STORYTELLING
Helsinki Design Week 2010 invites design
professionals and the general public to a week of
events centred around the theme of storytelling.
Now in its sixth year, Helsinki Design Week tells all
the best stories behind the creations and processes
involved in design. The week-long series of events,
exhibitions and publications is already a story unto
itself – a tale that communicates the message of
design. Design is something for everyone, and it
belongs to everyone. Design is important in our
H
ELSINKI
D
ESIGN
W
EEK
2010
26 August – 5 September 2010
towards the future, and particularly towards 2012,
when Helsinki will reign as the World Design
Capital. The story of design will continue into 2012
and on into the future.
This city-wide event, encompassing design,
architecture and fashion, was first organised in 2005
and has evolved into a real phenomenon. The mission
of Helsinki Design Week is to encourage companies
to develop their business in new directions, to
contribute to improvements in various areas of
H
elsinki Design Week is currently building a network of international design events. The first partner in this network is Dutch Design Week, with whom Helsinki Design Week is planning to collaborate in areas including an ‘ideas exchange’ for exhibitions and events, communications and benchmarking evaluations.Once it’s up and running, this international collaboration among design events will provide a fantastic network of resources for Finnish businesses.
Regional events, such as the collaboration with the Nordic Fashion Association, represent another part of the increasingly international outlook. The Nordic Fashion Association was set up in 2008 by fashion industry bodies in the four other Nordic countries together with Helsinki Design Week to promote Nordic fashion, social responsibility and sustainable practices in the clothing industry. The association also works with the nice (Nordic Initiative Clean and Ethical) project, which focuses on encouraging and helping companies to integrate sustainable development and social responsibility into their processes and practices. For more details on this initiative, visit www.nordicfashionassociation.com.
Kari Korkman, the founder and director of Helsinki
Design Week, emphasised the importance of interaction in internationalisation: “Internationalisation is often viewed as a one-sided export activity, but it needs to involve bringing new ideas and skills onto our native soil as well. A natural internationalisation strategy for Helsinki Design Week is to generate collaboration with similar organisations and events”, he explained.
At the core of the programme for Helsinki Design Week in 2010 will be the “Past–Present–Future” timeline. The week will begin with the roots of Finnish history, as a new structure which draws its inspiration from the Kalevala – the Finnish folk epic – is unveiled on the island of Seurasaari. The “Past” will also be represented at the Design Market, where old items and remainders will be sold off. There will also be a trade fair happening at this time. A party for the young folks involved in Helsinki Design Week at the Cable Factory on Friday 3rd September will provide a glimpse into the future.
For the first time in its history, Helsinki Design Week is extending an open invitation to members of the public, organisations and businesses to organise exhibitions,
celebrations and campaigns during Helsinki Design Week 2010. People with ideas for events can use the Hdw Event Exchange service to search for suitable partners and service providers. In the spirit of the “Open Helsinki” movement, this service is on a social media site where people interested in organising design-related events can come together to plan and suggest content to the coordinators of Helsinki Design Week. The HDW Event Exchange is hosted on Facebook (www.facebook.com). You can also discuss your ideas confidentially with the Director of Helsinki Design Week, Kari Korkman, at kari.korkman@ helsinkidesignweek.com or Anni Puolakka at anni.puolakka@ helsinkidesignweek.com.
The graphic identity for each Helsinki Design Week has been supplied by a different graphic designer or design firm over the years. That tradition continues in 2010, with this year’s hdw graphic identity provided by Ahonen & Lamberg, a design studio headquartered in Paris. Anna Ahonen and Katariina Lamberg both studied graphic design in Helsinki, and later started to work together in Paris. Ahonen & Lamberg got its start in 2006. Since that time, the firm has undertaken graphic design and illustration work for a number of prominent international companies and organisations including Amnesty International, Uniqlo, Emi France, Maria Luisa and Cerruti, as well as Self Service and Wallpaper* magazines. Ahonen and Lamberg are also among the founders of Dossier magazine. www.ahonenandlamberg.com
HELSINKI DESIGN WEEK OFFERS A PACKED
PROGRAMME OF EVENTS, INCLUDING:
D
esignpartners100
The Designpartners100 exhibition, curated by Kari Korkman, presents a wide-ranging overview of new design at the Helsinki Exhibition and Convention Centre during the Habitare trade fair. This exhibition is an extension of the Show 100 display that was staged in conjunction with the Designpartners08 exhibition at the Cable Factory in 2008. Proposals for
international design products that meet the criteria for inclusion in the Designpartners100 exhibition can be submitted between 1 April and 31 May 2010 to info@designpartners.org. A joint press conference for Habitare and Helsinki Design Week will be held on 6 May in Helsinki.
