Dennis Valencia created for Formex

“An exhibition with layers of eras coexisting and in harmony”

Short information about Dennis

Interior designer and stylist.
Background: Photography education, courses in architecture, worked at IKEA, as well as for magazines such as Elle and Sköna hem.
Inspired by our history and contemporary times.
Favorite color is always pink, sometimes green.
Raised in Gothenburg.

Many worlds in one space.
Whether it’s a magazine feature, advertising project, or the grand entrance exhibition at Formex, Dennis Valencia’s driving force remains the same To inspire people to dare more and fill their lives with beauty.

– I wanted to create something that is inclusive. Bringing together different worlds that can coexist. I really like Formex’s spring theme, Generation Love; it inspires an exhibition with many different worlds and styles but within the same sphere. Preferably maximum patterns and a total experience that shows love knows no bounds. When I’m building an environment, I try to imagine a fictional person around whom I construct a story, something that the audience and readers can be inspired by and experience from their own perspectives.

After the pandemic, this is Formex’s fourth fair. A wish from many in the industry has been to see interior stylist and set designer Dennis unleash his unique style on the approximately 300 square meters of exhibition space at the entrance square of the fair. Filling up the space just inside Stockholm’s well-known revolving doors at the fairground is a challenge for any seasoned interior designer.

– There are plenty of challenges in such a large-scale assignment, the biggest one ever for me. There are many elements that I want to incorporate to create the entire environmental experience, along with all the exhibitors’ products that need to harmonize, plus that little extra. It has to click with many people, and as always, it’s about having the courage to scale back or make changes at the last minute.

Where does the inspiration come from that has carved out Dennis’s specific and recognizable style? And a keen sense of mixing and blending almost unthinkable patterns and colors yet still making the whole thing feel completely natural

– I believe that my inspiration is a mishmash of many events throughout my entire life. My parents came to Sweden from Chile, and I have so many memories from when I was little and traveled around with them. They were involved in running a cultural association that taught Chilean folk dances and sewed folk costumes. Their drive was immense and ensured that us children learned all about Swedish history, even though at the time, Mom and Dad only spoke Spanish. For example, they made sure that we children visited all the castles and museums in Gothenburg and the surrounding area. All the curiosity, openness, willingness to constantly learn new things, and try new approaches that my parents constantly served us, seasoned with lots of humor and joy, have shaped me. And of course, the love for our Swedish history. It’s interesting that today we talk about the Scandinavian minimalist style, but when you look at our history, it’s filled with color mixed with bold patterns and exciting styles.

Something else that has influenced Dennis, as he explains with one of his many infectious laughs, is the minimalist home.
– I can thank my parents for their pragmatic way of decorating. It wasn’t always so beautiful, but very practical. There was always so much else to focus on in everyday life than aesthetics, something that I believe led to me being completely captivated by all the dreamlike things that existed within the walls of museums and castles, and within the covers of interior magazines. My biggest dream was to create interior environments filled with color, patterns, and delightful things, even though at that time, I didn’t really know that such jobs existed, or how to go about reaching that goal.

Today, long after, Dennis is one of many renowned creators who have been given the freedom to create Formex’s entrance hall exhibition. What was his reaction when the question came?

– I have been following the entrance hall creators at Formex and often wondered who would come next. When the question came, I was incredibly happy, and if it had come a couple of years ago, maybe I wouldn’t have been ready. Now, I felt, finally!