“ It is important we preserve the knowledge and make sure it lives on . Historically for Orrefors , we see the value of having contact with the world around us .”
For many people , Orrefors is a historic brand which during its glory days in the 20th century was part of establishing the design movement Swedish Grace as well as the expression Scandinavian Design . Orrefors means more than that to Maria Lantz who writes articles for the brand . For her , Orrefors is a place reminding her of her childhood , enriched with many beautiful memories of the high-quality glass products and trips to the glassworks .
“ The place Orrefors and the brand Orrefors are both of great importance to me . When I was little , we often bought products from the glassworks when we wanted to find a special gift to someone or buy something nice for ourselves . The high-quality glass gave us a that exclusive feeling to everyday life ,” she says .
Maria Lantz is Vice-Chancellor at Konstfack ( University of Arts , Crafts and Design ) and was previously a lecturer at Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm in an education program for artists and architects . She has worked a lot with architecture in her own artistic oeuvre and often collaborates with other artists in big projects . She is not only an artist , but also a professional writer . “ I have stepped into the world of art but also the world of text production ”
Orrefors is a well-known topic for Maria from when she wrote a lengthy article about the glassworks ´ history in the book The Unintentional Photographer ( Den ofrivillige fotografen ) about John Selbing , a photographer once employed at Orrefors . Then , she learned more about the glass and its history as a member of The Swedish Arts Grants Committee ( Bildkonstnärsnämnden ). It was during this time she discovered her fascination for glass , and she almost became obsessed with the material and the history around it .
A historic memory “ Despite the difficult times with all the closed down glassworks , Orrefors is still living on in new ways ”, says Maria Lantz . The fact that production doesn ’ t only take place in Kosta , but also in other European countries , shows that the company is moving forward in new directions , according to Maria . The knowledge of glassmaking did after all come to Sweden from other countries , like Italy , Germany and Czech Republic .
“ It is important we preserve the knowledge and make sure it lives on . Historically for Orrefors , we see the value of having contact with the world around us ,” she says .
Maria Lantz continues the profound journey in the world of glass through her collaboration with Orrefors . She has written “ A fascinating story created over more than a century ” about Orrefors ’ history which can be found at www . orrefors . se .
“ It is so much fun to once again write about Orrefors . To be part of and develop the concept around the brand , what it could be and what it could mean for the future . It is also important to honor the historical memories , she says .
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