two greats at this year’s Opera i
Left: The atmosphere at Opera i Rebild is fun, and people have a fantastic time. Photo: Opera i Rebild. Right: Bo Boje-Skovhus in Der Graf von Luxemburg. Photo: Hans Jörg Michel.
THE JUTLAND AQUARIUM THYBORØN Join us on an oyster safari for some of the world’s finest produce, The Limfjord’s oyster, in the western part of the Limfjord.
OYSTERHUNTING.DK
Book your next experience and visit
www.JyllandsAkvariet.dk Email: jyllands@kvariet.dk 7680 Thyborøn, Denmark Phone: +45 97 83 28 08
Book your overnight stay at Hotel Nørre Vinkel www.norrevinkel.dk 7620 Lemvig Phone: +45 97 82 22 11
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Danish Culture Virginie Yassef, Untitled, 2012. Courtesy of the artist, Galerie Georges-Philippe and Nathalie Vallois, Paris. Photo: Kurt Nielsen
Helene Hellmich, Museum: Part 2 (Clouds), 2013 – ongoing. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Kurt Nielsen
Contemporary art for everyone Viborg Kunsthal aims to make art interesting for everyone – just like their newest exhibition about the Danish alchemist Valdemar Daa. By Nicolai Lisberg
Since 1994, when the art gallery first opened its doors, Viborg Kunsthal has made it their vision to exhibit contemporary art that resonates with present day society. “We choose artists who in some way do projects on a topic that matters. Something everyone can relate to. Our mission is to be the catalyst of the living and dynamic art and communicate it out to everyone,” explains Bodil Johanne Monrad, head of exhibitions at Viborg Kunsthal. That is one of the reasons why the art gallery hosts several events to try to get more people interested in art. They have events with children, where they can come to discover the gallery and have dinner, and they also travel outside the gallery to some of the villages nearby to include the locals in art projects. “It’s very important to meet people where they are and show them how art can be relevant
to them – invite them into the heart of the art, so to speak. After all, our art is about them,” says Monrad.
Stone of the philosopher Every year, upwards of 20,000 people visit the art gallery, located in a beautiful, historic building that dates back to 1734. One of the exhibitions the visitors can enjoy right now is The Sleepover – insitu: Corridor III: Valdemar Daa, an exhibition about the Danish alchemist who was obsessed with finding the philosopher’s stone in the 15th century, who is buried in Viborg. “It’s an exhibition of international art where a Berlin-based curator group, who visited Viborg and lived in the artist residency connected to the art gallery, follow the life of Valdemar Daa. It features commissioned works of art and existing pieces by prominent and emerging art-
ists. The curator group invites the visitor into a mindset where different kinds of mystical knowledge and beliefs are on display. They try to show how the search for the seemingly impossible is still important today. You look at the alchemy today and go through Valdemar Daa’s different phases, like in the fairy tale about him written by H. C. Andersen,” explains Monrad. The exhibition is available from 24 June to 3 September.
Art Gallery. Photo: Viborg Kunsthal
Web: www.viborgkunsthal.dk Facebook: www.facebook.com/ viborgkunsthal.viborg Instagram: @viborg_kunsthal
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Ylva Berg, CEO of Business Sweden.
Urbanears Connected Speakers, Baggen. Photo: Zound Industries
Nightfall Dome Aurora (small) by Hanna Hansdotter. Photo: Kosta Boda
A partner when investing in Sweden The Swedish tradition of innovation and globalisation has been essential for economic growth and domestic development. At Business Sweden, we are experts at connecting global companies with business opportunities in Sweden. By Ylva Berg, CEO of Business Sweden
I am proud to say that Sweden consistently ranks as one of the most competitive, productive and globalised countries in the world. Our country is an international leader in technology, innovation and R&D. Together with a highly skilled and multinational work force, sophisticated consumers, smooth business procedures and openness to international ownership, we boast an advanced and stable economy, attractive for international investments. Business Sweden is the official Swedish trade and investment council. We help international companies to develop suc54 | Issue 102 | July 2017
cessful business in Sweden, providing strategic advice, information and handson support – from initial evaluation of growth opportunities to final establishment, strategic partnership and capital investment. Services are free of charge and provided in full confidentiality. To build your business case and prove the value of an establishment or investment, we provide you with customised information and benchmarking services on the Swedish market, business climate, industry sectors, operating costs, legal framework and more. We also have the
integrity to dissuade an establishment or investment if justified. By combining in-depth knowledge of Sweden’s leading industries with the established network across the country, we are in a unique position in terms of introducing you to successful business opportunities in Sweden. Business Sweden is here to help you succeed in Sweden. We are looking forward to supporting your development, as the best partner when investing in Sweden. Assistent Original. Photo: Ankarsrum
WASHOLOGI is a new Swedish environmentally friendly product line consisting of laundry detergents, fabric softeners and linen water*. The products are efficient and come with a tasteful design and sweet scented fragrance. Enjoy a little everyday luxury! *Linen water is also available in 100 ml bottles, perfect when travelling!
MADE IN SWEDEN
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden
From the Hommage jubilee exhibition at NK, Stockholm.
275 years of vibrant design heritage With iconic designs and niche expertise, Kosta Boda has become a much-loved brand that has stood the test of time. This year, the vibrant glass design brand celebrates its 275th birthday. By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Kosta Boda
“Adding that artistic streak, taking everyday items and giving them that design DNA – that’s the key to the Kosta Boda success,” says Magnus Andersson, CEO of Orrefors Kosta Boda AB. It was the former, Orrefors, that first brought about the design expression today known as Swedish Grace, as designer Simon Gate won the gold medal at the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris. “It was huge. You have to remember, we were cavemen back then compared to the European aristocracy and the big design houses of Italy, England and Russia,” says the CEO. “It was the start of the entire Swedish 56 | Issue 102 | July 2017
design wonder – not just glass, but all of Scandinavian design.” It is a bold statement, but one that is hard to argue with. Few things seem as unequivocally Swedish as a Kosta Boda snowball votive, perfect for bringing along as a gift to someone abroad. Add the fact that their Majesties themselves, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, celebrated the national day this year by taking part in festivities at the glassworks in the county of Småland, and it seems indisputable that this is a brand with a special place in the hearts of Swedes. “We were shocked but thrilled that they want-
ed to come and celebrate with us,” says Andersson. “The plan was for the King to help renowned glass designer Bertil Vallien to cast the Royal Boat, placing the King’s crown symbol in it, and we were all a bit nervous beforehand – what if he’d drop it? But it all went well, Bertil and the King ended up doing a high five and the atmosphere was just fantastic!” The boat is part of the 275th anniversary celebrations, as Kosta Boda looks back on a rich, successful past. The glassworks was founded in 1742 by two of Carl XII’s army generals, Anders Koskull and Georg Bogislaus Staël von Holstein, on order by King Fredrik I as the glassworks near the cities had a tendency to burn down.
Paying tribute to past icons The anniversary will be marked by a jubilee exhibition, Hommage, which sees
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden
five promising artists interpret the works of former Kosta Boda legends. “We could’ve looked at the past and listed important milestones and dates, but that’s irrelevant. If you have 275 years of history, you’ve got just as much of a future – so we decided to flip it and look to the future, giving young designers a global platform. One of the designers graduated the same week the exhibition opened at NK in Stockholm – that’s just unheard of,” says Andersson. “Frida Fjellman, as an example, looks at what Erik Höglund’s products might have looked like had they been designed today, which is fascinating. Applying our 2017 values to Höglund’s famous glass bulls, she has created a series of fantastic glass rabbits.” Among the other icons that will get a modern treatment are Ulrica Hydman Vallien, Sven X:et Erixson, Vicke Lindstrand, Mona Morales-Schildt and Monica Backström, and Hommage will travel from its launch location in Stockholm to many countries across the world. In Sweden, a range of
other exhibitions will join in to pay tribute to the iconic brand, including Länge Leve Kosta! (Long Live Kosta!) at The Swedish Glass Museum in Växjö, which looks at life at the glassworks and follows the designs from initial sketch to final product.
Colour, design and artistry Today, apprentices join the forge as carriers and work their way up through a total of ten years before they get their master stamp of approval. “It’s incredibly hard work – you lose about seven litres of fluids during a day in the hot forge,” says Andersson. “But there’s an enormous pride in it.” Sure enough, glass blowers get to be a part of something truly special – a world-class glassworks with some of the very best craftsmen around. “We have the best glass blowers in the world, who win the glass blowing World Championships all the time, and whose only ambition is to blow the best glass in the world,” Andersson continues. “And then we add some of the world’s best designers, whose only ambition is to design the best glass in
the world. When you marry these two professions, magic appears that can’t be found anywhere else.” Crucial to the recipe behind that magic was the arrival of plastic after World War II. Glassworks had to up their game, and Kosta Boda’s unique expression came about. “While Orrefors took the slightly safer clear crystal route, Kosta Boda went all in for art glass. Working with colour in glass is incredibly difficult, because its character changes with the changing temperature, but we’ve built up the expertise alongside a truly iconic expression,” says Andersson. “We are colour, design and artistry within glass, and that colour and playfulness is what we’re celebrating this year.” Web: www.kostaboda.se Facebook: www.facebook.com/ kostaboda Twitter: @kosta_boda Instagram: @kostaboda
From the Hommage jubilee exhibition.
Olof Palme visits the glassworks.
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 57
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden
Photo: Niklas Alm
Science meets style in the make-up apple of your eyes Norse mythology’s beautiful Goddess of Youth, Idun, treated her people with apples to keep them eternally young. Sweden’s fastest growing beauty brand, IDUN Minerals, is now becoming available internationally with colours for everyone. Perfume-free and based on highly purified minerals, it is recommended by dermatologists – almost as promising as one of Idun’s own apples. By Ulrika Kuoppa-Jones
Make-up products have rarely been available in Swedish pharmacies due to strict ‘black list’ regulations banning a long list of ingredients. Today, IDUN Minerals is the only cosmetic brand sold in all major Swedish pharmacies. “Being environmentally friendly and producing high-quality products in approved plants are only some of the tough conditions the pharmacies stipulate,” says export and product development manager Caroline Thunstedt. “The reason our products are on the shelves in pharmacies 58 | Issue 102 | July 2017
all over Sweden is because we have always imposed tough restrictions on ourselves – even stricter than those set out by the pharmacies. We’re passionate about making our products as pure as possible. We’re not taking any shortcuts. Our whole range is perfume-free and based on highly purified minerals. We try to take away anything that is not absolutely essential.” IDUN Minerals has been developed to suit customers who are careful about what they expose their skin to –
customerswho want nothing but the highest quality make-up products. The company only uses simple and pure ingredients, and all formulas are purified of nickel, chrome and other elements. They are also free from potentially harmful microorganisms, which means that the customer can use them with confidence, knowing they are safe. The formulas contain no talc, oils, silicones, fragrances, bismuth oxychloride, nanoparticles or parabens. The pure ingredients mean that the everincreasing number of customers with sensitive skin can also enjoy the products. IDUN Minerals is recommended by Swedish dermatologists and recently received the Swedish Asthma and Allergy Foundations recommendation. “This is a first for any make-up product in Sweden,
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden
so we’re very excited and proud,” says marketing manager Gabriella Sjödin. “We’ve noticed that even younger customers are conscious about what products they expose their skin to. Just like being careful about what they eat, they are careful about how they choose cosmetics. Our products are not made to cover up; they have been developed to emphasise and bring out a healthy and youthful-looking skin.” IDUN Minerals was originally introduced in 2011 as a pharmacy exclusive brand in Sweden. “When we launched, we only had about 20 products on the shelves,” says Sjödin. “But since then we have had a tenfold increase, so today, IDUN Minerals has more than 200 products for customers to choose from!”
