Sparking curiosity
The collection is truly striking, thanks to its tones of burgundy and white. Image courtesy of ÅBEN.
by Ellis Cochrane
Design collective ÅBEN's latest designer, Troels Flensted, was proudly introduced last month at 3DaysofDesign, Denmark’s annual design event. So far, it's a partnership that has borne exceptional results.
At the globally renowned fair based in Copenhagen, which also welcomed work from the likes of Fritz Hansen, Royal Copenhagen, Anker & Co and Bang & Olufsen, Troels launched a limited edition Poured Collection with ÅBEN, which was only available to purchase at 3DaysofDesign. Limited to just 12 pieces, the collection of large-scale bowls is truly striking, thanks to its tones of burgundy and white.
With an experimental studio based 20 minutes outside of Copenhagen, 3DaysofDesign was the perfect place to showcase and market Troels’ latest experimental work. As a Danish designer known for his fascination with colour and materials, he creates pieces that straddle concepts of both sculpture and function and beg the question—how was this made?
“The pattern is like a frozen moment; it captures the time of creation…” Image courtesy of ÅBEN.
The original Poured Collection emerged from a desire to visualise the process in which his pieces are made. The material is mixed with a small amount of pigment, which flows together to create something unique when poured into a mould.
Troels confirms: “The pattern is like a frozen moment; it captures the time of creation and is a visual expression of how it’s made. Once while pouring, I inadvertently shuddered so that my hands shook ever so slightly and you could see it in the pattern. It’s how you know they’re completely handmade.”
In order to make the poured pattern a hero feature, the shape of each piece is kept deliberately minimal and sculptural to the eye. “It’s very important to me that my work sparks people’s curiosity—both about the production and the material. This is how we connect to the things we surround ourselves with,” Troels says of his approach to design.
Troels Flensted’s limited edition Poured Collection with ÅBEN was available to buy at 3DaysofDesign in Copenhagen. Image courtesy of ÅBEN.
ÅBEN and its founder, David Harrigan, featured in the May 2020 issue of ALHAUS magazine—but if you’re not familiar with the collective of emerging Nordic designers who stand for craftsmanship, innovation and sustainability, it was founded in August 2019. With a focus on people, provenance and process, ÅBEN seeks to connect these designers with a community of conscious consumers who are searching for meaningful products that last a lifetime.
ÅBEN founder David Harrigan explains why he was keen to partner with Troels at 3DaysofDesign: “To celebrate our first ever exhibition in Copenhagen, I am delighted to welcome Troels into the ÅBEN Collective. We have long admired Troels’s work, and his commitment to the values which we hold dear—innovation, long term sustainability and considered craftsmanship.”
Troels confirms that the collaborative process was one in which both complemented one another: “David and I have spent over a year working together to bring this limited edition collection to life. ÅBEN’s values align with my own, so it felt right to create not only the largest Poured Collection piece I have ever made, but also in an exclusive, brand-new burgundy colourway. A true collaboration in every sense.”
While Troels Flensted’s limited edition Poured Collection with ÅBEN was solely available to buy at 3DaysofDesign in Copenhagen, his original Poured Collection, as well as his Ember Collection (which uses the Japanese wood-burning technique Shou Sugi Ban on Douglas fir), will be available to buy at aben.as