For anyone interested in Scandinavian design and architecture, February is one of the most important months of the year. Scandinavia’s main design event, the Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair, is traditionally held in February, and this time the line-up is even more interesting than usual.

One of the most promising collaborations is the combined exhibition and talk show Hello!, which brings together Gert Wingårdh, one of the country’s top architects, and Kustaa Saksi, one of Finland’s most interesting illustrators, who has worked with a host of international names, such as  Wallpaper, The New York Times, Nike and Issey Miyake.

Finnish illustration and graphic design are currently experiencing a new golden era, which bodes well for the exhibition. Hello!, which aims to inspire and spark conversations around contemporary and future workplaces, is organized for the third time, and this year the theme is communication.

“Success in everything we do has its origins somewhere in good communication,” says Wingårdh. “It’s an exciting theme for an installation, especially as we will need to communicate our way to a shared vision.”

The Designbar, always created by a new Nordic designer, will be designed by Norway’s Daniel Rybakken. Best known for his elegant lighting fixtures, Rybakken promises that light will be a key component of his design.

“I’m picturing an uncluttered white room with a focus on details and artificial daylight. It will be a place far removed from all the inevitable stimulation at a trade fair. A narrow strip of light will create an illusion of natural sunlight and tell a story about what might lie beyond the room’s four walls,” he explains. “This will provide a feeling of extended perceived space, in which visitors and the object are transformed into dark silhouettes in contrast to the strong light.”

2013’s guest of honor is Oki Sato, founder of the Nendo design studio. Today the designer, famous for his playful but minimalistic approach, works with some of the top producers in the industry, including Cappellini, De Padova and Foscarini. His initial breakthrough, however, came at the fair’s Greenhouse section almost ten years ago.

“In 2004 I exhibited in Greenhouse, a place for young designers and students at the fair. Since I didn’t have the budget to ship my work, I carried my wood chair on the flight to Stockholm. During that week I connected with Swedese, who chose my chair to be a part of their collection. This was my first furniture piece to be produced by a company,” he remembers.