Feisty, pure and going global Sweden is renowned for its trademark striking but simple design all over the world. But it is also famous for its quality
of life, its innovative technology and female empowerment. This heritage is all part of what makes IDUN Minerals unique – and why the feisty Goddess of Youth is the brand’s muse. “In my paintings, Idun represents the Swedish woman, both feminine and with a lot of character. She appreciates the spirituality she finds in nature and has great respect for all living things. She uses nature as a place to rejuvenate, where she finds energy,” says Patrizia Gucci, the artist and designer whose interpretation of the Goddess Idun adorns the IDUN Minerals packaging. “We are very keen on keeping up with developments and trends, even if quality is our main focus, and we are implementing a digital strategy to take us into the future,” says Sjödin. Thunstedt has helped introduce the brand across the US and in a few other countries, and she is now looking forward to overseeing an even bigger launch as IDUN Minerals goes fully international. “The thing clos-
est to our hearts when we’ve been developing our products has always been purity. We want to offer a clean make-up solution for all types and colours of skin. We are really excited about offering these products to the global market!” Idun may not be handing out any more apples herself, but IDUN Minerals uses part of their profit to give apples and trees to people who really need them. All this is done in partnership with not-for-profit organisation Vi-skogen in Sweden, to help people find a way out of poverty and protect against climate change. Every product sold helps plant another tree. Idun must be smiling in her orchard. Web: www.idunminerals.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ idunminerals Instagram: @idunminerals
Photo: Thomas Carlgren
Photo: Niklas Alm Marketing manager Gabriella Sjödin (left) and export and product development manager Caroline Thunstedt (right) are excited about the international launch. Photo: IDUN Minerals
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 59
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden
The perfect shirt since 1883 It started in 1883 as a general store with a tailor workshop out the back. But word quickly spread, both near and far, about the reputable tailor who created the best, most fashionable shirts around. By 1899, August Stenström was overwhelmed; there was no end to the orders. By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Freddy Billqvist, JKF Photo
In 1899, a fully fledged shirt factory became the inevitable solution, located in the heart of Helsingborg and working to the very same standards and principles first set out by Stenström himself. By 1912, with 140 employees, Stenströms was Scandinavia’s largest shirt factory – one that continues to lead the way in the world of shirts and tailoring, still doing 60 | Issue 102 | July 2017
most of the sewing by hand and putting quality first. “Attention to detail is the backbone of our brand,” says Marie Ramberg, marketing manager at Stenströms. Everything is done for a reason, including the sourcing of materials for the buttons from Australia, most made from mother of pearl.
Each button is handcrafted, the holes made manually before the button is polished and surface-coated. “Nothing ruins a great shirt like a cheap plastic button,” says creative director Peter Jüriado. “Our buttons are sometimes 100 times more expensive than plastic but worth every penny. Add a perfectly measured distance between each button and options when it comes to collar stays… Stenströms takes details very seriously indeed.” Each shirt goes through 60 separate production steps, 25 focusing on the collar alone. “From day one, Stenströms has been about the best in stitching, the
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden
best-quality fabrics,” Ramberg maintains. “In recent years, we’ve invested in the details of each and every shirt: each button is secured with a special thread to make sure that they won’t come off; we’ve added more seams, including a French seam which means that you can turn the shirt inside out and it looks the same; the bottom seam is concave, which involves a lot more work but adds a sophisticated touch.”
Today, Stenströms designs collections for both men and women and has the honour of delivering shirts to both His and Her Royal Highness as a Royal Warrant of Appointment since 1973. New since last November is the shirt line 1899, a limited-edition range that celebrates the craftsmanship of the brand’s founder. Think perfection in everything from material to tailoring and, of course, the details.
Perfecting the casual look
As the casual shirt grows in popularity, Stenströms shows how a quality shirt can complete a casual look, still with attention to detail in every aspect yet with a softer image and washed fabrics for a casual look. This autumn sees a variety of patterns and rich, earthy colours, and Stenströms stands firm that a quality shirt without a tie is a casual look that will never get old. As Jüriado says: “A shirt is the perfect companion to bridge the gap between casual and tailored. Dress it up or dress it down – add an exclusive suit or smart sneakers. The sky is the limit.
That the business is family-owned, as it always has been, means that there is a long-term perspective and commitment to the founder’s vision, giving the quality of the end product as much importance as the figures coming out of the sales sheets. Moreover, it has shaped the brand’s approach to trend watching. “You have to move with the times and adapt to consumers’ needs, but we do it in our own way with quality and fit setting the terms,” Ramberg explains. “The world of suits and shirts has changed a lot in recent years in that the classic suit look is still very much there, but there’s a growing need for a shirt that goes with chinos and a casual blazer. We want to be a part of showing the way in this field.”
The limited-edition 1899 heritage shirt.
Web: www.stenstroms.com Instagram: @stenstroms_official
Introducing: the 1899 heritage shirt The limited-edition 1899 heritage shirt line celebrates the timeless craftsmanship of August Stenström. The goal behind the shirt line was to find the world’s finest fabrics, shape every detail into perfection and combine it with innovative tailoring.
The 1899 heritage shirt boasts, among other things: - One body size per collar size. - Split yoke for better fit. - Fabric made from American long staple Supima cotton – the cashmere of cottons. - Set-in sleeve, a technique often used in suits for the natural look it induces. - Mother-of-pearl buttons. - A denser stitch length of nine stitches per centimetre.
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Spreading the joy of food Take a kitchen assistant with roots that go back to the 1600s and add a bread recipe developed using algorithms and computers. What do you get? A whole lot of love for baking. By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Ankarsrum
A man is standing in a modern kitchen with shiny, white tiles, doing vocal warmups. He has his arms in the air and gazes up at the ceiling, and he turns to one side and back the other way, clearly testing the acoustics. Then he starts talking about bread, his French accent unmistakable. He picks up a recipe, says something about an algorithm, and starts baking. Sébastien Boudet is a bread expert and baker from France, now based in 62 | Issue 102 | July 2017
Sweden, and together with Ankarsrum he has developed ‘the bread of the world’.
A true original With its roots in a 1937 redesign of a bulky professional-use baking machine, Ankarsrum Assistent Original has grown to become a solid favourite amongst food enthusiasts and hobby bakers throughout Sweden and its neighbouring countries. Perfect for mincing, blending, pas-
ta and sausage making and bread and cake baking, it is a reliable and versatile kitchen friend – and it is easy on the eye, too. “Many of our customers are wellread and skilled, and they all share an enthusiasm and passion about what they do. Quality is really important to them,” says Marcus Grimerö, marketing manager of Ankarsrum, the company that produces and markets the kitchen assistant. “We’ve got strong Swedish roots and are all about that hand-made quality, which is exactly what their hobby is about too – baking, cooking, using their hands.” Ankarsrum stands out from the crowd in that it is small, comparatively speaking,
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden
meaning that flexibility is never a problem and decisions can be made fast. In a sector where the majority of brands work across the whole home or electronics segments, it also stands out because it is highly niche and specialised. In a way, it was this very approach that made Ankarsrum what it is today. Founded in 1655 in a small Swedish locality by the same name, among other things supporting the military force with cannons and cannon balls, it moved on to produce cast iron stoves and eventually electrical ovens. At the end of the 1960s, it was acquired by Electrolux, and it was not until 2009 that the Ankarsrum brand finally broke free – very much with the aim of focusing on kitchen equipment all the way.
The bread of the world Back in Boudet’s shiny kitchen, six people of wildly different backgrounds walk in. “We’re going to bake the bread of the world,” Boudet explains. “And it’s not my bread, it’s not your bread – it’s our bread.” His guests pair up and start chatting and working through the recipe. Awkward prejudices are aired alongside amusing mistranslations as their different languages and cultures meet but, very soon, some-
The bread of the world.
thing starts to happen. The participants start to warm to each other and make jokes. Personal stories are shared along with the bread, fresh from the oven: about the man who fled Syria three years ago, the Russian whose pièce de résistance is a mean cinnamon bun, and the American who has won an Olympic medal. Why develop a bread of the world? “We wanted to bring it all together to create affinity,” Grimerö explains. Recipes from 197 countries were collated, more than 150 of which were then analysed using an algorithm to create one final recipe – the bread of the world recipe. Sébastien Boudet was called in to fine tune the details, mostly in regards to rising and exact measurements, and the result was a flat bread of sorts with rye kernels, spelt flour and whole flaxseed. “Whether people use our Ankarsrum Assistent Original or not, the point is to get people baking, to spread the joy of it all,” says Grimerö. “Baking would be one of the most effective ways to feed the global population, but in addition to that you get a different relationship to the food you make yourself. There’s a pride in it, and it’s a way for people to connect.”
Building bridges In the home market, the Ankarsrum Assistent Original is already a muchloved classic. Now Ankarsrum has set the ambitious goal of tripling its turnover by 2020, and a big focus is on the export markets. “People use kitchen assistants abroad, but they mostly look very different. Our job is to communicate the benefits of our unique design, to show customers how clever and versatile it is and how easy it is to work with it,” says Grimerö. “Information and inspiration are key, and we’re planning on holding a range of demonstrations and baking events.” Sure enough, if the film featuring Boudet is anything to go by, a brief baking session can work wonders – not just in terms of igniting that spark, but in building bridges too. Web: www.ankarsrum.com and www.thebreadoftheworld.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ ankarsrum Instagram: @ankarsrum
Ingredients for the bread of the world.
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New design icon with heritage With roots more than 100 years old, Iris Hantverk tells the story of how the visually impaired reclaimed their right to active participation in society. Hand-drawn using refined techniques, its brushes are renowned for exceptional quality and feeling just right in the hand. Recently, the brand has become somewhat of a design icon. “We want it to be a different shopping experience, not like walking into any other boutique,” says Sara Edhäll, co-owner and vice president of Iris Hantverk. “Our boutiques breathe the tradition of the brush-binding craft. It’s not unusual that people walk in and sigh, ‘It’s so peaceful, I could spend all day here’.” Iris Hantverk’s model can be traced back to the struggle for the right to self-sufficiency by the visually impaired, which resulted in a brush-binding workhouse allowing visually impaired craftsmen and women to earn a living. Today, five visually impaired craftsmen work at the manufacturing premises in Enskede in Stockholm, using responsibly sourced wood from Swedish forestry companies
and cold-pressed, boiled linseed oil for optimal sustainability. Producing a wide range of brushes for all parts of the home, including dusters, grooming brushes and vegetable brushes, Iris Hantverk has increasingly become a must-have design item for the Scandinavian, eco-friendly home. Take a booming craft trend and growing environmental concerns, and it seems like a no-brainer: why buy an ugly, toxic plastic dish brush that needs to be replaced after one heavy-duty shift? Upon entering an Iris Hantverk boutique, you are immediately enveloped by that special blend of craft heritage and modern design, perfectly illustrated by the clearly visible wire at the back of each brush. But while the range has been extended to in-
By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Iris Hantverk
clude blankets and other beautiful quality interior items, the design most certainly puts functionality over style. “Our products are made to be used,” says Edhäll. “Over and over and over again.”
For more information, please visit: www.irishantverk.se
Useful keepsakes to remind of happy days – every day Enough painted cowbells and snowy bubble lederhosen men on the window sill? By Berndes sells true keepsake gems for lovers of distinct Scandi design. These are souvenirs you will treasure forever.
market!” Berndes laughs. What a relief to find the tired red gingham pillow cases retired to the wardrobe…
By Ulrika Kuoppa-Jones | Photo: Mattias Andersson
The mountains mean the world to passionate skier Elisabeth Berndes. An economist with a flair for design, she spotted a hole in the market: a need for useful, and tasteful, reminders of treasured holidays. On the coast outside Umeå in northern Sweden, Berndes and designer Helena Harnesk create beautifully playful trays, pillow cases and towels. “We’re creating with a strong sense of local identity. I love the idea that when customers use our products, they are also reminded of truly special times,” says Berndes. Here, right on the Arctic Circle, an outdoors lifestyle and a love of all things bright and beautiful come naturally. By Berndes products are made by domestic artisans. “We make our trays on 66 | Issue 102 | July 2017
the island of Öland, handmade from birch,” she says. The pillows are printed in Borås, Sweden’s hotspot for textiles, and the towels are made in Sölvesborg. “Everything is made in Sweden, which makes for quality and sustainability, both of which are really important to us.” By Berndes are now looking beyond Sweden’s borders – a natural next step, since the family name has roots in Bern in Switzerland. “The attraction of the Alps has always been huge in our family. We’re making more and more motifs from there. We’re already established in Verbier,” says Berndes. With a bit of luck, By Berndes’ design might greet us in our hotel room when we are next in the Alps. “Yes, that’s our next
By Berndes is available online and in shops in Sweden and Verbier. Web: www.byberndes.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ byberndes Instagram: @byberndes
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Keeping warm, from the inside out Woolpower is in the business of spreading warmth, with nature’s very own functional fabric. The soft and durable material ullfrotté, made of merino wool, ensures warm and dry clothes for outdoor activities. By Malin Norman | Photos: Gösta Fries
Based in Östersund, Jämtland, since its beginnings in 1969, Woolpower was originally called Ullfrotté and developed the new material Ullfrotté Original in collaboration with the Swedish Army. Almost 50 years on, the manufacturing still takes place in the same location, now under the direction of brothers Daniel and Adam Brånby. Woolpower’s range of high-quality thermal wear includes base and mid-layers, socks and accessories such as headbands, caps and gloves. Ullfrotté is made of a mix of fine merino wool and polyamide/polyester and is described as soft, warm, dry and durable – ideal for layers during outdoor activities. The wool for the fabric comes from merino sheep in Patagonia and is mulesing-free, guaranteeing ethical animal treatment. “This is function over fashion,” says marketing and communications director Karin Sundström. “We don’t pay much attention to what’s currently trending.
