The thousands of travelers passing by San Francisco Airport, SFO, have the pleasure of enhancing their travel experience by an impressive array of the prints and furnitures made by Josef Frank.
The Consulate General of Sweden celebrated the exhibit with a reception at the airport.
Abe Garfield, the Chief Curator at the SFO museum welcomed the attendees and introduced them to the exhibit “The Enduring Designs of Josef Frank”. It is one of the ever-changing exhibitions located in one of the many galleries that inspires and informs travelers throughout the Airport terminals. The exhibit highlights some of the most eminent designs made throughout Frank’s 40-year-long career.
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The program continued with a presentation by Thommy Bindefeld, the Marketing Director at the design center Svenskt Tenn at Strandvägen in Stockholm. The Consul General Barbro S. Osher later introduced his Excellency Ambassador Jonas Hafström from the Embassy of Sweden, Washington D.C.
The guests got to enjoy, apart from excellent food and wine, an opera performance by Rebecca Rasmussen and pianist Daniel Hormazábal Cortés, recipients of the Jenny Lind and the Swedish Royal Academy of Music Awards 2011.
The Josef Frank exhibition is on display in the pre-security Main Hall Departures lobby in the airy International Terminal from April to October 2011. The objects are exhibited courtesy of Svenskt Tenn at Strandvägen where Frank's designs are still the best sellers.
The Jewish designer and architect was born 1885 in Austria but immigrated to Sweden where he spent a big part of his life and even became a Swedish citizen. His prints with their colorful textiles are in vibrant contrast to the minimalistic and modernistic design normally associated with the Nordic countries. Frank’s ebullient and whimsical patterns of leaves, trees, birds and flowers adorn many Swedish homes and have done so since the early 20’s when the pioneer of Swedish modern designer began his career. His furniture, on the other hand, is more austere and the pieces are crafted with genuine material and true craftsmanship, in his own asymmetric and joyful way. Josef Frank’s timeless design is as popular as ever and remains in production decade after decade.
By: Katarina Bennich
For SACC-San Francisco/Silicon valley
More information on the designer and his products: Svenskt Tenn, Sweden
