New design award: Nova – Nordic Designer of the Year

Formex has established a new design award – Nova. The award will be handed out every fall, starting at the 2011 fall exhibition. The winner will be chosen by an expert jury and the award will go to a designer active in the Nordic region.

Formex’s new design award Nova will be awarded to a designer who is either a college graduate or someone who, in some other way, has demonstrated an ability to make innovative, artistic and functional products. The designer must have at least one product in production or have participated in an exhibition or been the subject of some other form of attention. The Nova design award is being organized in cooperation with the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce and the interior design magazine Plaza Interiör.

“We view the creative industries as sectors for the future, important for the growth of Stockholm and innovative development. In historical terms, the Chamber of Commerce has had less contact with these areas, and that’s something we want to change. Our intention with the Nova design award is to make a real effort to support companies in these sectors in order to improve their conditions, opportunities and business,” comments Johan Treschow of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce.

“Plaza Interiör would like to play its part in supporting the designers of the future. We welcome any initiative that promotes design in the Nordic region, and Nova should definitely do that,” says Hanna Nova Beatrice, Editor-in-Chief at Plaza Interiör.

The jury in 2011 consists of Kerstin Wickman, Professor in Design and Handicraft History at Konstfack, Lotta Lewenhaupt, journalist, Gunilla Allard, designer, Pascale Cottard-Olsson, Gallery Pascale, Hanna Nova Beatrice, Editor-in-Chief at Plaza Interiör, and Chicie Lindgren, Formex project manager.

The prize consists of two parallel exhibitions in January, one at Formex Spring and one at Gallery Pascale, where the public will also have the opportunity to view and purchase the winner’s products. An article about the winner will also appear in Plaza Interiör. In addition, the winner will be given the opportunity to undertake an activity sponsored by the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce and Formex. This may involve, for instance, a trip with accommodation or a course of study. This year the value amounts to SEK 60,000.

This year’s prize will be handed out in connection with the Formex design get-together at the PUB department store on the Thursday evening. The prize will be awarded by Maria Rankka, CEO, Stockholm Chamber of Commerce and famed chef Marcus Samuelsson, who will also be giving a talk at Formex on the Thursday morning.

Formex will take place on September 1-4, 2011 at Stockholmsmässan. Formex is the meeting place for news, business opportunities, trends, knowledge and inspiration. The exhibition takes place twice a year, attracting more than 900 exhibitors, 26,000 trade visitors and 800 media representatives.
For more information, visit www.formex.se or contact Lotta Signeul, Press Officer, lotta.signeul@stockholmsmassan.se or +46 (0)8-749 43 79.