The garments need to be practical and last year after year. Our product development team actually wears the clothes themselves, as we have the ideal test environment just around the corner.”
Seamstresses in demand Demand for high-quality and sustainable outdoor clothing is increasing, meaning that Woolpower can continue its successful journey. The expected turnover for 2017 is around 115 million SEK, an increase of 15 million from last year. “We are constantly looking for skilled seamstresses to join our growing team,” says Sundström, taking the opportunity to promote Woolpower School, an initiative in collaboration with the Swedish Public Employment Service. The programme educates sewing apprentices, who are later offered employment in the factory. Clearly, the company is proud of its skilled staff and transparent, responsible and ethical production. For instance, each
garment is sewn by one seamstress, who takes ownership and approves it with a personalised label. The company also recycles any leftover sewing fabrics into a felt material that is used to make slippers, insoles and sit pads. Woolpower has been widely recognised for its sustainability efforts and Sundström explains the company’s longterm approach: “We grow at a steady pace, building the company one step at a time, while staying focused on our social and environmental responsibility.”
Web: www.woolpower.se Facebook: www.facebook.com/ woolpower Instagram: @woolpower_official
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Making technology human and fashionable With a range of popular headphones already on the shelves and a deep commitment to user-centred design, Zound Industries is branching out. Inspired by the user experience of the transistor radio, but adding a touch of modern Scandinavian minimalism, the brand is about to enter your home. By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Zound Industries
How do you design technology products that are more than just cold technology – products that truly add something to the users’ daily lives? This was one of the questions that inspired eight young Swedes to set up Zound Industries back in 2008. The company started out with headphones, creating a product that fit right in amongst gadgets as well as in design and style boutiques, and it quickly became clear that they were onto something. “We were from a wide range of 68 | Issue 102 | July 2017
backgrounds, many of us with a bit of DIY culture in our blood, some from sports scenes but, most importantly, with the right combination of skills and experience to be able to get the project off the ground on our own, as we couldn’t afford to employ staff yet,” says Oscar Axhede, co-founder and chief evangelist. “The idea was to create a headphone house of sorts, similar to the big fashion houses with sunglasses and watches. We wanted to explore lifestyle and create
user-friendly products that were truly different.”
Presenting Urbanears Connected Speakers With popular headphone ranges such as Urbanears, Coloud and Molami in addition to a successful collaboration with the rock ‘n’ roll icon Marshall, Zound Industries has demonstrated that they are a technology design house to be reckoned with. Now, they are branching out. Released back in March, the Urbanears Connected Speakers bring Zound Industries’ design technology into the home, which is very much a conscious development, explains Axhede. “We were looking at our audience of urbanites – whether in Tokyo or Berlin – and noticed that they stopped
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden
using our products when they entered their homes. They’d walk in, put the headphones on the shelves and that was that, bar perhaps the odd chat on the phone or something. So we looked at the industry and started zooming in on multi-room systems, which felt like something we could really sink our teeth into.” After some research, the company came to three conclusions: that the segment had ended up in a war of formats, where the different branded platforms were fighting over the same customers; that the usability was incredibly poor and the users found the product offering awkward; and that installation was often technically difficult and the set-up overall required almost engineer-like skills. Zound Industries wanted to change all this. “With Urbanears Connected Speakers, you just need one app for the installation process, and we won’t make you choose between platforms. PC, Android – everything works. Spotify, Google Cast, whatever you choose,” says Axhede. “We also had a vision of creating something akin to an old transistor radio. There are two knobs – one for volume and one for presets – so as well as controlling it with an app on your phone you can simply walk up and turn a button to put on your playlist or radio station of choice. It’s
about interaction design – it should be a nice, physical, tactile experience.”
Form follows function When asked about motivations, the chief evangelist talks about democratising technology at this meeting point of technology, fashion and lifestyle. Needless to say, the Urbanears Connected Speakers do not just sound good – they look the part too. Yet Axhede insists that form follows function and the design of the speakers is more a result of the brand’s heritage than anything else. “It comes from the Scandinavian heritage – but what’s interesting isn’t the look, but the interaction design,” he says. “They look the way they do because they need to. After all, it’s just a cube dressed in fabric – it looks like a box that plays sounds. It’s super simple and honest; what’s interesting is how you behave around it.” That coolness for coolness sake is not something he is interested in is perfectly clear. Passion for great solutions, however, he has plenty. “Many other brands make these products unnecessarily technical. We’re good at making things understandable and human,” he explains. “There are a lot of empty phrases and frills flying around – we cut that out, simplify, make everything user-friendly.
For example, we were first out with washable headphones. Why not? You use them all the time, including when you’re out running; of course you need to be able to wash them! So we include a little washing bag.” As Zound Industries’ success grows, so does the chief evangelist’s confidence. He describes the time up until last year’s move into new premises as a warm-up phase and enthuses about all the new talent that has come on board since. “We’re growing rapidly and bringing in some top-quality competence. It’s very exciting – we’re going all in now,” he says. The clean and cool design is bound to stay, but things are about to get more exciting in a technological sense, with elements including voice recognition going mainstream. The voice of Zound Industries, however, will remain quietly confident. “I don’t think the future belongs to brands that are screaming from skyscrapers about how people should behave. We need to approach users where they are and trust that they know what they want.”
Web: www.zoundindustries.com Twitter: @ZoundIndustries
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Changing the world through water
By Malin Norman | Photos: Yuhme
Water means life. For each of its reusable water bottles sold, Yuhme provides six months of clean water to someone in the Central African Republic. This ambitious start-up proves that our purchasing power can have a positive impact on the world. Social entrepreneurial company Yuhme produces the world’s most eco-friendly and reusable water bottles. Less than a year ago, Alexandra Nash and her husband Alex set up the company, the name of which stands for You Us Humanity Me Environment. The couple’s mission was to show that it is possible to start a business, follow your passion, and do good for the environment and humanity – all at once. “We can all do something,” says Alexandra Nash. “The simple choice of a product such as a water bottle can really make a difference.” The water bottle is designed and produced at a no-waste production site in Sweden. It is made from sugarcane, a renewable resource, unlike for example aluminium and glass, and Nash explains that each Yuhme bottle is CO2 negative, bisphe-
nol A (BPA) and toxin free and 100 per cent recyclable. “Customers are increasingly interested in products made of renewable resources,” she says. “With our reusable bottle, we can encourage more mindful consumption.” For every purchase of a water bottle, Yuhme donates money to help fund projects by Water for Good. The charity works with local communities in the Central African Republic, involving them in the supply of clean water. Each Yuhme bottle provides six months of clean water for one person. The 750-millilitre bottle is available in three designs: Power is inspired by erupting volcanoes, Endurance by night-time urban running, and Namaste by sugarcanes. They come in stylish packaging and are ideal as gifts – to help change our world.
Cover what you care for
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Facebook: www.facebook.com/ Yuhme Instagram: @ouryuhme
By Sara Wenkel | Photos: P.A.P Made in Sweden
Eight years ago, Anna and Ulf Pyk bought a new laptop but could not find a single attractive case for it. Today, the creative entrepreneur couple runs a successful leather goods company called P.A.P (Premium Accessories by Pyk) Made in Sweden, with products created as antidotes to the impersonal feeling of modern technology. P.A.P started out with two resellers in Gothenburg, Sweden, and a small-scale production. In only nine years the company has grown significantly and today they showcase their premium accessories in shops across 23 different countries, while also having a strong online presence through a web shop. The production has always been located in Sweden, and everything is done in-house. “We have built our own factory, meaning that we are fully involved in the whole production process and can manage big supply demands,” explains Anna Pyk, co-founder of P.A.P. While the production takes place in Sweden, the premium leather, which is vegetable tanned, is sourced from Ponte a Egola in Italy. P.A.P is best known for their laptop cases and bags, but this autumn sees a new
Web: www.yuhme.se
exciting chapter in the company expansion. “We are launching a new line called The Table,” says Pyk. The line will feature accessories with multiple purposes for tables, including for meetings, office spaces
and dinners. “Today, people use a table for so many things and we will create beautiful and functional leather accessories to go on it,” concludes Pyk.
Web: www.papsweden.se Instagram: @pap_madeinsweden
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A fashionable case in point With the mobile phone industry booming on a global scale, the business opportunities are plentiful for those with an eye for spotting that gap in the market. The entrepreneurial enthusiasts behind Richmond & Finch clearly possess a great deal of skill in that regard, as their chic mobile cases are now on track to become a household brand across the world. By Pia Petersson | Photos: Richmond & Finch
Many people consider the mobile phone their most treasured possession. As such, it has become vital to make this much-loved gadget look stylish – which is exactly where this story begins. “When we founded Richmond & Finch in 2014, there was a number of good mobile cases on the market, which protected the phone well, but these were anything but fashionable,” says CEO Mats Wikström about the idea and background of the company. Stripes, marble, paisley – with a wide range of different designs, Richmond & Finch undoubtedly has something to suit everyone. Of course, as is the case in any other fashion genre, there are trends in
the world of mobile phone accessories as well. “Until the end of last year, the marble trend was very strong, and our all-time best seller is indeed a design called Carrara White Marble Case. However, the marble motif peaked last year, and this spring we launched several flower-patterned cases that have been very well received on the market,” says Wikström. An evident sensitivity vis-à-vis a constantly changing fashion market is unquestionably an important part of Richmond & Finch’s success formula. With an eye to the future, the company has a clear goal. “Our mission is to continually drive our industry forward and
to be the leading player in terms of design and trends,” Wikström explains, and there is certainly evidence of Richmond & Finch succeeding with this mission. “We recently opened a pop-up store at Harvey Nichols luxury department store in Hong Kong, which we’re very proud of. This is something that no other brand in our sector has managed to do, let alone any Swedish brand.”
Web: www.richmondfinch.com Instagram: @richmondfinch
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Lisa Edin.
A journey on foot since 1923 The production of shoes at Docksta Sko has remained unchanged for almost 100 years. Everything is still done by hand and each shoe is unique. This is the story of a stylish journey on foot into the future. By Malin Norman | Photos: Docksta Sko
Docksta Sko was originally set up by Ivar Königson back in 1923. The company is still based in the small village of Docksta in Kramfors municipality on the beautiful High Coast, producing its highquality and comfortable shoes for women, men and children. Lisa and Andreas Edin have been running the business since 2015, with the founder’s grandson Stefan Königson as joint owner.
through industry ups and downs, production has remained in the area and under the watchful eye of the Königson family. According to Lisa Edin, this has been a determining factor of the company’s long-term success. “Ivar Königson had a passion for the business and access to skilled staff, great equipment and loyal suppliers. He never considered for a moment to move the factory anywhere else.”
In the ‘60s, Docksta Sko was one of the largest shoe manufacturers in the northern part of Sweden. Over the years and
The Edins have introduced heaps of new energy into the business, and the company continues to grow. Lisa Edin has a pos-
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itive outlook on the future of the industry as well as on Docksta Sko. “We have the benefit of a fantastic heritage and are facing an exciting future head on,” she says. “The business is expanding steadily, and we can see a growing trend in handmade shoes. Customers are more environmentally aware and want long-lasting products, just like in the good old days.”
Sustainable shoes, made to last This stable yet ambitious company produces slippers, clogs, beak boots, work shoes and boots – all made by hand in the Docksta factory. The shoes are manufactured in four steps: first the individual pieces of leather and soles are cut with special cutting knives; the next stage is when the various pieces are sewn together; after this follows pegging or
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden
stretching when the stitching is applied to the last, and finally the sole is attached and trimmed.
Craftsmanship and diverse skills
Docksta Sko has been manufacturing its classic slippers since the 1950s, with best sellers such as stylish Gunilla and iconic Patrik. Both made of high-quality materials and with a snug fit, they are suitable for the office, parties or more casual days at the summer house. These timeless designs never go out of fashion and are often worn by celebrities and seen on TV and in movies.
