Danish American Society Board visits the UN Security Council Chamber

Hosted by our Danish Ambassador /Consul General H.E. Jarl Friis Madsen on behalf of several Nordic countries, and MOMA and UN Capital Projects, it was a spectacular evening of cocktails for design aficionados, academics and proud Vikings.

Read more about Finn Juhl at: http://denmark.dk/en/lifestyle/design/spotlight-on-finn-juhl/

In particular, the UN Trusteeship Council room was originally designed by Finn Juhl, and was carefully, perhaps even lovingly, restored to his Scandinavian design specs — they do make world peace appear, at least in the confines of a room, to be the only sensible course for humans–truly inspired. The job of the trusteeship was completed several decades ago when colonial powers finally ceded independence to all colonial protectorates of yesteryear.

It was bittersweet to see that our global institutions are so far ahead of our ability to speak and to understand and to be curious about one another, but at least the colonial era has officially ended.

Read more about the Council Chamber at: http://blog.dwr.com/designnotes/2013/05/un-trusteeship-council-chamber-reopens.html

The table designed and currently in the room is brand new–the result of Danish invention.

Here is a picture of us in front of US seat at the Security Council, also spectacularly restored and gifted by Norway to UN.  Much was made of fact that for the last 3 years, the security council images you may have seen on t.v. were only a facsimilie–the room was moved to another section of UN Campus and a photo of the famous Phoenix rising (that many delegate dislike) from ashes of WWII, were actually a poster image, and temporarily  transplanted seats and chairs.It has a reputation as being the ‘most powerful room in the world’, as a place where peace has both succeeded brilliantly–and failed miserably.  Did you know that when you are on UN campus you are outside of legal jurisdiction of NYC–my first question is what happens if the Russian Federation diplos and Americans are working late and wish to order NYC pizza for delivery? Who gets the larger half? Who gets Crimea; who gets Staten Island?There was something palpably emotional for most of us on the tour, that went far beyond the immediacy of the designs which humor notwithstanding the rooms evoked a special kind of dignity whose elegance lay in the effort applied to empty them of the trappings of aristocracy and hierarchy.

It was a truly aesthetic, geopolitical & Nordic experience!

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