Finland took part in the Milan Design Week with exhibitions and installations by Finnish designers and companies
Also this year Finland took part in the Salone del Mobile and Fuorisalone with its companies and designers. At the Rho-Fieramilano fairgrounds some important brands, such as Inno Interior, Nikari, Kristiina Lassus – Onokasa, Saas Instruments, Secto Design, Showroom Finland and Woodnotes, presented a selection of furnishing and lighting objects characterized by a strong Nordic identity. In the city, on the other hand, Finnish companies and designers enlivened several districts of Milan with their installations and creations throughout the Milan Design Week.
At the Brera Design Week, Marimekko, historic textile company from Finland, presented Marimekko Shoppable Home, a special customer experience combining physical products and digital shopping. Moreover, it launched its Spring/Summer 2019 collection.
The Brera design district also staged the relationships between Finland and Japan, the theme of Artek Amy-d Arte Spazio, the installation by Linda Bergroth curated by Artek. Objects and complements by Aino and Alvar Aalto that have become contemporary design icons, dialogued with products by Koichi Futatsumata, Akira Minagawa and Jo Nagasaka, weaving an ideal web between Finland and Japan, highlighting the modernity of Artek products.
The Isola Design District hosted an exhibition featuring interactive installations inspired and dedicated to Finnish Lapland, which showed the Arctic lifestyle. Kuura was the project curated by a group of Finnish students from the University of Lapland – Faculty of Art and Design (Rovaniemi, the Capital of Finnish Lapland and the official hometown of Santa Claus).
The Nordic Design Apartment, Via Cola Montano 3 (Photo: © Isola Design District)
The Nordic Design Apartment on via Maroncelli, in the Isola Design District, was an installation curated by Myriam Kuehne Rauner in collaboration with Finnish designer Jutta Ylä-Mononen who presented the book Inspire Me! dedicated to 25 Finnish designers.
Kolho, in the Isola Design District, presented a selection of tables and chairs inspired by the moon, produced by Finnish company Made by Choice with Matthew Day Jackson, Formica Group, Hauser and Wirth.
Marimekko took also part in the Tortona Design Week with Guide shop Bagalier Milano Tortona. In the industrial premises of the historic Galvanotecnica Bugatti, the Finnish textile company presented, with Bagalier – Gruppo Streni, the collections of textile accessories and ceramics Onni and Kukkaketo by Japanese designer Fujiwo Ishimoto.
To conclude, we can mention Finland’s participation in the XXII International Exhibiton of Triennale di Milano Broken Nature: Design takes on human survival, curated by Paola Antonelli, with Everyday Experiments. The exhibition illustrates twelve experimental projects that Finnish people are carrying out to live in a fair and sustainable way. [Text Arianna Callocchia]
