A memorable stop during Copenhagen’s 3daysofdesign was How to Handle, an exhibition by Australian hardware brand Bankston in collaboration with David Michon’s independent editorial platform, For Scale.
Hosted at Gammel Mønt in central Copenhagen, the exhibition explored the role of touch in design through an immersive installation created with spatial designer Currie Ritchie and artist Caleb Engstrom.
Hardware is one of the elements of design we physically interact with every day, yet it is often overlooked. Here, Bankston invited a second look. Through a series of installations featuring collections developed in collaboration with leading architects and design studios, including Edition Office, Sans-Arc Studio, Civilian Projects, and YSG Studio, the pieces appeared as candleholders, and details of ornament on tables and stools. What might normally be read as hardware was presented as sculptural and expressive, encouraging visitors to engage with the work rather than simply observe it.
What stood out was the atmosphere created at David Michon’s For Scale opening event, which became a gathering point for the visiting and local design community. During the event the space was filled with conversations and run-ins that make Copenhagen’s design week so special. It served as a reminder that some of the most valuable moments during design week happen between meetings
As design events continue to multiply, it’s refreshing to visit projects that prioritize connection. How to Handle successfully balanced thoughtful design with community building, using hardware as a way to think about touch, and the small physical interactions that shape how we experience a space.
In many ways, that sense of hospitality was as important as the exhibition itself. It was a reminder that design weeks are not only about what we see, but who we meet, and the collaborations that come from bringing the right people together.
