Alexander Lervik

Press / 2008

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Rysk tidning

Rysk tidning-Alexander Lervik

Rysk tidning · Portraits & interviews · 7 pages

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REPORT Maison & Objet Paris • FutureDesignDays Stockholm • Macef Milan • Cevisama Valencia NAME Carolyn Quartermaine + Alexander Lervik PROJECTS Stage design • Rag manifesto Technocrafts OPINIONS Playing childhood MAINSTREAM Pyramid approach INTERVIEW Orange design + [To the shipowner]

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Alexander Lervik: dialogue with light

Stardust light. Light source: LED. Photo Pal Allan

The great potential of this Swedish designer and his already fairly serious achievements are evidenced by the fact that in February 2008 Alexander Lervik was invited as a speaker to the FutureDesignDays forum dedicated to lighting design.

Most of the projects developed by Lervik over the ten years of his solo practice at his own studio, Lervik Design (www.lervik.se), have been implemented in Scandinavia. And this is probably the main reason why the designer is still not well known outside the northern region. Until recently, a significant part of his projects were interiors, which for obvious reasons cannot be transported and do not contribute to the rapid spread of renown. But real talent, as is well known, will always make its own way. Thanks to his innovative approach to lighting design—a topic to which Lervik pays great attention both in interiors and in individual creative projects—and to his two recent works (the Push club in Gothenburg and the Enlightenment exhibition, which took place...)

Therefore, one can assume that very soon we will hear his name very often and find his name on the pages of leading specialized design publications in Europe.

In anticipation of this boom, we invite you to get acquainted with Alexander Lervik closer, thanks to the interview he gave to our magazine at the FutureDesignDays conference.

The Enlightenment exhibition is built on a play on the words "lighting" and "enlightenment": we all want to live in an age of light, not darkness, and there is no need to think about how light should be understood—just take pleasure from all its manifestations.

Light source: SAAS Instruments. Photo Helene PÉ

Tell us, please, how did you become a designer? It is always interesting to know how others make fateful decisions for themselves.

My father is an engineer, and my mother is an artist, so from early childhood I lived in a creative atmosphere that could not fail to shape me in a certain way and instill a certain way of thinking. Even as a teenager, I decorated my room myself. And right after school, I decided to move towards design, and therefore left for some time to Italy to learn the language and get a professional education right there. I didn't quite manage that, but for two years I worked as an apprentice cabinetmaker, and I consider this school the best in my life. Then, from 1995 to 1998, there was interior design training at Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm.

Why was it so important for you to go study in Italy?

To this day, Italy remains my great love. It seems to me that people there are particularly inclined to experiment, they possess a freedom of thought that is characteristic of few. A completely different style prevails in Scandinavia, and the Italian one is much closer to me. I feel a similar affection for Dutch design, but... is still closer to me, and I strive to correspond to it.

How do you divide your time between interior and product design?

Today, 50 percent of my work is interior design, and 50 percent is product design. They became equal not so long ago: even five years ago I devoted most of my time to interiors. And not because I myself wanted it that way; it happened for reasons beyond my control. Today I have orders in product design as well, and this pleases me very much, as it gives more opportunities for experimentation. My works can be seen at exhibitions and specialized... on light. Thus, this year at Furniture Fair / Northern Light Fair my project Enlightenment was presented, about 20 objects connected with light and darkness. I conceived this exhibition... ago during a journey... This trip made an indelible impression on me. The Asian region is vast, diverse, and rich in lighting traditions, which I tried to study with great interest...

Originally intended for the Gothenburg design museum (Sweden). The Enlightenment exhibition is built on a play on the words "lighting" and "enlightenment": we all want to live in an age of light, not darkness, and there is no need to think about how light should be understood—just take pleasure from all its manifestations. That is what this exhibition is about, and... light-bearing objects...

Very often I design objects for my interiors myself to realize my ideas as accurately as possible, but this is by no means a rule.

Light source: ... Photo Pal Allan

Nightclub Whiteroom. Stockholm. Photo Lervik design

When creating something for exhibition projects, do you think about the possibility of subsequently launching your design into mass production?

When I was developing the design for the Gothenburg museum, I thought exclusively about the implementation and technical realization of my ideas, and I had no thoughts of mass production. But now, after the Northern Light Fair, I have started negotiations with several companies from Sweden and Belgium about the possibility of putting the models into production... adapting them for industrial manufacturing, and I am already engaged in redesign.

You strive for creative freedom, and by your working method you could be called an artist rather than a designer. How do you feel yourself?

Yes, I think my approach could be called artistic. This is related to my conviction in the importance of experimental projects, where one does not have to think about production processes and the requirements imposed on mass-market products. For example, when creating the Mybrain lamp, I first had an idea, then visualized it, and then began thinking about its embodiment in a three-dimensional object... But not about production. Now... companies, but that is already another story, which was not initially planned by me.

Dolphin. Manufacturer Johanson Design. Photo Anders Åstlund

Photo Helene PÉ

Light source

Photo Pal Allan

You work a lot in public interiors. Which of your recent works is especially dear to you and why?

My latest interior project is the nightclub Push in Gothenburg. It was created in an atmosphere of absolute creative freedom, despite the fact that it is a commercial interior. The client's only requirement was to create the most creative and experimental club in Sweden. I was able to choose the means of expression myself, and many ideas embodied by me for the first time in this interior turned into independent objects that can be seen at exhibitions today (for example, a door illuminated with red and green light depending on whether it is closed or open). The whole work was an exciting process, and the result exceeded all expectations.

What expressive means do you consider most important in your work?

Armchair Sense. Created for the exhibition Five playful chairs. Photo Helene PÅ

Light is one of the most important elements in an interior. It creates an atmosphere, which is especially important for public venues such as nightclubs, restaurants, and bars. Their success and attendance largely depend on competently designed lighting.

One gets the impression that you create everything for your interiors yourself—a kind of total design, including furniture and lamps. Is this a rule in your work?

Very often I design objects for my interiors myself to realize my ideas as accurately as possible, but this is by no means a rule. For example, I like the light created by... I wouldn't mind using... in my projects... Working with objects created by other designers is also a source of inspiration for me.

Among particularly inspiring masters are... and Eero Aarnio, Patricia Urquiola, and Ingo Maurer, Jasper Morrison... and this is not only a source of inspiration, but also a stimulus for my own professional growth.

English translation of the original article. Text read from the scanned original; small transcription errors may occur.