Juxtaposing Craft
Juxtaposing Craft is an exhibition which brings together historical and contemporary objects from the Nordic countries and Japan. By looking at the collections of the National Museums of World Culture in Stockholm, a group of invited designers, artists and artisans has looked for new perspectives into our material culture. Water Rituals is one part this exhibition by collaborative design project 1+1+1 (comprising Hugdetta from Iceland, Aalto+Aalto from Finland and Petra Lilja from Sweden). In this project they invited and worked together with Japanese designer Aoi Yoshizawa to examine the cultural heritage and artefacts of their respective countries’ rituals relating to water. By studying water in relation to both humans and non-human species, the designers have tried to imagine a future in which we all cohabit the earth in reciprocity. By juxtaposing the past to the present , the Nordic countries with Japan, theoretical thinking with hands-on practice, and industrial production with craft-making, the designers and thgeir collaborators have created new artefacts such as cleaning stones, lanterns, bathrobes, drinking ladles, vessels and tools for collecting water and processing herbs. These works were made for a specific site near Husavik in northern Iceland. This is also wehere 1+1+1 designed pools and a […]
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PUHDETYÖ
PUHDETYÖ is a group exhibition by six well known designers living and working in Helsinki. The Finnish word puhdetyö refers to the handicraft work that was made after dark when the field chores were done. In this scenario, puhdetyö has become a collection of objects made free from the constraints of briefs. The designers have used this possibility to explore and experiment and to plunge into their respective interests and passions. The 2022 edition started as a workshop in the forest. Both wood as a material and the woods as an environment are present in the resulting works. Designers: Aalto + Aalto, Studio Tolvanen, Maija Puoskari & Tuukka Tujula The project has been supported by The Finnish Cultural Foundation and Arts Promotion Centre Finland WILLOW BARK LIGHT Elina Aalto The project is an exploration into the use of an undervalued material. Willow is perhaps the most undervalued tree and bark is a part of the tree which is usually discarded. Learning to work with a new material and letting the material teach me how it wants to be used has been a rewarding process. Materials: willow bark, steel CHAINSAW EXPERIMENT Klaus Aalto The object is motivated by the desire to […]
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Helsinki City Tourist information
Helsinki City Tourist information customer service opened at the Helsinki Main Railwaystation 2018. We were asked to create the concept and the furniture to match the city’s newly refreshed visual identity and the Helsinki City brand. The service point was first opened in the main ticket hall and in 2019 was moved to more independent location in the architecturally impressive art nouveau style building by architect Eliel Saarinen.
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Genelec
In the Spring 2019 we were commisioned to make a new spatial identity for Genelec, the awarded Finnish manufacturer of active loudspeaker systems. The first appearence of the new spatial elements was at the Habitare Furniture Fair in September 2019. The concept includes collapsible fair stands and furniture, personalized acoustic elements and the material scheme. The plan was to make a flexible collection that would be re-usable and would adjust into fair stands of different size. The forest like green acoustic elements were done in co-operation with Innofusor. The visuality reflects the quality craftmanship and materials behind the Genelec products, and the companies commitment to sustainability. The natural materials and colours create a warm and inviting atmoshere.
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Fiskars Summer House
Fiskars Summer House exhibition in the Fiskars Village arranged by Helsinki Design Week brought us together building up one of the nine summer rooms. The Dining Rooms was done for iittala in co-operation with Sasha Huber, one of our favourite artists. “We set out to choose an artist who would mirror both our own and Iittala’s world, where profound thinking meets simple form. We decided to choose Sasha Huber, whose work we have always admired and who we’ve known for a long time even though we’ve never worked together. She has developed a technique where she creates images with an air-staple gun, producing visually beautiful pieces which have a strong message, often dealing with inequality, and amplified by the act of shooting them with a symbolic weapon. Quite quickly and intuitively we came up with the idea of a dinner table, where the table cloth would be stapled onto the table and Sasha will be making a new piece for the exhibition from this starting point.” https://www.fiskarssummerhouse.com
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Beirut Design Week
For the celebration of Finland´s 100 years of independence Klaus Aalto and Tero Kuitunen curated the “Finland 100 – Picks From Now and Then” exhibition for the 2017 Beirut Design week in Lebanon. The pop-up show took place at the famous Sel&Poivre design shop. The concept included also a workshop at Mena Design Research Center and a printed catalogue on the exhibiting designers and companies. The exhibition consisted four themes; Minimal, Natural, Traditional and Playful and it included works by Aarikka, Aarni Wood, Antti Nurmesniemi, Artek, Fiskars , Iittala, Johan Olin And Aamu Song, Katariina Guthwert, Lapuan Kankurit, Marianne Huotari, Marimekko, Marttiini, Minna Parikka, Nathalie Lautenbacher, Onar, Plasto, Saana & Olli, Saija Halko, Studio Kaksikko, Verso, Vimma and &bros. The exhibition was part of the official programme of the Finland 100 years of independence.
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New School Helsinki
New School Helsinki, a concept presenting Finnish schools and the way Helsinki engages the public in developing the city. The exhibition is an interactive space which symbolizes the school yard and the city. Just as the inhabitants of Helsinki are engaged in building the city, the visitors of the exhibition are invited to participate in building the space. As the exhibition goes on, the simple steel frame constructions symbolizing the city are gradually woven with colorful textile strands turning it into a warm and inviting environment. The exhibition was part of the International Design House exhibition at Taipei WDC 2016. The concept was created for the City of Helsinki in co-operation with Visit Helsinki and Werklig.
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KEKKILÄ GARDEN
Kekkilä Garden (2010) As part of the design team Klaus was together with designers Linda Bergroth, Ville Hara, Mikko Paakkanen, Petri Salmela and Eeva Sivula creating products and the concept for the Kekkilä Koti&Piha products (Home&Garden). The process resulted as a collection of outdoor gardening products such as a greenhouse shed, and various planting products designed together with professional gardeners. The much appreciated product line was awarded with the Fennia Prize for good design in 2012.
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