Tableau x Dinesen

At Dinesen, we are always curious about new and innovative ways of using wood. When Dinesen was contacted by the Danish flower, design and interior design shop Tableau in late summer 2021, the possibility of an interesting collaboration arose.

Tableau was looking for wood for a special project: in collaboration with the Australian artist and designer Ari Prasetva, Tableau was creating a spatial design and interior for the new café Connie Connie at the international art centre Copenhagen Contemporary on Refshaleøen island in Copenhagen.

Photos: Marco Van Rijt & Michael Rygaard

Spatial design: Tableau // Juilles de Fleure + Katrine Morel & Arri Prasetya

Curating: Juilles de Fleure

Set design: Juilles de Fleure Josephine Jein

Copenhagen Contemporary is one of Scandinavia’s largest exhibition venues for contemporary art, and with its central location on Refshaleøen, in the former B&W shipyard’s iconic welding hall, it is an international powerhouse in Copenhagen’s new cultural district.

The island’s industrial history makes it a unique setting, both rugged and green and with great views of Copenhagen Harbour.

Designers and artists wishing to join the project were invited to submit an application to Tableau. Among the candidates, 25 artists and designers were selected to design and create a unique chair, bench or piece of seating furniture for the café. Everything was made from left-over wood, joists from the drying process and sawdust from Dinesen.

Dinesen offcuts - Connie-Connie Café _ Copenhagen Contemporary - Tableau _ Ari Prasetya _ Photo Michael Rygaard - 04.jpg

Dinesen offcuts - Connie-Connie Café _ Copenhagen Contemporary - Tableau _ Ari Prasetya _ Photo Marco Van Ritj - 11.jpg

As part of the creative process, all the artists were invited on a visit to Dinesen’s headquarters in the town of Jels in South Jutland to attend a workshop that offered a close-up look at the wood and the production processes.

The creative workshop led to a wealth of different designs. Together, they offer a sensuous experience of wood. In addition to unique chairs, stools and benches, the café also has tables and a bar designed by Tableau and produced by Design Studies. The green colour of the outdoor setting is repeated in the walls, tables and bar in an interplay of the rugged environment of Refshaleøen and the many new shapes and colours.

Dinesen’s left-over wood now lives on at Copenhagen Contemporary in new incarnations that offer the art centre's visitors a well-deserved rest.

All the designs are made of left-over wood from Dinesen’s production.

Dinesen always strives to maximize the lifespan for as much of the tree trunk as possible. In the production of our long, wide planks, there will naturally be left-over pieces/offcuts, which we are committed to putting to good use.

From our long history, we have learned that when timber is treated with respect and designed with courage, strength and aesthetic insight, we can create experiences that honour the tree’s long life.

Therefore, we are always happy to work with designers and architects with ideas to utilize left-over wood in new constellations. And we are delighted whenever we have the chance to engage in meaningful partnerships with this purpose.