100 Years of Finnish Design
The Rafaela and Kaj Forsblom Collection forms the basis of an extensive retrospective of Finnish design, at the Nationalmuseum Design in Stockholm until October 29.
Comprising some 200 works selected from a private collection, the Hundred Years of Finnish Design exhibition is one of the most thorough and extensive retrospectives on the country’s design yet.
Showing the evolution of design and fine craft in Finland since 1900, the exhibition is curated from the Rafaela and Kaj Forsblom Collection. The collection started in 1999 when Kaj Forsblom gave his wife-to-be, Rafaela Seppälä, a glass bottle by Ristomatti Ratia for Valentine’s Day. The intention behind the collection is to prevent key Finnish design works to be scattered around the world. Rafaela, the daughter of a diplomat, grew up in embassies around the world and her passion for Finnish design history grew from her childhood nostalgia.
“Every piece in our collection has been lovingly chosen,” she says. Highlights include considerable 1950-60s glassware and other artefacts by the likes of Tapio Wirkkala, Aino Aalto, Timo Sarpaneva and Gunnel Nyman, as well as numerous iterations of Alvar Aalto’s iconic Savoy vase. Another focus in the collection is on Paavo Tynell, who set up Taito in 1918, which was the lighting manufacturer preferred by Alvar Aalto. Contemporary work by the likes of Ilkka Suppanen and Kristina Riska further extend the range of the collection.
The exhibition also announces the closure of the temporary Nationalmuseum Design on October 29, which will reopen in its newly renovated location in 2018.
Articles you also might like
The 19th edition of Helsinki Design Week takes place between September 6-15, 2024, with events, exhibitions and openings happening city-wide.
Finnish textile artist Kustaa Saksi presents a decade of his hypnotic, intricate and beautiful jacquard weavings, along with two new special commissions, at the Design Museum, Helsinki through October 15, 2023.
The Stockholm Furniture Fair opens its doors from February 7th-11th, with a focus on all things Scandinavian. Coinciding with Stockholm Design Week, the 5-day event features exhibitions, installations, talks and more.
EMMA, Espoo Museum of Modern Art, hosts a selection of glass, ceramics and contemporary art from the Kakkonen Collection in their newly opened 1000m2 exhibition space. This exhibition is part of an ongoing collaboration between the museum and collector.