Making shoes is no doubt an impressive craft that requires skills, strength and precision – and a great deal of patience. “We are incredibly proud of having both design and production in Sweden,” says Edin, who also praises the loyal and diverse team. “Our employees are the most important resource, and it’s crucial that they enjoy working here and feel proud of what they accomplish. We have a mix of skilled staff from Sweden and abroad, young and old, all with the same purpose – to make fantastic shoes.”
Docksta Sko has collaborated with prominent designers on its well-established collection, and limited editions include, for instance, the well-dressed yet relaxed Brogues by Mats Theselius, and the brand regularly introduces new materials, patterns and colours to its range.
The company clearly takes its responsibility seriously, for employees and also for customers to enjoy the products for a long time and well into the future. In its efforts to contribute to a more sustainable society, Docksta Sko uses suppliers in the region to reduce transport
Patrik.
Brogues.
costs and environmental impact. One such partner with shared values of longterm sustainability is Tärnsjö Tannery in Uppland, which provides vegetabletanned leather. The handmade masterpieces are available in the online shop and at selected retailers, and Docksta Sko’s factory store is open all year round. According to Edin, the summer months are particularly busy in the shop. “It goes completely bonkers in summer. Our customers can’t believe that the shoes are actually made in the same building!” Web: www.dockstasko.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ dockstasko Instagram: @dockstasko
Gunilla.
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Photo: Philip Liljenberg
Photo: Frida Algerstam
Photo: Erik Thor
Denim with Sami roots Start-up company Sarva makes premium jeans with designs inspired by the indigenous Sami people. For the first time since the ‘70s, we can say hello to denims made in Sweden.
new products to make sure that they are practical and durable. We want to provide high-quality products that last, in terms of both design and time.”
By Malin Norman
Sarva is something quite out of the ordinary: a new Swedish jeans wear label produced locally. The business is run by entrepreneur brothers Oskar Sommarlund and Anton Olsson together with denim guru Marthyn Inghamn. Inspired by wellmade denim brands such as Levi’s, Lee and Wrangler, their long-term goal was to design and manufacture high-quality jeans in Sweden. However, it proved to be somewhat of a challenge for the founders to find skilled staff. “It hasn’t been feasible to make jeans in Sweden since the ‘70s, when much of the textile production moved abroad,” Olsson explains. “But we have found a small factory in Borås that has kept machines and knowledge from the glory days of Swedish textile production. We’re incredibly proud to finally be able to offer jeans made in our home country.” 74 | Issue 102 | July 2017
Their eco-friendly unisex collection with jeans, denim and leather jackets, hiking boots, wool shirts, knitted hats and socks has received fantastic feedback and been featured in magazines such as Sportswear International, Café and Plaza.
Influenced by the Sami people The word ‘sarva’ means young, unneutered reindeer bull in South Sami and, indeed, the brand takes inspiration from the Sami people. The Samis were originally nomads and spent most days outdoors, needing equipment that could withstand difficult conditions and extreme weather. Influenced by their culture, Sarva is a truly unique denim brand, and Olsson emphasises the importance of working closely with their Sami relatives on developing the range further. “Our family and friends try out all
The key denim piece is Riekte Sami Selvedge, a slim/regular fit combining Sami heritage with premium Japanese fabric and Swedish manufacturing. Details include a selvedge line in the Sami colours red, blue and green, and a leather patch made of naturally tanned reindeer leather from KERO Company in Sattajärvi. The team is also proud to collaborate with Swedish shoe makers Lundhags on the recently launched hiking boots Lundhags x Sarva. The Sarva collection is available at selected retailers such as Grandpa, and in the online shop. Web: www.sarva.se Facebook: www.facebook.com/ sarvaoutdoor Instagram: @sarva_
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden
Canny customers’ secret to luxury items is out An idea on an island in the Stockholm archipelago 11 years ago is becoming an international success story. The quintessential Swedish brand Edblad has customers worldwide stocking up on interior design items and jewellery – all based on a belief in affordable everyday luxury.
have a daughter myself and often think about how lucky we are to live such sheltered lives. We need to help those who are less fortunate.”
By Ulrika Kuoppa-Jones | Photos: Edblad
Edblad the brand is now found in 15 stores of its own and has more than 1,000 resellers all over Europe. The company also recently launched at the biggest department store group in Europe. “The response we got from the store buyers was phenomenal,” says Cathrine Edblad. “They said they hadn’t been this impressed about a new brand for a long time!”
Cathrine Edblad, 41, is head of design and one of the founders behind the brand Edblad. “It was hard to think of a company name, so in the end we went for using ours. It makes everything feel personal – in order to brand a product with our name, it has to be sustainable and ethical.” Edblad, founded in 2006, designs new jewellery, clothing and furnishings for lovers of simple Nordic style worldwide. Edblad wants to offer everyday luxury; the aspiration is to create a more beautiful world, not only by making it prettier, but by using sustainable and ethical methods of production. “Timelessness is a word of honour for us. We want our customers to enjoy our products for a long time, and be able to combine new products with ones they already have.”
Cathrine Edblad has even won entrepreneurial prizes for her work. “I’m most proud of becoming Female Shooting Star in EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year awards, where I was up against very strong opponents,” she says. “The City Hall was packed for the prize ceremony – it was a fantastic moment to treasure.” The future looks bright for the company but, as the proverb goes – a rolling stone gathers no moss. “We have so many dreams. Our motto is to continue to improve. I feel blessed that our products can make a difference,” says Edblad. “That’s why we design for charity every year. The profit goes towards children in need or environmental projects. We are currently supporting Together1Heart in Cambodia to help young girls out of prostitution. I
It seems even in countries where people traditionally wear plenty of jewellery, simple and timeless design from Sweden still works a treat.
Website: www.edblad.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ Edbladcom Instagram: www.instagram.com/ edbladofficial
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Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden
Release the freeride soul Soul Skis challenges the traditional way of producing skis. With heaps of innovation and flexibility, this underdog brand crafts high-quality skis for top-notch performance down the slopes. Gothenburg-based company Soul Skis is exactly what it sounds like – skis with soul. Entrepreneur brothers Martin Nowotny and Kristian Berggren set up their business almost ten years ago, and their principle remains the same. With a passion for skiing, they produce handmade skis with strong performance, premium quality and timeless design. Today, Soul Skis has a global reputation for crafting non-compromising skis tailored for the ultimate skiing experience. According to Kristian Berggren, the ski industry can be somewhat conservative at times, and being a small player certainly has its disadvantages – but also plenty of benefits. “We will never compromise on quality of materials,” he explains. “Over the years, we have become experts in making the most of our small size, ensuring flexibility in man-
ufacturing and customising skis. For this reason, we are very much appreciated by our customers, the skiers.” Soul Skis has received recognition for providing unique skis of excellent quality. The brand has its soul in the international freeride community, but with a growing customer base. Later this year, Soul Skis will launch a new model suitable for the pistes as well as other exciting collaborations that will add to their range.
By Malin Norman | Photos: Soul Skis
Berggren anticipates a bright future for the brand. “We have doubled our production and are really looking forward to an exciting season!” So keep an eye out for Soul Skis and check out their website to see how to test and buy their world-class, handmade skis.
Web: www.soulskis.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ soulskis Instagram: @soul_skis
www.klippanyllefabrik.com
Scan Magazine | Business | Keynote
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Advice for ‘working the room’ at a business event By Simone Andersen
Many people feel nervous when they enter unfamiliar territory; it is probably one of the challenges we fear most in our lives. But with some preparation, we can tackle our anxiety.
Before a business event: - Spend a few minutes imagining what kind of people you are going to meet. Will there be people you know or only strangers? The minute you have visualised the scenario, you can begin to take precautions so that you are not paralysed the moment you enter. - Prepare three small talk questions to establish a first contact. - Research the meeting and find out if there are participants you would like to meet.
During a business event: - Adopt an attitude that shows that you have been looking forward to this meeting. Smile, look up and enter the room in a confident manner – do not sneak along the walls. Look like a success – successful people are always attractive. - If you do not know anyone in the room, contact the ‘loners’ – people who are standing around on their own, and engage in small talk.
- If you are familiar with some of the guests, it is okay to say hello and start a conversation. It will calm you down and show that you appreciate them. However, after a few minutes you should move into the room and try to contact some of the participants you do not know. - During your research, you may have come across guests you would like to meet. Try to find these people by asking for them; generally, people will be happy to help out. Remember to express your gratitude when you are guided towards your goal.
After a business event: - If you meet interesting people, it is crucial that you take the initiative afterwards by following up with emails, making telephone calls or proposing coffee meetings. When you contact the person, ask them about and listen to their challenges – do not start by airing your own challenges. At this point, you are watching each other. Be a good listener and offer your assistance whenever possible. - Remember that networking is all about paying in advance! Listen, help and pay. When you need assistance for real, your contacts will be happy to help you and pay you back.
Simone Andersen is a journalist and has a master’s degree in media science. She worked for many years at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) as an editor and talk show host. She is an expert in business networking and building relationships, has just written the bestselling The Networking Book, and gives talks on this subject.
Contact: sla@strategisk.dk +45 26161818 www.thenetworkercompany.com
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 77
Scan Magazine | Business Profile | FoodService Danmark
The future of wholesale With 29 cash and carry stores all over Denmark, Dagrofa S-Engros is already one of the strongest wholesalers on the Danish market. An increased focus on the food service customers, product traceability, and flexible customer service will, says director Thomas Nielsen, take the company into the future as Denmark’s number one wholesale partner. By Signe Hansen | Photos: FoodService Danmark
As the first wholesaler in Denmark to implement a self-service concept back in 1961, Dagrofa S-Engros has always been ahead of the game. Back then, the company’s customer base consisted mainly of small independent grocers and the change was a way to allow for a more flexible and cost-efficient way for them to purchase stock. As the wholesaler became part of FoodService Danmark in the late ‘90s, the focus shifted increasingly towards Denmark’s thriving food service industry. With the shift followed a wide range of changes and additions to both product 78 | Issue 102 | July 2017
range and service strategy. Today, whether the customer is a café, a restaurant, a pizzeria or a corner store, Dagrofa SEngros’ focus is not just on selling groceries, but on adding value, explains Nielsen. “Our overall aim is to become Denmark’s number one wholesale partner. Some of our groceries you might be able to get elsewhere, but the close partnership we have – through FoodService Danmark – with high-profile chefs and other customers in the food service industry means that we have the competencies to offer a completely different level of service. We
look to add value for our customers – it’s not just about handing over goods.” In order to achieve just that, Dagrofa S-Engros will be piloting “the wholesale store of the future” next autumn. If successful, the new store concept and design is to be rolled out on a national scale in 2018.
Products with a story FoodService Danmark’s focus on the foodservice industry has led to continuous expansion through acquisitions of quality purveyors. Today, the company includes numerous specialist purveyors delivering high-quality meat, organic fruit, vegetables, and fresh fish. Through these new product ranges, current trends such as storytelling, organic food, and product traceability are all to be incorporated in Dagrofa S-Engros’ stores.
Scan Magazine | Business Feature | FoodService Danmark
Thanks to the wholesaler’s extensive collaboration with the purveyors, customers can even get a little head start on some of the newest developments. “We have several in-house specialist products, such as HKI quality cheeses, Kødgrossisten meat, and Grøn Fokus organic products. Similarly, purveyors are invited to come into the store and present and demonstrate new products and trends,” explains Nielsen. On top of, or rather as the base of, the wholesaler’s many speciality products, customers will naturally also find an extensive selection of essential, low-price products.
Flexibility and cost efficiency With 29 cash and carry stores all over Denmark, most customers have easy access to a Dagrofa S-Engros store and many value being able to pick and choose products first-hand. However, time is becoming a more and more precious resource for most and, consequently, Dagrofa S-Engros is currently
piloting several new ways for customers to shop. “Since we started our cash and carry concept, we’ve extended our network of stores and, for the last almost 60 years, the business model hasn’t really developed. But now we are in the process of reinventing ourselves again. My aim is that customers should be able to decide whether they want to come down to the store and find and select their groceries first-hand, click and collect, or have everything delivered,” explains Nielsen. Currently, Dagrofa S-Engros is running a pilot programme of a delivery service using Mover in four Copenhagen stores. This means that customers can have orders delivered within just an hour. “That’s quite unique and only possible because we have so many stores, which means that we are always close to our customers and can deliver orders at prices starting at 99DKK [approximately £12],” explains Nielsen.
