STILLING TRACKS AT
ROYAL COPENHAGEN
Photo: Royal Copenhagen/ Jeppe Bjørn
Styling & curating: Cille Grut
AN ENCHANTED CHRISTMAS WITH VANG STENSGAARD
In 2022, the Christmas table exhibition in Royal Copenhagen’s flagship store in Copenhagen opened for the 59th year in a row. Under the theme ‘An Enchanted Christmas’, it was based on the Christmas dreams of the table setters. Royal Copenhagen invited six creative personalities to create a total of five Christmas tables. One of the Christmas tables was set by the artist duo Vang Stensgaard. The duo consists of scenographers and costume designers Anja Vang Kragh (b. 1970) and Mia Stensgaard (b. 1972). And the duo chose curtain tracks from Stilling to create their beautiful Christmas cabin and a very special fabric chandelier.
PEACE AND CALM
For artistic duo Anja Vang Kragh and Mia Stensgaard, Christmas is enchanting when you manage to slow down the pace and find calm and togetherness in the middle of a busy December. The days after Christmas Eve plays an important role. Together the two have created a Christmas cabin staged as a compact living space. Here, the refined rituals of Christmas meets lively parties as well as ultimate relaxation.
”THE AFTERPARTY OF CHRISTMAS IS ENCHANTING. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN SENT OFF AND THERE IS TIME AND SPACE TO ENJOY GOING FOR A WALK, TAKING A NAP AND EATING LEFTOVERS“ Mia Steensgaard.
CUSTOM CURVED TRACKS
Surrounding the actual Christmas table is a what the artits call their Christmas cabin. Created with Vang Stensgaard’s own, exquisite fabric panels in a curated colour palette, which hang from a 14 meter custom curved AP 5001 curtain track from Stilling. It required a lot of space and good craftsmanship to mill and mount the track, which is also custom lacquered in a special shade of red that matches the palette of the fabrics.
Above the cabin hangs a fabric chandelier, created by the artists and strung on a milled circular track, painted in the same colour as the cabin track. Together with the beautiful textiles, the curtain tracks create an intimate, inviting and relaxing space.
TABLE SET WITH FLORA
The long table is dressed in a Christmas tablecloth, created for the occasion, which beautifully compliments the poetic Flora collection that Anja has designed for Royal Copenhagen. Plum coloured water glasses and Lalaing crystal glasses are placed among champagne coupes, glasses for port along with espresso cups, carafes and a teapot.
Taking the Royal Copenhagen china as a starting point and adding their own fabric artworks, Vang Steensgaard has created a Christmas table full of creativity and magic.
MORE ABOUT VANG STENSGAARD
The duo Vang Stensgaard was formed in 2018 based on desire to create their own textile universe with inspiration from their work in theatre and film. Together they have created a world of beautiful interior textiles. They recently created the staging of the Auguste Rodin exhibition at Glyptoteket in Copenhagen. Both Anja and Mia have been appointed knights of the order of Dannebrog.
Anja Vang Kragh (b. 1970) Spent years designing for John Galliano/Christian Dior and Stella Mccartney and has since worked as a scenographer and costume designer in Denmark and abroad. Designer of the Flora collection from Royal Copenhagen.
Mia Stensgaard (b. 1972) scenographer and costume designer behind major Danish and international ballets, operas and plays as well as movies and TV shows.
MORE ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS TABLES
The presentation of Royal Copenhagen’s Christmas tables is a recurring event that has attracted a lot of attention since 1963. In Royal Copenhagen’s historic Flagship Store in the heart of Copenhagen, changing cultural personalities under equally changing themes have set the tables each Christmas. The atmospheric Christmas tables stage Christmas traditions, but also dare to give the holidays a little edge and humor.
The exhibition also provides visitors with inspiration for Christmas decorations and table setting, and it can be experienced on the 2nd floor at Amagertorv 6, 1160 København K until 31 December.
The Christmas tables can also be experienced digitally during the same period at https://www .royalcopenhagen.com/dk/da/home
The other table setters in 2022 were:
- Bente Scavenius (b. 1944) – Art historian, critic, author, lecturer and TV personality
- Adam Price (b. 1967) – Screenwriter, TV host and restaurateur
- Søren Le Schmidt (b. 1988) – Designer
- Frederikke Legaard (b. 1995) – Multi-artist and cookbook author
Stylist Cille Grut helps the Christmas table setters create their Christmas universes and she has done that for over 10 years
