Iconic Pieces
The epitome of a Swedish design classic is arguably Jonas Bohlin's armchair "Concrete." As part of the designer's thesis project "Labyrinth Formula" at Konstfack in 1981, the chair became the figurehead of the era's liberation from the functional constraints that had characterized furniture design in the preceding decades.
Many were captivated by Bohlin's pioneering design, including Sven Lundh, then CEO of the furniture manufacturer Källemo. A collaboration was initiated, and the chair went into production in Värnamo. It was named “Concrete”, and the edition in concrete and iron was limited to 100 copies. A variant in wood and iron was also produced in an unlimited edition. Lundh's idea of producing furniture in limited editions was a way to blur the boundaries between art and utility objects. "Concrete" subsequently received the "Excellent Swedish Design" award from Svensk Form in 1983.
By 1987, Bohlin had made a name for himself on the Swedish design scene. When he was sitting on the line 46 bus one day as it passed along Skeppsbron in Stockholm and the driver shouted out “Slottsbacken”, the name of Bohlin’s latest creation was decided, a cabinet over two metres high with rusty doors. “Slottsbacken” was produced by Källemo in a numbered edition of 200 + 10.
The present chair and cabinet were acquired by editor Christer Mårdbrant (1948-2025). Mårdbrant's interest in art, design, and antiques was broad, passionate, and tireless. His home in Gamla stan in Stockholm was filled with objects that had been acquired over the years with glowing enthusiasm and great care. Many epochs and styles coexisted, where contemporary art, folk art, Rococo, Danish design from the mid-20th century, and postmodern design harmonised in a highly personal interior. Truly iconic works of Swedish postmodernist design, “Concrete” and “Slottsbacken” were the crown jewels of Mårdbrant’s design collection.
Mårdbrant was a long-time contributor to financial newspaper Dagens Industri. He began his journalism career as a reporter at FiB Aktuellt and then moved on to Veckans Affärer as a business journalist. From Veckans Affärer, he then went to Dagens Industri, where he worked for over twenty years, most of the time as the editorial manager. During parts of the 1990s, he was DI's correspondent in Brussels with a mandate to cover the EU in the lead-up to Sweden's accession. He was also the newspaper's correspondent in New York for a time.
Jonas Bohlin at Contemporary Art & Design
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