Think of Denmark and four things spring to mind: Hans Christian Andersen, the melancholy Dane (that would be Hamlet), sugar-coated breakfast pastry and, of course, meticulously crafted teak furniture from the 1940’s and 50’s. Who isn’t familiar with the sleek and sturdy lines of Danish Modern sofas, chairs and dining sets? Anyone growing up in suburban North America in the 1950s and 60s either had at least one piece of Danish Modern somewhere at home or in the office, or knew someone who did.

Back then few people outside the design community thought twice about the furniture’s estimable provenance in the southernmost Nordic nation, even if the Danes dominated much of mid-century Modernism’s design discourse. Their technological innovations, respect for traditional craftsmanship and talent for creating a perfectly pitched harmony of form and function led to a Golden Age of Modernism.

Today’s “style revolution” of design-related magazines, television and websites has reintroduced Danish Modernism to a global audience. The problem with any golden age is that its mythology outlasts its creators. Then a new generation is belaboured with the task of crawling out from under its shadow—while still acknowledging important contributions of the past.

The Danish government is on a mission. The country wants to reclaim its position at the top of the heap of international design. Its domestic industrial design output is worth $40 billion annually. In 2006, the government invested $40 million to promote new Danish design internationally, particularly in the lucrative markets of the U.S. and China. The legacy of Danish Modernism is an impeccable calling card but 21st century Danish design has moved on. Is the world ready to move on too?