Wild at Heart – A Collection of Modern Finnish Design and Art offers a look into the exciting world of contemporary Finnish design. Originality, boldness and use of vibrant colour characterise the design language. The exhibition is a tribute to the lesser known side of Finnish design and culture, with a wild sense of humour and passion to be found and enjoyed. The eleven designers move boldly at the intersection of art and design, with wild hearts and open minds.
Wild at Heart
2.–12.10.2020
Metsä Pavilion, 3-5-39 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
weekdays 10–18, except Thursday 8.10. 12–20
weekends 11–17
Free entrance, a reservation is required.
Children under 12 years of age don’t need to book a ticket.
Bookings are accepted only via Peatix through the above link.
An accompanying online program will be held on Zoom. The program is free of charge and will be translated into Japanese.
Program link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88984312754?pwd=RGdhS1cyVUNiaXQ0ZWd5UFg1TXFtdz09
Accompanying online program:
6.10 18:00- Tour of the exhibition with curator Tero Kuitunen
8.10 18:00- Artist talk with Milla Vaahtera
Wild at Heart is curated by Finnish designer Tero Kuitunen.
“I especially want to highlight how multifaceted Finnish design is. I think we are currently living in a design Renaissance, where people move more freely between different creative territories”, says the curator.
The exhibition consists of three stages. The Raw Beauty stage focuses on material and strong visual language. The young master carpenter Antrei Hartikainen’s pieces are both functional products and pure works of art as well as a modern ode to craftsmanship. Photographer and visual artist Sofia Okkonen explores how femininity is performed in her own distinct visual language while Tero Kuitunen works with the concept of touch and how different materials, especially ceramics and clay, invite touching. Klaus Haapaniemi’s magical world is filled to its brim with folklore references and his painstakingly detailed illustrations grace rich textiles.
The Social Impact stage offers a closer look at how design influences society. Milla Vaahtera breathes new life into glass blowing and Tuuli-Tytti Koivula’s clothing collection deals with plastic waste and ways to reuse and repurpose the material. The company Mifuko was born out of its founder’s wish to employ and empower women in rural Kenya. The work is flexible and safe, and the regular income financially enables the women’s independence.
Playfulness and humour are woven into every aspect of the exhibition, but it is especially pronounced on the stage of Wild Humour. Eero Aarnio is one of the most important designers in Finland and over the years his works have been characterised by their originality and conceptual bravery. The rich and colourful design language of Teemu Salonen’s design-sculpture hybrids contains multitudes: it is both gaudy, glamorous and cultivated, while COMPANY’s Aamu Song and Johan Olin celebrate craftsmen and women all over the world in their designs, combining a strong appreciation for tradition, timelessness and the joy of making.
Wild at Heart is an international exhibition project initiated by the Finnish Institute in Germany, in collaboration with the Finnish Institutes in Hungary, Sweden and Japan, and interior, design and furniture fair Habitare. It premiered at Vienna Design Week in 2019 and has since been shown in Budapest and Stockholm and Helsinki.
The Finnish Institute in Japan kindly thanks Lapuan Kankurit and Hokuouzakka / P.O.S. for supporting the exhibition.
Photo: Maija Astikainen Styling: Tero Kuitunen