Dagrofa S-Engros at a glance: Dagrofa S-Engros is part of FoodService Danmark, which is owned by Dagrofa Aps. FoodService Danmark also owns or partly owns HKI Ost (quality cheese), Prima Frugt (fresh and fruit and vegetables), Grambogård (ethically and sustainably produced meat), Strandby Fisk (fresh fish), Kødgrossisten (quality meat), and Grøn Fokus (organic products), as well as the mobile wholesaler Catering Engros. Dagrofa S-Engros has 29 stores all over Denmark. The wholesaler sells groceries to the food service industry and independent grocers. The wholesaler employs 530 people and has a yearly turnover of about 2.6 billion DKK.
Web: www.s-engros.dk
Top: FoodService Danmark owns numerous specialist purveyors delivering high-quality meat, organic fruit, vegetables, and fresh fish to Dagrofa S-Engros’ 29 wholesale stores. Bottom left: Director at Dagrofa S-Engros, 37-year-old Thomas Nielsen, has an E-MBA from DTU Business and a BA in economics and leadership from BSS. He started his career as a management trainee in 2001.
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 79
Scan Magazine | Business | Column / Calendar
Authentic on five million pounds a year? By Steve Flinders
The Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) has made authenticity one of its Five Dimensions of Leadership (their capitals), and I am trying to understand what this means. If someone offered me an authentic Rembrandt, I would understand what we were talking about. If I hear ‘he’s very authentic’, I imagine an actor playing a role convincingly. Presumably the ILM wants it to mean something else. “Authentic leaders are self-aware” is the title of the article on the subject in the latest issue of their magazine. This is one component of authenticity, and I won’t dispute that this is a critical characteristic of good leadership (although, saying what this means would take up another article). The ILM’s survey of leaders reveals that they “had wide-ranging views on what it means
to be authentic”, which rather confirms my view that nobody knows, “but many of them talked about the importance of being able to bring your whole self to work”. Does this mean that I should be bringing my pub persona and others to the office? What about people – like trainers – who can be very different at work and at home? What about the cultural tendency in some countries, such as Germany, to cultivate a professional identity that masks the private? Do we damn the Germans as inauthentic because of this? We are also told that “authentic leaders ... are true to their values ... and act ... ethically”. But flicking through the magazine, I do not notice any debate about the astronomical pay cheques being picked up by FTSE CEOs. Does that make them inauthentic? I wonder how, by this definition, any leader can be authentic in an organisation ruthlessly dedicated to shareholder value maximisation.
‘Authenticity’ has been hijacked by people who prefer jargon to clear thinking. The obfuscation does not hide the devils in the detail.
Steve Flinders is a freelance trainer, writer and coach, based in Malta, who helps people develop their communication and leadership skills for working internationally: steveflind@aol.com.
Business Calendar
By Heidi Kokborg | Photo: DUCC
Scandinavian business events you do not want to miss this month Manchester Swedish language meet-up Whether you are looking for someone with the same level of Swedish ability as you, someone who speaks English, someone to practise your Swedish with or someone with advice on travelling to Sweden, this meet-up is for you. Every meet-up has a mix of new and familiar faces – from absolute beginners to native speakers, as well as people who are simply interested in Swedish culture and meeting new people. Date: 20 July, 7pm Venue: Premier Inn Piccadilly, 72 Dale Street. M1 2HR, Manchester www.coscan.org.uk
Academics World 220th International Conference on Management and Information Technology (ICMIT) This event aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share experiences 80 | Issue 102 | July 2017
and research results about management and information technology. It is also a forum to discuss and present the most recent innovations, trends, concerns, practical challenges and solutions in the fields of management and information technology. Date: 3-4 August Venue: Oslo, Norway www.academicsworld.org
World Water Week in Stockholm World Water Week in Stockholm is the annual focal point for the globe’s water issues. This year, it will address the theme ‘water and waste – reduce and reuse’. Everyone from experts and business innovators to decision-makers and young professionals from different countries and businesses will come to World Water Week to network, exchange ideas, get inspired and develop solutions to the water challenges we face in today’s world.
Date: 27 August-1 September Venue: City Conference Centre, Drottninggatan 71b, Stockholm, Sweden www.worldwaterweek.org
Scan Magazine | Hotel of the Month | Norway
Classic and historic interiors make a charming frame for a great stay at Leikanger Fjord Hotel.
Does modern-day Norway not resemble its classic Viking style? Do not worry – book this room and you are sorted.
Leikanger Fjord Hotel amidst the beautiful green scenery of Leikanger, the warmest municipality in Norway.
Hotel of the Month, Norway
Summer paradise amidst fjords and mountains The most Norwegian dilemma out there is choosing between a fjord and a mountainbased holiday. At the beautiful Leikanger Fjord Hotel, there is no need to make your pick as you have plenty of both within walking distance. By Karen Langfjæran | Photos: Leikanger Fjord Hotel
Located just a few steps from Norway’s longest fjord, Leikanger Fjord Hotel boasts not only fantastic views of the calming waves of western Norway’s Sognefjord, but also a great location for hiking in the nearby mountains and the Jostedal Glacier, the biggest glacier in continental Europe. “We are having our best season ever,” says owner Jan-Erik Lie, as Scan Magazine manages to get a hold of him after another busy day at the hotel. It is obvious that the combination of mountain and fjord adventures is as attractive as it sounds. Lie explains that Leikanger has the highest average temperatures in Norway, resulting in perfect condi-
tions for nature lovers, berry pickers and relaxation seekers alike. “We often help with arranging activities such as guided glacier hikes, a trip to the nearby Flåmsbanen, and tourist cruises on one of Norway’s most beautiful attractions, Nærøyfjord,” he says. There is also a historic folk museum, a fjord activity centre and several traditional churches nearby, as well as beautiful hikes and the option of staying behind in the hotel’s oceanfront garden. Leikanger Fjord Hotel was established by Lie’s grandfather in the 1920s, and Lie intends to keep the personal atmosphere that the hotel has long been known for. “You could say that we view
our guests as an extended family of sorts, and we aim to provide the most personal service possible,” he explains. As part of that, Lie has no intention of substantially expanding the hotel. “We like to keep it small and personal with our 50 rooms. That way, guests can make the most of our expertise and time while visiting.” The hotel rooms are spread across three different buildings, and while most have been furnished to suit modern tastes, some rooms definitely aim to surprise. “If you are quick, you can book a fjordfacing room in the wooden house, where you can fish from your window and wake up to our best views. Alternatively, you might want to try our Viking-style bed, located in the modern wing,” says Lie.
Web: www.leikanger-fjordhotel.no
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 81
Scan Magazine | Experience of the Month | Denmark
Henriette Hellstern is a young artist whose work is showing at Galleri NB.
John Reuss is working on his exhibition at the gallery, which opens 20 August.
The entrance to the gallery.
Experience of the Month, Denmark
Art is like falling in love When Thorkild NB Nielsen selects art for his gallery, Galleri NB in Viborg, he looks at the quality, dynamics and, most importantly, whether it really fascinates him. He has to fall in love with the piece and feel inspired. At Galleri NB, he has shared his love for art for 30 years, and all he wants is to keep sharing this love and happiness with as many people as possible.
“Art is a personal expression of who you are,” he says. “When I see art that fascinates and inspires me, it feels like falling in love. You get butterflies in your stomach, and it is all you think about. Art is love.”
By Heidi Kokborg | Photos: Galleri NB
When Thorkild NB Nielsen founded Galleri NB 30 years ago, the gallery was 24 square metres and Nielsen was the only person working there. Since then, the gallery has grown to 650 square metres and has several staff. “I never did – and still don’t – do this for the money. I do it because it is my passion. Art is not a job; it’s a lifestyle. You don’t think about anything else, it’s art 24/7. I want to share my own experience of art with as many people as possible,” says Nielsen.
Good technique The gallery is divided into three showrooms: a main gallery section hosting the big exhibitions; the NBeX Project, showcasing young, talented artists from all over the world; and a third gallery where specific artists are highlighted. 82 | Issue 102 | July 2017
“When I look for new art and artists, I don’t care about their age or where in the world they come from. I look for quality, dynamics and whether the art fascinates me. The artists have to be technically very good, or they won’t be able to express themselves and their feelings. It’s like playing an instrument; you have to master the technique in order to play beautifully and express yourself and let your personality shine through,” says Nielsen.
Art is love Nielsen has been passionate about art for most of his life. He started painting when he was 14, when he got brushes and a canvas for his confirmation. When he opened the gallery in 1987, however, he stopped painting so that people would not ask for his art. Yet his love for art continues to grow.
Vilmantas and Kristian Vodder Svensson are both artists whose work is showing at Galleri NB.
Opening hours July: Monday-Friday: 10-17 From 1 August: Monday-Friday: 12-17 Saturday: Closed Sunday: 12-16
Web: www.gallerinb.com
Scan Magazine | Restaurant of the Month | Sweden
Restaurant of the Month, Sweden
Food for thought What happened to the good old local restaurant? That is what the enthusiasts behind restaurant Österlånggatan 17 wondered. So they opened their own updated version of this classic eatery, keeping the charm, friendliness and comfort, but updating the menus and the service.
ment Pilblad and his colleagues want to create. “We want to offer something for everyone and create a bit of a funhouse for adults,” he explains.
By Pia Petersson | Photos: Österlånggatan 17
Although Österlånggatan 17 aims to be a ‘safe bet’ in the booming, trend-sensitive world of Stockholm restaurants, the warmer weather naturally calls for a few adaptations. “There’ll be more seafood on the menu and we’ll open up our outdoor seating area,” says Pilblad. This will be a popular spot among Stockholmers and tourists alike this summer. You will be hard-pressed to find a better place for people-watching in Stockholm than restaurant Österlånggatan 17.
Eating out in Stockholm was, for a long time, something of a challenge. Options were limited, opening hours ungenerous and prices often extortionate. Then something of a food revolution happened. Österlånggatan 17 is undoubtedly part of this gastronomic transformation. Situated on one of the most charming streets in Stockholm’s Old Town, restaurant Österlånggatan 17 is named after its location. “We really wanted to signal that this is a local restaurant, hence the decision to name it after the address,” founder and partner Mathias Pilblad explains. The local aspect is key to the identity of the restaurant. “We aspire to reclaim the idea of the local restaurant, which for so long has had quite a bad reputation. I think we’ve succeeded in that regard.” Pilblad, who started out as a chef, describes the food served at Österlång-
gatan 17 as “Scandinavian with a touch of southern Europe”. The many small plates on the menu are an indication of the Mediterranean influence. “It’s a much more enjoyable way of eating out. Going out for a meal should be lots of fun,” says Pilblad. The ambitious bar offers a selection of exciting cocktails, and the skilled bartender is known for his ability to figure out what kind of cocktail would suit each individual guest. The joyful atmosphere of Österlånggatan 17 is also noticeable in the names of the cocktails. How about a Frozenstrawberrymargaritadaiquiripiñacolada after dinner? There is more to explore for those who fall for the charm of Österlånggatan 17. During winter, spring and autumn, an adjoining restaurant – Le Rouge – opens in the old, mysterious vaults below the ground to add to the sense of excite-
Web: www.osterlanggatan17.se
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 83
The menu at the Japanese restaurant in Ålesund consists of sushi, grill and fusion. Photo: Marius Beck Dahle.
Restaurant of the Month, Norway
Culinary passion over profit As the only Japanese sushi restaurant in the Norwegian fishing town of Ålesund, Zuuma is located 25 metres from the seafront, providing restaurant-goers with the ultimate connection to the water as they tuck into the fresh fish.
of the top sushi chefs in Norway, where he has acquired certificates for both attending and passing culinary exams.
By Line Elise Svanevik
Local where possible
First established in May 2015, Zuuma is owned by CEO Vincent Caballes, head chef Andreas Ottosen and Oslo-based adviser Petter Thoresen. “We were the first Japanese restaurant in the area,” explains Caballes. “We serve sushi, grill and fusion, and our menu consists of two parts: a warm one, which is grill, and a cold one, which is sushi.” Caballes explains that the restaurant sells about 70 per cent sushi versus 30 84 | Issue 102 | July 2017
per cent grill, and that the chefs are both incredibly experienced and passionate. “Our head chef used to work at Michelinstarred Bagatelle in Oslo, and we also had one chef who worked at Fauna and another from Nobu – one of the world’s most highly regarded Japanese restaurants,” he says.
