The past few days, I spent time in the woods with my daughter's. All devices locked up and only analog forms of entertainment. Swimming in creeks, walking well trodden paths through the trees, sitting by a fire and mostly doing nothing. 

Since acquiring a camera the intentions of my photos have shifted but the desire to capture something has only grown.

It began as a way to rewire my mind to slow down and experience beauty that I saw but overlooked almost daily. My practice of stopping to smell the roses was to photograph them.

Each picture I share holds interest to me. Whether it be the content, the light or even a philosophical discussion, they all come from a place within me that I want to share. A perspective of sorts of the world we live in.

Recently in Copenhagen I experienced the project 'The Blind' by Sophie Calle.

I met people who were born blind. Who had never seen. I asked them what their image of beauty was.

- Sophie Calle

In this project Calle interviewed attendees of the Institute for the Blind in Paris and asked them to describe beauty.

For what is beauty to anybody? What is it to those born blind? What experiences and senses create these memories. What vocabulary or examples can be used to communicate the idea?

We all experience things differently and in turn each experience influences the impact of the next and so on.

Having spent the entirety of my career focussed on creating visual landscapes, I rarely considered the other senses. Or how beauty is translated without images.

As we repeat and reinforce actions we train and strengthen parts of our mind. We rely on these strengths to help us walk through life.

I've relied so much on my ability to understand design through imagery that I haven't spent enough time on understanding the design of the other senses. 

The design of sound and smell has an incredible history and impact on our experiences.

It stands to reason that after almost two decades of sharing images rampantly online society is clamouring for more and more access to the spheres of audiophiles and scent designers.

At 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen, nearly every space invited visitors to sit with sound as a layer of the experience. Frama focussed our attention on scent with a collection of sculptures by David Gardener, machines designed to activate smell through motion.

Exceptional spaces are designed to activate all of these senses. To leave a memory that transcends awareness. They dance between the nostalgic and the indescribable to create its own imprint on the person.

As my curiosity for the world continues to deepen I will embrace these weaknesses I've identified and develop them into new strengths.

And perhaps it's time I actually smell the roses.

Was it the design work itself or the city which held me more?

Ultimately it's a blend of the two. The size of the city doesn't lend itself to be able to hold as many exhibitions as Milan and the scale of the architecture is more considered and tangible (not too small but less about grandeur).

Admittedly my past experiences and current state of mind skew towards the calmer Nordic vibe.

It would be unfair of me to say one style is better than the other, just that in our current chaotic and fast paced world the escape to the charming way of life of the Danish resonates more with our need to connect on a human level.

When people ask about the difference between the two, I often find myself saying that in Milan they are shouting design at you while in Copenhagen they are celebrating it like a warm embrace.

The intentional slowness of the event and it's selective curation worked to reduce the feeling of Fomo. With less focus on the temporary spectacle of attraction, you are able to navigate and even wander to many installations with ease by foot or by bike.

And as you experience the fair and the city, you quickly learn that design isn't just for the few but that it is engrained in the culture and part of their way of life.

Their national treasures are Wegner, Jacobsen, Henningsen and Kjærholm (to name a few). More recently Hay, Gubi and &Tradition have taken on the mantle of modern Danish design but have balanced well their desire to shape the future while paying hommage to their past.

With all these major brands being present, the fair still managed to create space for new designers and open studios.

The presentation by Poland was particularly inspiring (I hope to see a growth in access to Eastern European design in the future) and there were so many Japanese brands and designers present all through the city.

However, it has to be said that while the larger exhibitions like the Other Circle and Ukurant were exceptionally curated, they were relegated to the peripheries of the city. Some like Deoron were still able to utilize a yet to be completed building close to the center but as the city continues to grow how this can be coordinated is yet to be seen.

Common threads were apparent in material choices. With aluminum and vibration finished stainless steel juxtaposed with antique and reddish wood finishes continuing it's strong hold on many (Hej Frama) but the focus on hospitality has exploded in the past few years. A direct response to the global release from the shackles of the Corona Virus.

In a city full of bakeries and coffee shops, now almost all showrooms have some sort of cafe concept or collaboration in place.

And honestly, it works like a charm and I say that literally. You are often given a chance to slow down and appreciate the lifestyle of Danish design, to buy into what makes their work so appealing.

There's a magic formula that they've nailed down with a cup of coffee and a cardamom bun.

My last visit to 3 Days of Design was in 2024, at that time they had already said that the fair had doubled in size from the previous year. Before arriving I had mentally prepared myself to be overwhelmed by the event but I'm glad to see that it's managed to keep a strong sense of what Nordic culture brings to the design world.