The Danish chair – an international affair

Denmark is known around the world for its many iconic 20th-century chair designs by Kaare Klint, Hans J. Wegner, Børge Mogensen, Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, Poul Kjærholm and many others. Why have Danish designers taken such an interest in this particular furniture object, and what is the genetic make-up of Danish furniture design?

‘The Danish Chair – An International Affair’ tells the story of the different members and branches of the Danish chair family and their foreign ancestors. Photos, drawings and descriptions of 113 familiar and less familiar chairs from the collections of Designmuseum Danmark outline the family tree. The main connections and characteristics of the danish furniture tradition are woven together to form a visually coherent story.

The book is authored by Christian Holmsted Olesen, head of exhibits and collections at Designmuseum Danmark. He has served on the Danish Design Council since 2008 and has written a number of books on design, most recently the monograph ‘Wegner – Just One Good chair’ (Hatje Cantz 2014).