The Design Museum is an ideal place to get an overview of the history and development of applied art and design in Helsinki, Finland. Designed in 1894 by Gustaf Nystrom, the museum features two stories of exhibitions and boasts a red brick, romantic architectural structure. Typically, guests can view two temporary exhibitions and the permanent exhibition.
Nordic countries, like Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, helped advance the design and architectural industries. Finland attributes its timeless contributions to innovators including: Eero Saarinen, Alvar Aalto, Eero Aarnio, Ilmari Tapiovaara, Yrjӧ Kukkapuro, and Stefan Lindfors. Exceptional glass and ceramic designers like Kaj Franck, Timo Sarpaneva, Tapio Wirkkala, and Saara Hopea, also contributed to Finland’s success in these industries.
The exhibition, Utopia Now—The Story of Finnish Design, features a wide range of objects from the golden age of the 1950s to the present. Visitors can experience the central role of design in the emergence of the Finnish welfare state through six different rooms: The Process Room, the Virtual Room, the Timeline Corridor, the Icon Room, the Changing Room, and the Warehouse.
In the Virtual Room, explore the Finnish Pavilion at the Paris World’s Fair of 1900 via a three-dimensional display; The Finnish Pavilion was an international breakthrough for Finnish design, art and architecture.
The Icon Room and the Warehouse pay homage to the “greatest hits” of international design, arranging its displays to aesthetically co-exist rather than clash. Exhibits range from Nokia mobile phones, to vibrant Marimekko clothing, and from a motorized bicycle, to even the Angry Birds video game.
Familiar icons, like Aarnio’s plastic chair, Ball from the 1960s, offer a futuristic look. Aalto’s classic vase, Savoy and Riitta Taskinen’s chair, Kiss, add a whimsical touch. Strolling through an adjacent gallery, delicate objects of glass and porcelain were placed on pedestals, lined up in rows. At the back of the room, a row of eclectic vintage chairs face the installation, suggesting spectators at a performance.
From September through April 2023, the main exhibition will feature works of one of Finland’s most renowned designer couples from the 1950s to the 2000s: interior designer Antti Nurmesniemi and textile artist Vuokko Nurmesniemi. Antti Nurmesniemi’s work also includes industrial and furniture design. Vuokko, known by her first name, earned repute as a fashion designer, and was a central figure in revolutionizing the pattern and fashion design of Marimekko in 1953–1960. Her garments emphasize practical and timeless designs and sustainability. Both of their work was ahead of its time, visually and philosophically, characterized by their uncompromising attitude as advocates of tasteful and sustainable design.
Just around the corner, at the Museum of Finnish Architecture, visitors will discover a permanent exhibition on Finnish architectural design, and temporary exhibitions on international architecture. Recently, an announcement revealed an upcoming merger of the Design and Architecture museums, with a design competition for the new building. The museum is set to have an exceptional location near the harbor. These two venerable institutions are currently located in an area near the center of town, called the Design District. This neighbourhood contains an abundance of galleries, design ateliers, boutiques, and vintage furniture shops. Noteworthy mentions include: Artek 2nd Cycle, a vintage furniture shop, Lemmetti, a gallery for Finnish contemporary and modern design, and Momono, a shop with vintage glass, dishware and textiles.
I discovered The Finnish Museum of Photography in the 1990s, after it had relocated to Kaapeli, within the environs of a restored former Nokia Cable factory in the Ruoholahti district, just out of the city centre. This district is also home to the Theatre Museum, Hotel and Restaurant Museum, and the Dance House Helsinki (Tanssin talo), a performance and event venue. During my visit to The Finnish Museum of Photography, I was intrigued by the ‘otherness’ created by the contrast of the pristine white gallery space with the rugged industrial terrain. Although the visit was always worth it, making a small detour was sometimes inconvenient.
The current exhibition, Robert F. Kennedy Funeral Train – The People’s View, is open until January 8, 2023. This exhibit takes viewers back to the tumultuous time of 1960s America, highlighting the role of photography as an intermediary between memories and collective remembrance. There are selected images from photojournalist Paul Fusco who travelled in the funeral train, as well as a wall of images from ordinary people who gathered to watch the train and pay their respects to RFK.
In 2020, The Finnish Museum of Photography opened a new exhibition space, K1, in the heart of Helsinki, located on the lower level of the up market Kämp Galleria shopping center. The initiative of K1 is to provide cultural respite from the hustle and bustle and “observe the world through photography.”
Visiting K1 last August, I observed the mysteries of the Finnish landscape in the exhibition, Forests of the North Wind, featuring the diverse yet connected works of Ritva Kovalainen and Sanni Seppo.
The photographers highlighted Finnish nature–the forests, lakes, islands, seas. Viewers are confronted by much more than what meets the eye: the changing light and seasons, the silence and the infinite greens. Each photographer presented their own perspective, encouraging us to look deeper and feel the power and possibility of the natural world.
From October 14 through February 5, American artist Penelope Umbrico’s exhibition, Learning from eBay, is on view at K1. Umbrico is fascinated by technological screens and is best known for appropriating images on the internet from sites like eBay and Craig’s List, which she then manipulates to construct large-scale images or installations according to a minimalist aesthetic. She explains, “Because the subject of my works is photography, i.e. the taking, distribution, and consumption of photographs and their value as a currency, and since the screen is nowadays the platform on which we view most images, the screen is also my subject.”
Adjacent to K1 is The Glass, a modern bistro that extends the theme of photography, with changing images on the walls that match the seasonal cuisine of Chef Jakke Lindroth. Order fresh fish, game, berries, delightful salads or soups. Wine by the glass, or enjoy classic cocktails, coffee and dessert. I confess that I couldn’t resist a coupe de Champagne!
Book a Stay at Art Hotel in Helsinki
A 15-minute walk from the Photography Museum at Kaapeli Cable Factory, Hotel AX–a nickname which stands for Art Experience–offers a colorful lodging experience. Designed by Stefan Lindfors, this hostelry opened its impressive sculptured doors in the summer of 2022, located in the Jätkäsaari quarter, just a 10-minute tram ride, or 20 minute walk, from the city center.
Compared to other antiseptic hotel lobbies I have experienced, the AX entry was inviting, with an array of art by aspiring locals. Eye-catchers like Lindfors’ multi-media stairway to the breakfast room and the timeless 60s furniture by Finnish master Yrjӧ Kukkapuro, add a unique touch. I was particularly impressed by the vibrancy of the breakfast room, compared to usual hotel offerings. Everything is freshly made–from the fruit jams to the Nordic version of a bagel, and they elevated scrambled eggs to a tasty vegetable frittata. Hotel AX is especially attractive for architecture lovers because the hotel is surrounded by geometric office complexes and the distinctive ‘Carrot’ bridge nearby, named for its bright shade of orange.
Cover photo by Designmuseo
Written October 2022
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