With the sea on its doorstep, it is only natural for Zuuma to source the majority of its fish locally, which is something they strongly believe in. “Tuna is the only thing that is hard to get locally as they only catch it around this area once in a blue moon, but they’ve recently started getting more of it in our local county, Møre og Romsdal,” says Caballes.
Although Caballes has a background in business, he has been making sushi for the past five years and trained with some
“We recently got 187 kilogrammes of local tuna for the restaurant, but that went in less than three weeks. However, our
Scan Magazine | Restaurant of the Month | Norway
salmon is always local, and three hours after they catch it in the morning we get it in the restaurant. We also serve mackerel from a local factory, which they even ship to Japan, in addition to local cold-water prawns and halibut.”
Sushi is the new kebab Over the past decade, sushi has become a true culinary staple in Norway, and Caballes explains that many sushi takeaway restaurants are popping up just to make a profit. “If you go to Oslo, there are sushi takeaways everywhere now – it’s kind of the new kebab. Many places are good, but there are some that open just because they think they can make money – and that’s not our overall goal at Zuuma,” he says. “Of course we are a business and need to make a profit, but it is the passion we have for making the food, especially sushi, that makes us stand out. It’s delicate – you serve raw food to people, so you need to have people in the kitchen who have the knowledge to make it. You can’t
just open a sushi restaurant because it’s trendy.”
head chef, Caballes experiments to keep everything fresh.
Seafood with a sea view
“We have to be open to development in every aspect of the restaurant – we want guests to be comfortable when they open the menu, so it makes it easy for them to order what they want to eat. It doesn’t make sense to spend 40 minutes checking the menu and just 30 minutes eating – it’s nicer to enjoy the ambience,” he says.
Zuuma’s location makes it a popular place to dine for those wanting both great food and atmosphere. With big glass windows, the view can be enjoyed the whole year round – be it in the summer or in the winter when there is snow falling and people are driving snow boats and selling fish. “We were a bit sceptical at first about whether people would want to eat what we serve,” says Caballes. “It’s a very modern restaurant in a brand-new building, but I think the passion we have for making sushi at a high level is the best thing about what we do. Every bite of sushi and grill is made with passion – and Ålesund deserves a good Japanese restaurant.” The restaurant has a seating capacity of 90, and a chambré separée that seats up to 18 people. The menu changes four times a year and, together with the
Additionally, the sushi, grill and fusion restaurant provides a takeaway option to cater to those who want great food but do not have the time to come and eat at the restaurant. “Most weekends we are booked up, so the takeaway offer is good for people who want to relax and eat at home with a movie, or enjoy some family time. The meal will be just as good as if it was eaten in the restaurant,” he adds.
Web: www.zuuma.no
Left: CEO Vincent Caballes and head chef Andreas Ottosen strive to use locally sourced ingredients as much as possible. Photo: Rune Hagen. Top right: The sushi, grill and food restaurant also provides a takeaway option. Photo: Marius Beck Dahle. Bottom right: The menu at Zuuma changes four times a year, and the chefs enjoy experimenting with the dishes. Photo: Rune Hagen.
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 85
Scan Magazine | Attraction of the Month | Denmark
Exhibition. Photo: Tinker Imagineers
Attraction of the Month, Denmark
A hidden treasure on the Danish west coast One of the most spectacular and anticipated museums in the world has finally opened its doors. Tirpitz in Blåvand offers stunning architecture and exhibitions that will change your view on the Danish west coast forever. By Nicolai Lisberg
It is almost invisible. From a distance it looks just like another white sand dune. But, when you get closer, you will see a magnificent glass building almost hidden in one of the dunes. Tirpitz is the name of the museum that, back in January, the American TV station CNN named as one of the 13 most anticipated buildings to open in 2017. “The idea of the architects was that the museum had to be something in direct 86 | Issue 102 | July 2017
contrast to the unfriendly colossal bunker that’s located right next to it. We wished to create an open and welcoming democratic space – not an obstacle but an enrichment of the landscape. You can look at the exhibitions from the outside, because we want to make the invisible visible and metaphorically show our guests that there are so many good stories to tell right below the sand,” says Claus Kjeld Jensen, museum director at VardeMuseerne, which Tirpitz is a part of.
The museum opened on 30 June this year and was designed by the wellknown architects Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). The name comes from the cannon fortress, which dates back to 1944 but was never finished before the Germans surrendered in May 1945. The original Tirpitz fortress is a part of the museum area, and visitors can learn how it would have functioned had it been finished.
An impossible project “The job we gave the architects was almost impossible. We wanted worldclass architecture, and we wanted it to be invisible. When we got the permission to build a museum in this protected landscape, we wanted to show our love
Scan Magazine | Attraction of the Month | Denmark
and respect for the dune area by making it as invisible as possible. It is about giving our guests a wow experience and still be humble to the surroundings we are building the museum in,” says Jensen. The invisible aspect suits the exhibitions in the museum perfectly – in particular The Hidden West Coast, which is a story of the last 20,000 years in West Jutland. Every half an hour, the room becomes completely dark and a 360-degree movie starts showing on the walls and floors, while light and smoke make the journey through time as lifelike as possible. “We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how we could make the museum as interesting as possible for our guests. We know that a lot of our visitors are giving us one of their precious holiday days, so we need to take our guests seriously. We wish to show them that right beneath the sand and the surface, you’ll find thousands of remarkable stories from the Ice
Age and up until now. You might come to the west coast to enjoy the beautiful nature, but after visiting the museum you’ll start to see the landscape in a new light,” says Jensen.
A social experience for everyone Besides The Hidden West Coast, the museum also contains two other permanent exhibitions: The Gold of The Sea and An Army of Concrete. The former is built as a mysterious forest with nine-metre-high trees and shows how 40-million-year-old resins turned into amber. Visitors get to see 400 of the most extraordinary founds of amber in Denmark, and in one of the rooms you can experience what it is like to be at the beach on a cold and windy January day searching for the amber. “All our exhibitions are very child-friendly. We don’t have long texts on the wall explaining everything, but instead you experience most of it with all your senses,” explains Jensen. One of the exhibitions
even comes to life: An Army of Concrete is the story of how seven characters, both Danes and Germans, experienced World War II. They are all based on real people from back then, portrayed by actors – from a ten-year-old Danish girl who kept a diary during the war, to the young and charming German lieutenant who was kind to the children in the neighbourhood, but whose job was to shoot down the English planes. “We aim to pass on knowledge in an interesting way for everyone. You get a remote control at the beginning of the tour, and then you are told various stories depending on where you are in the museum. Our ambition is to give our guests a social experience, where you, no matter your age, get a fun adventure that you want to share with your friends and family,” says Jensen.
Web: www.tirpitz.dk
Guests walking to the museum. Photo: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)
Glass roof top. Photo: Colin Seymour
Exhibition amber. Photo: Colin Seymour
Exhibition. Photo: Tinker Imagineers
Issue 102 | July 2017 | 87
Scan Magazine | Attraction of the Month | Norway
Kulturbadet is located in Sandnessjøen in Nordland, northern Norway. Photo: Johanne Dahl Tysnes.
Attraction of the Month, Norway
Cultural hotspot in northern Norway Featuring an entire swimming complex, a state-of-the-art cinema, an art gallery, a library and a venue for music, theatre performances, shows, talks and banquets, Kulturbadet in northern Norway is a cultural meeting point for tourists, locals and businesses in the area. By Line Elise Svanevik
As a regional cultural centre, Kulturbadet first opened its doors in 2015 in a small town located in the county of Nordland. “We are placed in the middle of the centre of Sandnessjøen, and the building itself is located within walking distance to buses and boats. Even the Hurtigruten cruise stops just around the corner,” says CEO of Kulturbadet, Odd Arnold Skogsholm. For a place of just 6,000 inhabitants, it is quite astonishing to think that the annual number of visitors at Kulturbadet is a whopping 250,000. “It’s a house for everybody,” explains Skogsholm. “Our offering is so broad that everyone can 88 | Issue 102 | July 2017
lored courses for babies, adults and seniors. “We’ve got a swimming club now, and we are continuing to bring out new offers as we’re constantly striving to improve and expand our offering,” says marketing consultant for Kulturbadet, Trine Mathisen Vassvik.
find something to do here – whether it’s tourists, locals or families.”
State-of-the-art cinema
Sandnessjøen had been without a swimming complex and a proper concert and theatre venue for a long time when Kulturbadet launched as a welcome contribution to the small community. Skogsholm believes that the cultural centre, particularly the pool, has the best view in Norway, overlooking the Seven Sisters mountain range, the Dønnamannen mountain and the Helgelandsbroen bridge.
The cinema at Kulturbadet is small, but its brand-new facilities have resulted in a five-fold increase in visitors since its debut. “The technical aspect of the cinema is amongst the best in Norway. The sound is three-dimensional 8 with our Dolby ATMOS sound system, and the picture is 4K quality,” says Skogsholm. “We have speakers everywhere, and we were among the first to adopt these new cinema facilities, still the only cinema in the area that is this advanced.”
Kulturbadet hosts several courses in their swimming complex, including tai-
Throughout the year, there are theatre performances, concerts and shows at
Scan Magazine | Attraction of the Month | Norway
Kulturbadet, but in the summer they focus mainly on the swimming complex and cinema. “We run premieres at the cinema every week,” explains Mathisen Vassvik. “Although we’re a smaller cinema than those in Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim, we always run the latest releases, which means that what you get in the big cities is the same as what we have here.” Throughout the school holidays, the pool is open all day every day and the cinema will be screening films all day. Due to the number of festivals in the nearby areas throughout the summer months, it also plays host to festival goers looking for a break. Skogsholm explains that the library at Kulturbadet is very inviting for those who stop by, as it is the first thing you encounter when you walk through the doors. “The effect of having the library right at the entrance is that people use it in a different way – they sit and read books or magazines, and it is a very welcoming place to just be,” he adds.
Additionally, in the gallery at Kulturbadet, there is currently an exhibition that runs until 13 August that focuses on the work of 35 artists from northern Norway.
A place to stay Kulturbadet works closely with Scandic Hotel Syv Søstre, which is located next door and is connected through an indoor pathway, meaning guests do not even need to step outside on a rainy day. The hotel’s new wing was finished in 2014 and is spread out over ten floors with 96 rooms in different categories – among them are four suites on the tenth floor with stunning views. The hotel has a total of 165 rooms, and the restaurant is considered one of Helgeland’s best, serving mainly food that has been produced locally. Sales manager at Scandic, Svein Arne Kristoffersen, explains: “We have a really good partnership with Kulturbadet when it comes to things like courses and conferences – especially when there are big ones, as we can fit 350 people. We have
all the modern facilities, and if you have a wheelchair or other things that need to be considered, we’ve got it covered.” Only nine kilometres from the airport and two minutes from the ferry, the regional centre and hotel are often a meeting point for gatherings and parties as well. Things to do at Kulturbadet Swim in the main pool. Enjoy the therapy pool. Relax in the hot tub or sauna. Play on the water slides. Watch the latest film releases at the cinema. Read a book or magazine in the library. Discover local art at the gallery. Go to a conference or organise a business meeting. Listen to live music, see a play or go to a show. Stay over at Scandic Hotel next door.
Web: www.kulturbadet.no
Top left: Scandic Hotel can be accessed straight from Kulturbadet, meaning that guests do not need to go outside. Photo: Geir Edvardsen. Top middle: The swimming complex was opened in 2015. Photo: Johanne Dahl Tysnes. Top right: The state-of-the-art cinema at Kulturbadet shows the latest films every week. Photo: Trine Mathisen Vassvik. Bottom left: The summer feeling can be found all year round at Kulturbadet. Photo: Bjørn R. Pedersen. Bottom right: Visitors can enjoy a book or a magazine at the library. Photo: Trine Mathisen Vassvik.
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Scan Magazine | Activity of the Month | Denmark
Nothing Happens is a short animated film – and a cinematic virtual reality (VR) experience – that questions the role of the spectator by inviting the individual to participate in an event. Photo: K.Pauli:CITIA
Activity of the Month, Denmark
Viborg Animation Festival – explore the richness of animation Viborg Animation festival (VAF) is not just about films and entertainment. As Denmark’s largest festival of its kind, it explores the meeting between art and technology and celebrates the countless possibilities of animation within business, education and healthcare. Taking place during the last week of September, the festival is part of Aarhus 2017 (European Capital of Culture) and will this year have a special focus on the world leader within animation: Japan. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Viborg Animation Festival
A string of films, workshops, conferences, exhibitions and cultural events will be among the numerous offers for guests visiting Denmark’s largest animation festival in Viborg. Running in its fifth year, the festival has made a name for itself by focusing not only on art and entertainment but also on the many oth90 | Issue 102 | July 2017
er areas where animation has proven to be a powerful tool of communication. “During the first couple of years, the festival was very much a local event, but by focusing on different areas we have gradually developed a more international profile. For us it’s very much about attracting experts from the fields in which
animation is used to create change and progress,” explains the director of the festival, Morten Thorning. “For instance, this is the case in healthcare and science, where animation and visualisation can be used to create clear and precise communication. In both areas, animation is used to communicate complicated topics that the public or patient has the need to be informed about in a way they understand.” In line with this philosophy, in 2017 the festival will, among many other things, host conferences such as Animated Health, Animated Learning, and Science Visualisation and Animation (Sci-Vi).
