The old silver meets the new designers

We will create new meeting places in the city. Set up workshops. Engage the people of Kolding in processes involving aesthetics, local history and design. There’s plenty of ideas but one clear vision. Kolding Municipality has allocated DKK 1 mio. over the next two years for Museum Kolding and Design School Kolding to work together on bringing local history, craftsmanship and design closer to the citizens of Kolding and make the vision of a design city more present.

- In Kolding craftsmanship and design come together and make up part of the city’s DNA. They’re part of the local history and therefore a natural launch pad for the new Museum Kolding. In particular I think it’s meaningful to activate and bring into play the museum’s extensive silver collection in regards to the young design students. The museum’s collections hold unique examples of how craftsmanship couldn’t exist without design and vice versa, says Rune Lundberg, Director of Museum Kolding.

Significant exhibitions
The collaboration is a natural way to continue the partnership that existed between Design School Kolding and The Museum at Koldinghus before the Museum recently became part of the Royal Danish Collection. The partnership resulted in a number of significant exhibitions showing the graduation projects by the new designers. The new set-up with Museum Kolding opens possibilities for experimenting and testing new exhibition formats and ways of disseminating design processes and local history. The new collaboration will also support artistic development projects focusing on innovative ways of presenting design and craftsmanship.

- Together we will support the local design vision by exploring and experimenting with ways of activating local history, craftsmanship and design. And not least we will research and unfold design experiments, which are rooted in history and visionary at the same time, says Lene Tanggaard, Rector at Design School Kolding.

A raw frame
The first idea is already in the making. The beautiful stable buildings right next to the castle have unlimited potential for the partners to create new meeting places and experiences within the city and experiment with new exhibition formats. And perhaps this raw setting will frame the new designers’ graduation exhibition in the fall and generate experiences to support the transformation and innovation, which both institutions would like their collaboration to build on.

Fact
The project will run for two years and will receive DKK 1 mio. in funds from Kolding Municipality to be paid out to Museum Kolding. The funds makes it possible for Museum Kolding and Design School Kolding to work together to bring local history, craftsmanship and design closer to the people of Kolding.