In one in every of my posts from final yr, I wrote about how Three Days of Design retains getting greater with out giving us extra time to discover. This yr I traveled to Copenhagen a day earlier and stayed a day longer and that additional first afternoon gave me time to go to quite a few exhibitions upfront. Nonetheless, it already felt like lots, even on that first afternoon, earlier than the competition actually kicked off. Earlier than leaving for Copenhagen, I made an inventory of what I needed to see. Whereas I’ve seven days in Milan to see “every part”, which is already unimaginable, three or 4 days in Copenhagen forces me to be much more selective.
Strolling by means of Copenhagen on the primary day, it briefly crossed my thoughts: I’m not getting it this yr! As a customer to 3 Days of Design since 2013, I acknowledge many Scandinavian manufacturers by now and see numerous repetition. At that second, I made a decision to concentrate on the bigger exhibitions and clusters, in addition to my long-time favorite outlets and galleries, quite than entering into each showroom I handed. What grew to become clear fairly early on is that even inside this extra selective strategy, a single sturdy presentation might already really feel sufficient for a day.
Selecting What to See
3 Days of Design has grown right into a metropolis broad programme, with lots of of taking part manufacturers and occasions unfold throughout completely different districts. It’s not one thing you may merely stroll by means of. The expertise is outlined much less by what you see, and extra by the alternatives you make alongside the way in which.
What struck me this yr just isn’t a lot town feeling crowded, as a result of Copenhagen is the other of Milan in that sense, however quite the quantity of design taking place throughout town on the similar time. Over 400 taking part manufacturers and greater than 600 occasions unfold throughout completely different districts create a continuing consciousness that you simply can not see every part. The streets themselves stay calm and straightforward, however there’s a quiet pressure within the background: the sensation that each flip might result in one thing you may miss.
A Totally different Form of Depth
It’s a completely different type of depth than Milan. I wrote about this earlier this yr in my put up From Noise to Alternative, reflecting on how each cities share the identical actuality: you may by no means see every part. In Milan, that feeling comes by means of density and fixed stimulation. In Copenhagen, it comes from the way in which the programme is unfold throughout town and the attention of every part taking place without delay. In each instances, it’s about studying to simply accept limits and make selections.
Transferring Via the Competition
So I shifted my method of shifting by means of the competition. Bigger exhibitions and established clusters grew to become anchors within the day, together with a some acquainted galleries and outlets I return to yearly. I additionally made house for a couple of chosen occasions, akin to talks, which I deliberate extra deliberately into the times.
That shift modified the rhythm of my days. It created a distinct type of consideration, much less about shifting from one showroom to the following, and extra about permitting every place to set its personal tempo. Even inside this extra selective strategy, a single sturdy presentation might already form the expertise of a complete day.
Finally, it was one other sturdy version, with many highlights but in addition many missed exhibitions and occasions. Ultimately, it’s typically the smaller moments that stick with me: shifting by means of town, nonetheless being stunned, and the each day encounters with mates and acquaintances alongside the way in which.
I’ll spotlight a couple of of the exhibitions from lately in separate posts, whereas the remainder will seem on Instagram. My Instagram spotlight 3 Days of Design 2026 will stay as a everlasting archive of pictures I made all through the competition, regularly constructing a visible impression of lately in Copenhagen.
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