Scan Magazine | Activity of the Month | Denmark
Exploring Japan’s rich animation culture This year, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of diplomatic connections between Japan and Denmark, Viborg Animation Festival will be focusing on Japanese manga and anime art and culture. This will entail an extensive exploration of Japan’s extremely rich and popular animation culture, including films such as Hayao Miyazaki’s beloved children’s classic, My Neighbor Totoro, and Katsuhiro Otomo’s dystopian masterpiece Akira. “When you are hosting an animation festival and get the theme ‘Japan’, it’s both a blessing and a challenge. It’s a blessing
because the Japanese animation culture provides us with an unparalleled richness of amazing pieces to work with, and it’s a challenge because it’s difficult to host and address it all,” says Thorning.
Sharing the thrills of animation VAF is arranged and hosted by the Animation Workshop/Via University College. The Animation Workshop was established as an experiment for unemployed artistically talented youngsters 30 years ago. Today, it is internationally recognised as one of the best schools worldwide within the field of animation.
In 2006, The Animation Workshop began hosting a yearly film and educational programme for children and young people, and it was from that event that the idea for Viborg Animation Festival sprung. “In 2012, we were contacted by the municipality, which offered us a budget to make a real animation festival. They wanted us to share some of the knowledge and expertise we had developed in our institution with a broader public through a large cultural event. And it made sense – in the same way that a music academy should share its talent by playing concerts, we should
Top left: Videomapping. Top right: This year’s festival will be focussing on Japan’s rich animation culture, including Miyazaki’s beloved children’s classic, My Neighbor Totoro. Bottom: ANIMOK
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Scan Magazine | Activity of the Month | Denmark
Meet the directors.
share the many amazing products of our field with a broader public,” stresses Thorning.
Learning through animation While VAF is today focused on the general public, it still includes many offers specifically for a young audience. This includes 17 feature films for children and the exploration of the many possibilities of animation outside the entertainment industry. Increasingly used as a learning tool in the international school system, Animated Learning is one of the topics of the festival’s special conferences. “It’s very interesting, because if we look at our children’s thinking process we realise that the way they understand things is changing. When I was young, I learned by reading, but today children learn more by seeing,” Thorning explains. “It also means that they increasingly wish to express themselves visually, and animation is increasingly being implemented 92 | Issue 102 | July 2017
as a learning tool in Danish schools. In the end, it is a tool that empowers children and makes them more motivated to learn.” The festival also includes the original ANIMOK Film Festival, in which Danish school classes can take part in a competition to create the best animated film.
Highlights of the festival In addition to films, conferences and workshops, VAF will also include a number of major cultural events and exhibitions. Among other things, visitors will be able to visit the Manga & Animé Museum, hosting the biggest exhibition on the Japanese manga and anime culture ever in Denmark; experience a Manga Artist Battle; meet game developers, and explore the newest trends within gaming at the Viborg Game Expo. One of the cultural highlights of the festival will be Solar Walk, a performance combining a beautiful animation piece
created by Hungarian Réka Bucsi with music by the Danish composer Niels Marthinsen, performed by Aarhus Jazz Orchestra. “It’s an amazing performance, like Fantasia live. It’s the kind of performance that I expect will spark an interest in animation and film festivals all over Europe,” says Thorning. The performance will take place twice at VAF and then travel on to Aarhus, Copenhagen and potentially more cities across Europe. Viborg Animation Festival at a Glance: The festival takes place from 25 September to 1 October 2017. The festival is part of Aarhus 2017 (European Capital of Culture). In 2016, the festival attracted 15,000 visitors. This year’s festival programme will be approximately three times the size.
Web: www.animationsfestival.dk
Scan Magazine | Activity of the Month | Denmark
The festival programme will include: A Film Festival: 17 feature films for children and 22 feature films for adults, as well as seven short films for adults and a number of short and special student shows and children’s programmes. Conferences and Seminars: Animated Health, Animated Learning, Sci-Vi, JP-DK Creative Forum and Manga Symposium. Workshops: EURANIM Video Mapping Workshop, Nippon Nordic Universe Accelerator and Screen Talent Europe. Exhibitions:
Viborg Manga & Animé Museum (10 Sep20 Oct): during VAF, Viborg Museum will be transformed into Denmark’s largest anime and manga exhibition under the theme ‘Kawaii and Epikku’, cute and epic.
Expanded Animation (28 Sep-1 Oct): presenting international award-winning artists with the freshest cross-aesthetic experiments, where new interactive technologies are utilised to create moving, poetic and charged installation pieces. Cultural Events:
Solar Walk (29 and 30 Sep): an animation piece created by the festival’s Artist of the Year, Hungarian Réka Bucsi, presented with live music by the Danish composer Niels Marthinsen. Game Expo (28-30 Sep): an opportunity to try out e-sports, meet some of Scandinavia’s leading cosplayers, make your own board game with 3D printers, or try out all the new things happening within virtual reality and games.
Manga Artist Battle (29 Sep): well-known Danish and Japanese manga illustrators compete in a live event to become this year’s best manga artist. Video Mapping (30 Sep): As a part of the EURANIM project, a group of 12 European students, including two students from the Animation Workshop/VIA University College, will bring the old military building ‘Arsenalet’ to life with experimental animation. ANIMOK (Until 25 Sep): a film festival for schools. Culture Bus (26-29 Sep): a mobile bus furnished as a miniature cinema, screening animations for young children and toddlers.
Top: Solar Walk, a beautiful piece of work by Artist of the Year, Réka Bucsi, will be performed with live music by Danish composer Niels Marthinsen. Left: Animation art. Right: The Expanded Animation exhibition will present a number of cross-aesthetic experiments by international award-winning artists.
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Scan Magazine | Artist of the Month | Norway
Holter takes inspiration from nature and is just as fascinated by grand mountains as she is by tiny insects. Photo: Gro Mukta Holter.
Artist of the Month, Norway
A curious artist’s journey to self-awareness Norwegian artist Gro Mukta Holter often wakes up with colourful motifs on her mind, and quickly rushes to her showroom in Oslo to get them out on paper or canvas. There, she temporarily loses all sense of time and space as she diligently works on her next piece of art. By Line Elise Scanevik
Holter was adopted from a Mother Teresa orphanage in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and came to Nøttøry just outside of Tønsberg in Norway in 1977 when she was just 11 months old, which she believes helped shape her work as an artist in several ways. “I had a wonderful and creative childhood with both my parents and my sister, who was adopted from Korea,” Holter explains. “Everything we did at 94 | Issue 102 | July 2017
home was handcrafted – my father was always making things and my mother sewed, so being creative and concerned with quality is something that comes from within.” Holter also feels that her background of being adopted is relevant to her artwork in terms of curiosity and the art of pondering where people are going in life. “I
work with the existential questions in life – the coincidences of why we are the people we are and how we become who we are,” she explains. “I moved away from home at a young age to attend art school, as I featured in my first exhibition at the age of 14, and suddenly I became curious of where I came from. Strangers wondered where I was from and why I looked the way I did but had a Norwegian name – and this opened up a lot of questions for me, questions that I decided to delve right into and examine.” With a Master of Arts from Oslo National Academy of Arts, Holter has also been nominated for and won several awards,
Scan Magazine | Artist of the Month | Norway
and her artwork is featured in around 30 to 40 galleries around Norway, in addition to her showroom in Oslo and her online gallery.
Craftsman and artist Holter focuses on figurative imagery in her drawings, paintings and graphics, which is an ancient tradition. “I work as a craftsman as much as I do an artist,” she says. “I like working with crafts and doing things from scratch, where it starts with drawings. I steer clear of anything digital – I’m much more interested in preserving old techniques.” When it comes to her motifs, Holter focuses on everything around her but enjoys creating recognisable situations, symbols or landscapes in combination with contrasting imagery. “I enjoy small twists on reality,” says Holter. “I do it to see how it will be received – how the forest will get a different identity if I put non-traditional colours in it. I strive to make stories that other people can continue to develop.” Holter is incredibly concerned with and curious of what other people think and how they feel. “My pictures are sort of a
connector between people – I often hear that my motifs stir up emotions in others, but when I work, I never aim to do that – I begin without a goal of where I’ll end up,” she explains. In addition to working with paintings and drawings, Holter experiments with graphics using the ancient technique of lithography, which originates from Asia and dates back to the 18th century. “It’s an old printing technique that many artists use, but it’s on its way out,” says Holter. “It was used to mass-produce things like books or pamphlets, using limestone. It’s a very tedious and heavy technique, which enables you to mass-produce, but each piece needs to be signed and numbered so that you know how many pieces there are of each artwork.”
Inspired by motherhood Holter also points to her nine-year-old daughter as a great inspiration for her work. “Motherhood inspires me, that’s something I’m very open about,” says Holter. “It’s a great gift both to have a child and to be an artist, and I’m very mindful of that. Every day I’m inspired by her – it’s hard not to be when you have a
With a passion for mixing realism with surrealism, Holter often adds unusual elements to her realistic paintings. Photo: Gro Mukta Holter.
child, because everything they see is perceived as magical, whether it’s a flower or a butterfly passing by. Children have an exceptional imagination.” Aside from her daughter, Holter is inspired by everything around her, be it a glimpse of a colour when she is in the car or the grandness of nature. “I often get very inspired when I’m travelling to and from something, where you have a bit of space in your mind to just be,” she explains. “And when it comes to nature, it’s anything from large mountains to insects – nature is perfection that I want to strive for.” Upcoming exhibitions 5 August: Exhibition at Galleri Fenka in Levanger, Norway. 16 November: Solo exhibition at Galleri Fineart at Tjuvholmen in Oslo. From 14 June 2018: Festival artist at the Kirsten Flagstad festival at Galleri ECG, Hamar, Norway.
Web: www.groholter.no
Holter believes in preserving old art forms and uses lithography for her graphics. Photo: Ragnar Hartvig
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Scan Magazine | Museum of the Month | Denmark
Museum of the Month, Denmark
Denmark’s hidden art treasure Just 30 minutes outside Aarhus in Silkeborg, you will find Museum Jorn and Denmark’s second-largest art collection. The museum houses Denmark’s most prominent international artist Asger Jorn’s entire art collection. With low ceilings and wooden floors, the museum invites you inside for an intimate art experience with plenty of activities for the whole family. By Heidi Kokborg | Photos: Museum Jorn
Located right by the Gudenå River, Museum Jorn could not wish for more beautiful natural surroundings to showcase their art. Not only does the art museum boast the famous Danish artist Asger Jorn’s entire art collection; it also houses exhibitions with the work of big international artists. “Museum Jorn is a hidden treasure. We have the second-largest art collection in Denmark, and we are the art museum in the country that lends out the most work,” says Lars Hamann, head of communications at Museum Jorn.
A different artist Asger Jorn – the most influential artist in all of Scandinavia – donated his art collec96 | Issue 102 | July 2017
tion to Silkeborg before his death in 1973. He collected pieces by artists he was inspired by or worked along the same lines as, meaning that the museum hosts work by artists such as Edvard Munch, Pablo Picasso, the Cobra movement – which Jorn founded – and much more. “Jorn was very different from other artists. He experimented a lot with his art, and in general he liked to provoke the art world, which is also why he donated his collection to Silkeborg and not Copenhagen; he wanted to be different and provocative,” says Hamann. “Jorn used to say: ‘If you aren’t ready to go to the edge, then there is no reason to go at all.’ He was radical, and he liked to push the boundaries in the world of art.”
Museum Jorn also puts on exhibitions by different international artists every year. This autumn, there will be an exhibition of the works of American photography artist Cindy Sherman, one of the most influential contemporary artists around, who has played a crucial role in art photography history.
