#CENTURY OF THE CHILD #V&AMUSEUMOFCHILDHOOD #LONDON

Today is the first day of "Century of the Child" at V&A Museum of Childhood (Bethnal Green, London). I was privileged to attend the press preview and got personal guidance by one of the curators herself, Elna Svenle from Vandalorum Museum of Värnamo, Sweden. This exhibition about Nordic Design for Children has an origin in a bigger exhibition from the Metropolitan Museum in New York in 2012 and has since travelled around the world. This version is concentrated on Nordic Design and how these countries were pioneers in putting the child in focus. The exhibition borrows its title from the groundbreaking book "The Century of the Child" by Swedish social theorist,  Ellen Key published in 1900. Ellen Key envisioned that during the 20th century children would become the centre of the adult´s attention. Her ideas on encouraging children´s creativity, education and rights have permeated Nordic Designs and have shaped the content of the exhibition.  

The layout has the historic exhibition on one side and on the other there are play areas for the children made up by some of the exhibited designs like Aalvar Aaltos functional furniture etc. Furniture, graphic Design, fabrics, clothes and books etc in a Nordic mix from the start-up-packs that parents gets in Finland (and now in Scotland) to books by Tove Janson (Mumintrollet, Finland, Elsa Beskow and Astrid Lindgren. A good variety of design but perhaps not so easy to read if you are not of Nordic descent. I missed seeing a lot of this designS and how it has survived and are still very much alive all over the world. Think Baby Björn and the baby carrier (not shown), more of the Ikea Furniture. Polarn and Pyrets still successful children´s clothes, Astrid Lindgren´s books, more of Elsa Beskow´s wonderful drawings etc etc.

In Finland you get a starter pack with all you need for your newborn from the bed (cardboard) to flannels and clothes.

The uneven football pitch are designed by a Swedish artist and will make everybody a player since the ball will go in unpredictable directions.

A den for storytelling inspired  by a Norwegian igloo-looking "tent" that was built from building scrap wood in the north of Norway, and Danish furniture/toys in foam that inspires kids to play and build.

Lego, still going strong and most children's favourites! Denmark!

This sunlamp charges in the day and gives at least four hours of light at night and will help children in deprived areas without electricity to do their homework. Danish design.

Trip trap trull. The Norwegian child seat grows with the child and has become a classic and timeless design. The exhibition will end on 2 September 2018. It has it´s weaknesses in places but gives a fair idea of how important the Nordic Countries has, and are, for the development and rights of the children in society today, at least in Europe!