As its name suggests, the annual 3 Days of Design (3DD) festival in Copenhagen runs for just three days, and yet what it may lack in duration, it makes up for in breadth and vision, with hundreds of exhibitions, showrooms, workshops and talks taking place throughout the city highlighting the best of Danish and international design. Now in its 11th edition, this year’s festival ran from June 12-14 under the theme “Dare to Dream,” a timely and inspiring message that is needed more than ever. "With war on our doorstep in Ukraine and Gaza, the environmental crisis threatening our territories, and the ongoing recession, what else can we do but throw our hearts over the hurdles?" 3DD managing director Signe Byrdal Terenziani explained when we caught up with her back in June.
When asked what the secret is to a winning strategy for a design exhibition, she broke it down into three main components: "Maintaining consistency in the editorial coordination of the event is the first point. Our goal has never been economic growth, but depth of development. We like the current format; our niche size allows us to curate content effectively." Indeed, from just four brands in 2013 to 410 events in 2024, 3DD has seen exponential growth, despite strict selection criteria. "We say no to those who copy; we demand to see sustainability reports; we ask for a fee proportional to turnover. Those who are bigger pay more," making the membership process very democratic.
How much has 3DD helped Copenhagen consolidate its image as a design capital? "I’ll leave it to others to say how much, but there is no doubt the city benefits, and the data prove it: the festival guarantees more income for the city, similar to the Salone del Mobile in Milan. The difference between the two events are the Danes, who have a greater awareness of furniture culture than the Italians." This awareness stems not only from design education but also from geography. "Climate and light strongly affect the management of public and private spaces. For us, aesthetics and functionality move on the same value axis, evident when you land at the airport or walk the city streets. Design and architecture are complementary in studying living spaces." It’s no coincidence that the 3DD manifesto is signed by Bjarke Ingels. "Design and architecture dance a tango of ideas in the city", Terenziani remarked.
"3DD is an observatory. I don't know if it can be considered as a viable alternative to the event model that revolves around fairs—it doesn't necessarily work everywhere, and one is not better than the other. It's definitely different," Terenziani concluded as we wrapped up our conversation, comparing it to the diversity in music genres like waltzing, trap and punk. "To each their own music, as long as it’s original."
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2024, 21.07