An intimate experience When you visit Museum Jorn, you are in for a very intimate art experience. “We have low ceilings, wooden floors and plenty of charm, and our surroundings are beautiful. It is very important that you get a different and very intimate art experience at Museum Jorn – no matter what age you are, we want people to have a good time here,” says Hamann. “We want people to spend time together and be present while they are here, whether they are here with their family, a friend or their partner.” Web: www.museumjorn.dk Instagram: @museumjorn
Scan Magazine | Humour | Columns
IS IT JUST ME…
By Mette Lisby
Who regularly stops, looks at the world and thinks: “What’s wrong with us?” The level of self-contradicting behavior exercised by modern mankind never ceases to amaze me. We want simple answers to complex questions, such as EU policies and climate change; but things that in reality are simple, we absolutely insist on overcomplicating. Take a cup of coffee, for instance. Not too long ago, a cup of coffee was a symbol of simplicity, something basic. You could count on a cup of coffee. You got it, it started off your day – you got your morning coffee and you were ready. Now, with a variety of hip coffee shops on every corner, it is not a just kick off – it is a big part of your day. It is not just getting a cup of coffee, it is getting the right cup of coffee. Upon ordering a cup of coffee, you are expected to answer questions about toppings, flavours, shot options and add-ons. I never understood this. Seriously – why do we need a quiz for that? And then, subsequently, who has half an hour to wait around for that cup of coffee, however perfect it may be?
Maybe that is why we are all stressed out? Because that is another contradiction – stress levels continue to rise in the western world, yet we have never worked fewer hours. Daily chores such as doing laundry and washing the dishes have become significantly less time consuming. That everything became easier has somehow just made it all the harder for us; we feel busier and more stressed out than ever before. And I think it somehow goes back to the coffee. Because today, getting a cup of coffee is expected to be ‘an experience’. A meal should be ‘an experience’, going to a café should be ‘an experience’. Maybe we have started packing our daily lives with so many ‘experiences’ that it gets a little crowded? I remember when the word ‘experience’ was reserved for proper adventures, like safaris in Africa, seeing the Taj Mahal, or going to Machu Picchu. Today, getting a cup
Privacy To a Brit, it might seem that Swedes are a fairly private bunch. Small talk does not generally happen and if you ask a stranger how they are, they are likely to think you are insane. However, this can be misleading. Once a Swede has gotten over the fact that you spoke to them, unbidden, in public, they will happily answer your question, in detail. Prepare to find out about their athlete’s foot and IBS. A Swede is nothing but deadpan honest, and personal details are often not considered, well, that personal. A good example of this is the Swedish search engine hitta.se (‘hitta’ means ‘find’). If you type the name of a person into this, a whole catalogue of details will pop up that would make a privacy-conscious Brit wince in horror. Not only will you find out a person’s address; you will also be informed of their mobile phone number, age and date of birth. Spot a birthday coming up? The site
of coffee has to be ‘an experience’. Why? Because that is the only way anybody can justify charging four pounds for a bloody cup of coffee. You can take my word on that. I am speaking from experience. Mette Lisby is Denmark’s leading female comedian. She invites you to laugh along with her monthly humour columns. Since her stand-up debut in 1992, Mette has hosted the Danish version of Have I Got News For You and Room 101.
By Maria Smedstad
It could be argued that the crowning jewel of this search engine is the fact that it allows you to see local eligible singles. On using hitta.se recently, I was presented with a jaded-looking 41-year-old vicar with a dodgy username, looking for love. Quite how, or why, it felt this to be of interest to me, is something I try not to think too long or hard about.
allows you to send flowers or purchase a massage voucher as a treat. Want to know who they vote for, how much land they own, or what their income is like, compared to their neighbours? It is all there. As are items for sale in the area and details of the most recently purchased car, complete with a picture of said car.
Maria Smedstad moved to the UK from Sweden in 1994. She received a degree in Illustration in 2001, before settling in the capital as a freelance cartoonist, creating the autobiographical cartoon Em. Maria writes a column on the trials and tribulations of life as a Swede in the UK.
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Scan Magazine | Culture | Column
Scandinavian music I must start this month with quite an exciting new artist that has just sprung up from Gothenburg. It is Be The Bear – the alias of songwriter and producer Christina Wehage – and more specifically her debut single, Erupt. Comparisons to Björk are being made by her team, and while that may sound like a tall order, it is actually quite accurate. If anything, I wish Björk still made songs this good. Be The Bear’s comparisons lie with early Björk – back when she was much more listenable and palatable. Erupt is a perfectly crafted synth-pop ballad with a touch of the melancholia and a dash of the epic. Get acquainted. Finnish artist KATÉA arrived with an almighty bang last year, thanks to her incredible debut EP Louder. Now she returns with her first new release of the year, Better Now. While maintaining the lush, retro-chic soundscapes within her music, on Better Now she mixes things up a bit, namely via the medium of a bizarrely chaotic tempo. Although, none of the beauty that made us
all fall hard for her last year has been compromised. I am still reeling from how good their previous single, Under Your Skin, was and still is, but the Norwegian house trio Seeb are already back with the follow-up. They have taken on Greg Holden’s LGBTQIA anthem, Boys In The Street, and made a brand new version of it in collaboration with him. Maintaining – and then distorting – the original vocals, they have turned the track into a banging, bass-heavy number that will hopefully spread LGBTQIA acceptance even farther and louder. Last year, Swedish brother and sister duo Strandels arrived onto the scene with the stellar debut single Chance of Rain and an accompanying EP that ended up being one of my favourite bite-sized listens of the year. They’re back with their first new release since that EP – the new single If God Has A Plan. Written by the same team behind September’s decade-old Scandi smash Cry For You (remember that?), it
By Karl Batterbee
stays true to the duo’s country tones and pairs their folk-pop style with some pure pop melodies. That second EP cannot come soon enough!
www.scandipop.co.uk scandipop@gmail.com
Scan Magazine | Culture | Calendar
Laleh. Press photo/Live Nation Marketing
Scandinavian Culture Calendar – Where to go, what to see? It’s all happening here! Grøn Koncert in Aarhus (22 July)
Laleh in Helsingborg (3 August)
Grøn Koncert (‘Green Concert’) is a Danish summer concert that takes place in seven Danish cities during the summer. This year, among many others, Rasmus Seebach, Christopher and Scarlet Pleasure will be performing. Bring your friends, partner, kids, parents or even grandparents. Grøn Koncert is for everyone! Kongsvang Allé 23, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. www.groenkoncert.dk
The summer is indeed a good time for live music experiences – like this concert with the Swedish singer-songwriter Laleh. She entered the music industry in 2005 with her self-titled album, which peaked at number one in Sweden and went on to become the best-selling album of the year. Since then, she has released a handful of other albums, most recently Kristaller (2016). Laleh will
By Heidi Kokborg
be performing at Sofiero Slott & Park, Helsingborg, Sweden. www.livenation.se
PROM 33: John Storgårds (10 August) Norwegian Lise Davidsen makes her Proms debut at this concert of excerpts from Grieg’s Peer Gynt and Sibelius’s tone-poem Luonnotar. John Storgårds will be conducting the BBC PhilharmonIssue 102 | July 2017 | 99
Scan Magazine | Culture | Calendar
Sakari Oramo. Photo: Benjamin Ealovega
ic. 7.30pm. Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London SW7. www.finemb.org.uk
Safari on the Sound (Until 16 August) Need a summer activity for the kids? Look no further. During the summer months, the National Aquarium Denmark brings its biggest aquarium, The Sound, into use. There are four daily departures during the weekends and the trip lasts over two hours, and there is a good chance you will see seals. National Aquarium Denmark, Jacob Fortlingsvej 1, 2770 Kastrup, Denmark. www.denblaaplanet.dk
PROM 51: Sakari Oramo (22 August) This year’s Elgar Symphonies concludes with the unfinished Third Symphony. 100 | Issue 102 | July 2017
The symphony is elaborated and completed by composer Anthony Payne, and the music heard here is as much Payne as it is Elgar. The concert opens with the patriotic musical miniatures of Sibelius’ Scènes historiques, marking the centenary of Finnish independence. 7.30pm. Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London SW7. www.finemb.org.uk
Aarhus Festival (25 Aug-3 Sep) Aarhus Festival has been an annual event since 1965, and today it has grown into one of the largest cultural events in Scandinavia. For ten days, every street and alley, club, stage, gallery and museum is filled with art and entertainment, and the event gathers more than 300,000 visitors each year. Aarhus, Denmark. www.aarhusfestuge.dk
Margrethe Odgaard exhibition at Design Museum (Until 27 August) This exhibition displays the work of Danish designer Margrethe Odgaard, who specialises in textile design, having studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Art and the Rhode Island School of Design in the United States. In 2016, she received the Torsen and Wanja Söderberg Prize, the world’s largest design prize. Designmuseo, Korkeavuorenkatu 23, 00130 Helsinki, Finland. www.designmuseum.fi
Kalle Mustonen: Gnome King (Until 30 August) In this exhibition, you can see the sculpture Gnome King, made by the Finnish artist Kalle Mustonen. Mustonen reimagines modern culture in monumental and mythic terms. His work often plays with
Scan Magazine | Culture | Calendar
Grøn Koncert. Photo: Lasse Lagoni
Japan in the Royal Family. Press photo
Japan in the Royal Family. Press photo
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Scan Magazine | Culture | Calendar
Safari on the Sound at the National Aquarium Denmark. Photo: Den Blå Planet
the idea of kitsch, bestowing mythical status on everyday objects. The Gnome King is based on a story from Finnish folklore and reminiscent of a certain variety of garden ornament. Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. www.southbankcentre.co.uk
Japan in the Danish Royal House (Until 3 September) The museum is celebrating the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Denmark with a special exhibition, which demonstrates the Royal Family’s great interest in Japan throughout the centuries. The fascination and the connections are reflected in, among other things, choice works of art and craft from the distant realm, and visitors to the museum will be able to see both the Royal Family’s private effects and objects from public collections. Christian VIII’s Palace at Amalienborg, 1257 Copenhagen K, Denmark. www.kongernessamling.dk
Pictures and Power. The Visual Politics of Christian ll (Until 10 September) Christian ll (1481-1559) was one of the most fascinating kings that ever sat on the throne of Denmark. He was the first Danish king to use art to promote his political objectives. The exhibition at the National Gallery of Denmark focuses on how the king used painting and prints as communication tools to further his political strategies. National Gallery of Denmark, Sølvgade 48-50, 1307 Copenhagen K, Denmark. www.smk.dk 102 | Issue 102 | July 2017
Aarhus Festival. Photo: Martin Dam Kristensen
Pictures and Power. The Visual Politics of Christian ll. Press photo
INGEN ALDERSGRENSE -FRIVILLIG INNGANG - ALTA IDRETTSPARK
17. - 19. AUGUST 2017
K C O R A T A R D E Y D B Ø A R B F U R I B A D A I H K K S K A T P E A M F N O CO A R B N D I R D E A T R A S E T Ä I M V N K N D K O I S K Y A N H K JOR PARKI MES ÁG K NORT #rocktilfolket
S E X O F ITE H W E H LF T O W R R E E K B Ü A M E C PA R A D K E R V E REK RISTOFF K H T R O S N D IN KI K S C ’ Y U R T S A M I AIL RMONIC A H H T PIL & BUE ISÁK 10
MA ODERN TI OILLROC M M E E TH POLIC N O R MO
DAGNY
CITY SCENES 10 ÅRS JUBILEUMSFEST
TO R S DAG 17 / 8 S T U DEN T H U S ET C I T Y S C ENE
VIBORG 25.09.2017 - 01.10.2017
ANIMATION FESTIVAL Kawaii & Epikku
The Animation Workshop/ VIA University College, one of the world’s most esteemed animation educations, is housed in Viborg Denmark, and has since 2012 played host to the annual Viborg Animation Festival (VAF).
In recognition of the 150 year anniversary of Danish Japanese diplomatic relations, this year’s VAF is a celebration of everything Japanese, and we invite you to explore this extraordinary land of Manga and Animé with us!
You can experience some of the world’s masters of animation at the Manga and Animé Museum, witness the creative conflict of a Manga Artist Battle, explore the borders between technology, animation, and installation art at the Expanded Animation Art Space, play games at the Immersion Game Expo, and of course watch amazing Japanese and Danish films – for free! As a grand finale, we invite you to join us in an ambitious adventure into space with Solar Walk, a poetic performance combining beautiful animation with live big-band jazz music. We promise that it will be both cute (KAWAII) and epic (EPIKKU)! www.animationsfestival.dk