From 18 to 20 June 2025, Copenhagen hosted one of the most significant exhibitions of the 3 Days of Design: Proof of Concept – Connect. Set up in the historic space of Strandgade 22, in the Christianshavn district, the exhibition proposed an alternative vision of contemporary design, focusing not on the final product, but on the path that leads to its realization.
After the success of the first edition at the London Design Festival 2024, Proof of Concept has arrived in Denmark with an even more intimate and material approach. The focus was on furniture, lighting, ceramics, glass and micro-architecture projects, all united by an experimental, artisanal and profoundly human approach. Visitors and insiders were able to observe sketches, prototypes, material tests and notes, displayed next to the finished objects. An engaging narrative, which showed how true design is born from the process, rather than from perfection.
Among the most appreciated works was RE:LOUNGE, a modular lounge chair designed by Ernst / Bartholin Jensen in collaboration with COZMO, an evolution of a project conceived over twenty years ago. Designer Hugo Passos , on the other hand, presented Banco, a sculpted oak bench, which has gone from creative instinct to a finished product with Fritz Hansen. Architecture also had space with Alt Studios, which showed the Glen Aray TRS project, a poetic transformation of a disused telephone station in the Scottish Highlands into an off-grid refuge.
Many projects have exemplified the theme of connection. The Obi lamp by SmithMatthias, inspired by bedroom candlesticks, proposed a circular, minimal and durable design. Juhl & Lange’s Droop lights explored the intersection of industrial structure and textile softness. The duo Payne & Stubbs presented Meld, a collection of mirrors and lamps in blown glass and ceramic, developed entirely without digital renderings.
Even the simplest forms have told complex stories. David Irwin’s Canter prototype, a stackable stool made of three pieces of bentwood, was born from months of laboratory testing. The Torii project by Atelier Thirty Four, a wooden stool with visible joints, highlighted craftsmanship as a visible and tangible value.
With Proof of Concept, design has shown itself in its most fragile and authentic stage: that of experimentation. Away from the spotlight of the finished product, he celebrated the mistakes, second thoughts and small insights that really make a difference. A precious opportunity to reflect on how beauty is often born in the intermediate steps, between sketch and matter.
INFO/PHOTO COURTESY: Charlotte Strudwick – PR & Communications
