Denmark’s first social sofa cinema, a monochrome blue “conversation kitchen” and VR experiences draped in foam plastic and latex – this year’s documentary film festival boasts a festival centre like no other. Between March 16 and 26, Copenhagen’s Kunsthal Charlottenborg exhibition centre was transformed into a gathering point for the 14th edition of the world’s third largest documentary film festival.
CPH:DOX and the festival’s main sponsor, Normann Copenhagen, are moving into the old palace and filling it with custom-made furniture, installation-like décor and a curated colour scale. From foyer to banquet hall, the large-scale project covers more than 1,300 square metres, providing ample space for meet-and-greet, debates, industry events, functions, screenings and much more during this year’s festival.
The centre’s interior has been curated by CPH:DOX’s creative collective, consisting of Maria Bruun, Anne Dorthe Vester and Mattia Maso, in collaboration with Normann Copenhagen’s designers, Hans Hornemann and Britt Bonnesen. The thoughtfully considered scenography reflects the visual identity of CPH:DOX, which revolves around being different and standing out from the crowd. Therefore, a theme of human differences runs through the furnishings, visualised through interiors in a range of skin hues.
To contrast these organic shades, an industrial and artificial atmosphere permeated the area, brought about by the use of glowing neon signs, latex and bright colour splashes. Over-sized futuristic sofa installations offered plenty of space for relaxation and discussion, while elegant velvet sofas and chandeliers in modern interpretations emphasised the sublime atmosphere of the palace. The upholstered furniture was complemented by more flexible furnishings, such as portable poufs and stools.
Social cinema experiences
At this year’s festival, 250 guests can take their place in custom-made sofa rows at Denmark’s very first social design cinema. The Social Cinema concept aims to bring people together for a shared film experience in a laid-back and intimate environment. The long integrated rows of sofas, made up of Normann Copenhagen’s Rope modular sofa, create an informal atmosphere and blur the boundary between private and public, between friend and stranger.
The Social Cinema sofas were upholstered in attractive recycled textiles from Gabriel, developed according to the cradle-to-cradle design philosophy, in which resources are retained in a sustainable cycle. This philosophy contributed positively to the world and seeks to benefit future generations, making it a great extension to the conceptual framework. The same textiles are used for curtains along the entire height and length of the space, surrounding cinema-goers in a warm and comfortable material environment, emphasised by warm and iridescent shades inspired by skin and hair.
Kitchen socialising
Visitors to the Everyday Room found themselves in an enveloping universe of blue. The room was the hub for a number of different events during the festival, and was furnished as a “conversation kitchen” with bar stools around a high table. Visitors could sit down on large, square poufs, that spread around the blue room like ice floes on an open sea. All of the elements were mobile, so the scenography could change in accordance with each new event. With its monochrome blue look, the Everyday Room differed greatly from the warm universe of colours that permeates the rest of the furnishings. This visual breach thereby emphasised the narrative of standing out from the crowd.
Alternative universes
The theme of crowds also extended into the Virtual Reality Cinema, where an army of swivelling chairs were lined up in long rows in an otherwise empty room. Here, festival visitors could disappear into alternative universes using the latest in Virtual Reality technology. The room was screened by a latex curtain, and the walls were clad with a layer of thick, springy foam plastic. Just like the Social Cinema, all of the textiles and furnishings in the VR room were in a range of skin hues. The furnishings emphasised the ambiguous expression of the scenography. While the swivelling chairs permit freedom of movement, the set-up of the chairs had militaristic associations. The contrast-filled scenography reflected an overall goal of creating a framework that is not purely attractive, but in line with the festival’s format – the reflective, boundary-pushing and conceptual approach to the film medium.
https://www.normann-copenhagen.com
