An unusual vending machine popped up in a Copenhagen kiosk during 3 Days of Design, offering affordable limited-edition design objects ranging from a butter knife to a three-metre-long candle.
Sell Out Show, which was shown outside of the official 3 Days of Design festival, was an initiative by designers Guillaume Gindrat, Frederik Buchmann, Massimo Scheidegger and Bruno Pauli Caldas to give emerging designers an opportunity to sell work during the design festival.
The vending machine contained 24 different objects, all developed by independent designers, with 100 per cent of the profits going to the creators.
Prices were capped at 635DKK, which equates to £73 or €85, as this was the highest price the machine's software would allow. But many were on sale for much less.
"The aim of the project is to give a platform to designers to actually sell their work and make money," Caldas told Dezeen.
"There is a whole lot of talking around design, but in the end, to actually live from this stuff is super hard for most people. We thought, let's make it really straightforward, let's put it all in a hyper-optimised box."
The vending machine was installed in Maria's Kiosk, close to Kongens Nytorv and Nyhavn, which has been run by owner Jørgen Hjelm Hansen for more than 30 years.
The organisers wanted to place it here, rather than in a picturesque setting, as they wanted it to be seen by more than just 3 Days of Design visitors.
"We wanted to create a situation where design is involved rather than being on a pedestal," said Caldas.
"It was about putting design in a public space and creating that funny interaction with people who just come here to buy their cigarettes."
The objects on sale included some by the organisers; Gindrat and Buchmann contributed a metal bottle opener, while Gindrat and Caldas collaborated on an ashtray that clips onto the edge of a bistro table.
Israeli designer Oded Webman was behind the butter knife, which featured an illustration of a crocodile, while German designer Anna-Lena Wolfrum offered a candle that you have to unroll to use.
The selection included industrial design objects, including a cast steel candle snuffer by New Zealand-born Andrew Roberts, a cigarette-packet-inspired ashtray by British designer John Tree, a wall hook by New Zealand-based Ted Synnott and an aluminium tray by London-based designer David Searcy.
There were also some softer additions, including a scarf emblazoned with the words "air max bill" by French designer Claire Lavabre and a blow-up pillow by collaborating designers Gabriella Duck Garnham and Luc Ferry.
Some of the designers were invited by the four organisers, while others were selected through an open call.
These four, who met while studying at Swiss design school ÉCAL, previously teamed up on the 2025 exhibition, Smoking Diaries, which presented ashtrays created by 17 different designers.
Both exhibitions were intended to disrupt the traditional channels through which people experience design, but Sell Out Show took the idea even further, allowing designers to effectively put their work in the hands of consumers.
Around half of the objects were sold during the launch event, and 20 of the 24 were sold out by the end of the event.
The organisers said the show was a one-off, although the kiosk owners are keen for a repeat next year. Caldas said they are considering whether they might instead take it to another city.
"The vending machine supplier was monitoring the sales from his office and he wrote us to say that he's never seen anything like this before in the 25 years he's been in business," Caldas said.
"It was great to see that so many people embraced the concept, since in the end it was always about creating a platform for young designers."
Notable 3 Days of Design exhibitions this year included Værktøj, which featured furniture and lighting made using a sewing machine, and Bread and Butter, which showcased perfect pairings in bathing and sauna culture.
Product photography is by Camilla Hoffmeister. Event photography is by Bianca Blair.
Sell Out Show took place in Copenhagen from 10 to 12 June 2026. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.