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You've never seen Swiss souvenirs like this before

31.5.2024

Translation: machine translated

As part of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Switzerland, 20 designers have worked together to create new souvenirs. The collection was presented at the last Milan Furniture Fair. It is a delightful reinterpretation of tradition.

Since 2020, ECAL alumni in Seoul have been organising a pop-up shop called "4321-Market", which opens annually during the holiday season and is supported by the Swiss Embassy in the Republic of Korea. It showcases new products from emerging talents to the public.

This year, 4321-Market presented a souvenir collection of South Korean and Swiss emerging talents at the House of Switzerland exhibition in Milan. According to the media report, the collection not only celebrates the 60th anniversary of Swiss-South Korean relations, but also symbolises "the flourishing friendship between Switzerland and Korea".

The souvenirs are intended to represent "tangible memories and capture the essence of joyful moments experienced while travelling in the respective country". For example, the aim of the wooden construction game "Taegeukgi" by Anthony Guex is to find the perfect balance between the individual parts using the symbols of the Korean flag to create a harmonious sculpture. "Bellec" by Youjung Jeong and Jakob Reuter is a ceramic ornament that imitates a Swiss cowbell and symbolises the Swiss Alps.

The idea for "Ursli" comes from the children's book "Schellen-Ursli", which tells the adventure of Ursli, a young boy from the Engadin, who finds a large cowbell for the spring procession "Chalandamarz" in his family's mountain pasture in the Alps. Yesul Jang is behind the design and was fascinated by the illustrations in the book, especially the scene in which Ursli carries the bell like a shoulder bag.

The "Cowbell Ring" design by Chelsea Jihong Park has been reinterpreted by dyeing the typical colourful tassels in an off-white colour. This detail is intended to give the souvenir a higher quality touch.

The "Cattle" flower vase by Chelsea Jihong Park also captures a very specific moment. That of a cattle drive where the cows are adorned with flowers on their heads. The delicate body and the two strong horns are reminiscent of a cow's head. The colours and silhouette, on the other hand, come from traditional Korean "MaeByeong" vases (매병; literally prunus vase), which are characterised by openings with curved shoulders, an elongated body and an off-white colour.

The traditions of both countries make the products stand out from the crowd and make them rich in history. However, it will be a while before you can find them in souvenir shops. This is because they are not currently available. It remains to be seen whether the designer pieces will be produced. The best way to keep them on your radar is to follow the Instagram account of 4321-Market.

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I prefer the classic souvenirs
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The competition has ended.

The souvenir collection builds a bridge between different design styles and countries.
Source: Pia Seidel

Header image: Pia Seidel

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Pia Seidel

Senior Editor

Pia.Seidel@digitecgalaxus.ch

Like a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.

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