From 3 September, A. Petersen in Copenhagen will be showing the exhibition Welcome Home, Åke a recreation of his home and studio in Engarn near Vaxholm; a space that has evolved across decades into a sort of personal laboratory for furniture design.
On show is a wide selection of Åke Axelsson’s furniture from more than 60 years of work: his bestselling chairs, prototypes, unique and historic chairs, schoolwork, pictures of interior designs, archive material and sketches. A particularly personal object is “Åke’s first cabinet” that he made when 12 years old at school in Småland, and his qualifying piece of work from 1951, an exceptionally well-built cabinet in mahogany and pearwood made by 19-year-old Åke Axelsson. Also on display is furniture made this year in his own workshop and sold via a new website. Naturally, many of Åke’s best-known chairs for Gärsnäs are on show. Gärsnäs is represented in its own five-metre space with pictures of its activities and historical material from the archive. Renaissance chairs and baroque tables from Gärsnäs? Sure, they were made and sold in the 1940s. With contemporary designers and Vision 2030, aiming to become a completely climate-neutral company, Gärsnäs is even now showing the way forward.
The exhibition runs until 20 February 2021.
Bygning A is the new name for the exhibition space at A. Petersen. Since 2018, it has shown critically acclaimed exhibitions of art and design. The gallery is located at Kløvermarksvej 70 in Copenhagen.
