The Light Fantastic

In the bleak midwinter, the sun scarcely seems to rise in Denmark at all.

Is it any wonder, then, that the Danes are so obsessed with good lighting? That Denmark has produced many of the world’s most iconic lights? That Danes have the world’s highest consumption of candles? Or that light is fundamental to the country’s best known cultural phenomenon, hygge?

In (hopefully) the most illuminating episode of Archipelago yet, we discuss the light fantastic with three Danish design devotees: artist Morten Ravn, who turns scrap metal into sculptural lamps; interior designer Hannah Trickett, whose rare health condition means she avoids what she describes as “visual chaos”; and author Malene Lytken, whose new book, Danish Lights: 1920–Now, tells the stories of 100 lamps and the Danish designers who created them.

Further reading:

Strandberg Publishing / Danish Lights: 1920–Now

Lumière Bricoleur

Hannah Trickett

The sound design is by two local artists: Squares and Triangles and Scenery.