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‘Fika’: a comforting everyday ritual

Fika: a relaxing coffee and cake break. Whilst for non-Swedish people, this word may get passed off as a simple coffee break, for the Swedish, it is much more than that.

Coffee and Cinnamon Rolls (2foodtrippers, 2019)

Fika is almost like a ritual for most Swedish people, where even Sweden's biggest corporations, such as Volvo, will take the time to chat with friends over coffee and cake each day. What you eat during fika is not so much important as the quality time you spend with whomever you choose (though it seems most Swedish people seem to favour homemade over store-bought), and the key is to slow down, relax, and appreciate spending time with a friend or colleague. 

Interior design also plays a role in fika, as it is important that one's surroundings are pleasant in order to ensure maximum comfort. For this reason, many Swedish people may favour more simple or plain furnishings, often accompanied by candlelight to create a more cozy atmosphere, or mysig.

For non-Swedish people who come from big cities, such as myself, fika may seem a bit alien, as many of us are used to everything being fast-paced - even 'coffee breaks' are often finished as quickly as possible.

Personally, I think seeing people in Sweden slowly enjoying fika would give me the impression that life in general in Sweden is a lot slower compared to Melbourne. Whilst having these sorts of impressions is not necessarily a 'bad' thing per se, it is important not to over-generalise a whole culture, especially if one is making a negative generalisation. These sorts of over-generalisations or even culture shock can be reduced through prior research, as a simple Google search can provide much insight into what a country is like without actually travelling there.

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Immigration in Sweden

In a country where healthcare, education, equality, and just overall quality of life in general seems to be amongst the top in the world, what possible issues could Sweden have? Upon some research, there seemed to be only one topic that kept appearing: immigration.

Immigrants in Sweden (Independent UK, 2016)

Though Sweden, unlike much of the rest of Europe, has been open to accepting refugees and immigrants for decades now, a problem that has arisen in more recent years lies in the integration aspect of immigration. Many immigrants have been unable, unwilling even, to assimilate into Swedish society, with many grouping themselves into “vulnerable areas” that see high levels of crime, murder, unemployment etc.

I think the main reason why immigrants are unable/unwilling to assimilate is that, because Swedish laws may seem somewhat “extreme” (as in, extremely liberal) for immigrants who mainly come from more dangerous countries, it may be difficult for these immigrants to understand them.

Therefore, in order for immigrants in Sweden to become more accustomed to different, perhaps more “liberal” values, I think that it would be worthwhile if a program could be arranged for immigrants in Sweden to interact with people from countries outside of Sweden, where the laws may not be as “extreme”. Though I am by no means an expert, my personal experience living in an immigrant country like Australia, as well as studying abroad in Japan for a year, has given me the opportunity to interact with people from a variety of cultures, allowing me to be more aware and understanding of other cultures.

In a world where many countries are rapidly becoming globalised, international engagement plays an important role in ensuring that all cultures are treated respectfully and without any prejudice.

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The 'Scandinavian design’ stereotype

One way in which Sweden is often stereotyped (or essentialised) is through its design scene. Many people have the impression that all Swedish design is clean, simple, minimalist, even boring. This kind of image is the result of the popularisation of Swedish brands that do fit into that sort of aesthetic, such as IKEA, Acne Studios, Fjällräven, and so forth.

Acne Studios Store in China (Inside Retail Asia, 2018)

However, perhaps unsurprisingly, the reality is that not all Swedish design is minimalist. For example, did you know that H&M, the clothing brand that is known for its colourful, trendy, and fashion-forward clothing, is actually a Swedish brand? In one of my previous blogposts, I also talked about infamous Swedish graffiti artist Nug, whose art style is, at least in my opinion, definitely not clean or minimalist.

Though the stereotype that Swedish design is typically simple and minimalist might not be all that negative, especially when compared to other stereotypes, it can become problematic when Swedish designers who do not fit into this stereotype are dismissed or overlooked. Take the example of H&M again. Although it has definitely not been ‘dismissed’, it has been overlooked, in the sense that not many people are aware that it is a Swedish brand because it does not fit into the stereotype. Admittedly, prior to doing research for this blogpost, I myself was also unaware of this (even though I claim to be a ‘design enthusiast’).

I think one of the ways in which we, as travellers, can minimise stereotyping a country is to have an open mind, as well as do a bit of reading and research. I hope this post provided some insight into the various design styles and aesthetics within the Swedish design scene.

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Territorial Pissing: art or vandalism?

What draws the line between street art and vandalism? This is a question I found myself asking when I saw Swedish street artist Nug’s infamous work, Territorial Pissing (2008), for the first time.

Shot from Territorial Pissing (Svenska Dagbladet, 2013)

Deemed to be “not art” by the former Swedish Minister of Culture, Territorial Pissing is a controversial video that features a masked man (illegally) spray-painting a train carriage and the entrance of Stockholm Station. This film was Nug’s Master of Arts degree project for the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm; however, it wasn’t until February 2009 when the video was displayed at an art gallery did it garner attention in the media and kickstart Nug’s career as a graffiti artist.

Territorial Pissing represents Nug’s personal experiences of graffiti, as well as the somewhat instinctual “energy” of traditional graffiti bombing. In the Swedish art and design world where most of the aesthetics are very clean and minimal, I personally find it almost refreshing to see more unruly artworks like Territorial Pissing that also focus on the “energy” throughout the process of the artwork, rather than just the final aesthetic result – it’s what makes Nug’s works stand out from other street artists’. Of course, Territorial Pissing also demonstrates a more alternative style of Swedish art and design that I think many may not be aware of.

Nug - Barcelona Print (2016) (SCAM Gallery, 2019)

Unfortunately, any visitors looking to see Territorial Pissing will be unable to do so, as the artwork is not currently being exhibited at any galleries.

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IKEA: from the woods of Southern Sweden to an international icon

IKEA – the affordable Swedish furniture brand we’re all familiar with. Even if IKEA isn’t on the top our ‘most-visited stores’ list, for most of us, we probably have memories of going to IKEA stores with our parents when we were younger, getting lost in the maze of kitchen and lighting displays. 

IKEA Planning Studio, London (IKEA, 2019)

From a design perspective, IKEA may not be considered the pinnacle of ‘good design’ (though seven of its products did recently receive awards at the Red Dot Design Awards), there is no denying that IKEA design has not only been recognised and embraced internationally, but has also popularised the Swedish design scene. In this regard, one could consider IKEA to be the most important Swedish brand when it comes to design.

IKEA stands for ‘Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd’; Ingvar Kamprad is the name of the man who founded the company, and Elmtaryd and Agunnaryd are the names of the farm and village he was raised in respectively. IKEA started in the 1943, with Ingvar Kamprad exploring furniture design and introducing the idea of showrooms to the general public. 

It wasn’t until the 60s and 70s that IKEA started to become popular and receive international recognition, with stores spreading throughout Europe, as well as further countries such as Australia and Canada. The reason behind this popularity boom can be attributed to IKEA’s products being fair quality and functional whilst still being affordable. Since then, IKEA stores have only become more popular, spreading their influence to more and more countries, and becoming an international icon as the go-to furniture store. 

For some, perhaps IKEA’s affordable mass-production business model can appear capitalistic or unsustainable, even “unsettling” (Nini, 2018), but IKEA has in fact been committed to being as sustainable as they possibly can, using recycled cotton, limiting the use of plastic, and trying to generate more renewable energy than they use. Of course, with their business model, it is near impossible for IKEA to be completely sustainable, but IKEA’s efforts are definitely something to be noted.