W
indows Installations
The display windows of Helsinki’s businesses and galleries will be transformed into playgrounds for artists and designers during Helsinki Design Week. Under the auspices of the “Windows Installations” initiative, some 10 to 15 display windows will be given over to artists and designers to create installations for the Helsinki streetscape, according to initial estimates. Each window installation will convey the concept of “storytelling” – the theme of this year’s Helsinki Design Week – in its execution. The Windows Installations event is curated by Gareth Hayes, the founder of the Myymälä2 gallery and shop. “We’re encouraging businesses to have a broad-minded, open approach to the installations – the ultimate number and execution of the installations will be up to the businesses and designers themselves”, he said. For more details, contact: Gareth Hayes, garethhayes167@gmail.com.
O
pen House Helsinki
Once again, the popular OpenHouseHelsinki tours will attract city residents interested in urban history and architecture to go on tours of some of Helsinki’s most interesting spaces, buildings and neighbourhoods. This year, there will be tours of houses of worship of various faiths, underground Helsinki, the city’s harbour areas and a number of foreign embassies. For more details, visit www.openhousehelsinki.fi.
O
pen Studios
During Helsinki Design Week, residents will have a unique opportunity to get a glimpse into the work of designers and design studios as a number of creative professionals open their doors to the public. Small-scale events, exhibitions and refreshments will be organised in some locations. Designers interested in participating in this event can contact Anni Korkman, anni.korkman@helsinkidesignweek.com for more information. A more detailed timetable will be available soon.
C
radle of the Kalevala
Spirit of Place/Spirit of Design is a highly respected project under the guidance of American architect Travis Price, which will bring a new architectural creation to the cultural setting of Seurasaari Island. The installation, which is based on the Finnish Kalevala myth, is the work of architecture students at Aalto University in Helsinki and the Catholic University of America in Washington, dc. The Cradle of the Kalevala is a temporary structure that will serve as a meeting place and space for designers and meetings. The space, measuring 30 sq m, is intended to be used year-round and can accommodate around 15 people. The structure will be erected on the southern tip of Seurasaari Island in the second half of August. As part of the Spirit of Place/Spirit of Design programme, which was launched in 1992, architecture students have participated in international projects to design and construct structures which have won over twenty architecture awards.
N
ordic Night
Helsinki Design Week’s Nordic Night at the Cable Factory will celebrate Nordic design. The Nordic countries’ design associations and the Nordic Fashion Association, founded in 2008, will present a programme of fashion, music and displays. This year, the setting of the Cable Factory will provide an avant-garde stage for Helsinki Design Week. The cross-disciplinary programme for the gala opening ceremony encompasses Nordic design, as well as independent exhibitions and events proposed and staged under the auspices of the Hdw Event Exchange service.
D
esign on Sale
The Design Market, a popular clearance sale for design products, returns to the Cable Factory this year. Designers and companies will sell off prototypes, end-of-line items and samples. Last year’s sale attracted nearly 15,000 visitors. For more information about obtaining a retail space, contact Anni Korkman, anni.korkman@helsinkidesignweek.com.
D
IY Fashion
Helsinki Design Week and the Union of Rural Education and Culture are looking for self-taught fashion designers. The most innovative diy creations will be included in an exhibition and fashion show during Helsinki Design Week. Criteria for selection are novelty value, offbeat creativity and inventiveness. diy fashion items can include clothing, footwear, jewellery and other items. The “diy” moniker refers to the “do-it-yourself” spirit, according to which anyone can be a creative fashion stylist and designer. The curators of the Diy Fashion event are Liisa Jokinen (of the Hel-Looks website) and Salli Raeste. The partner publication is the Helsingin Sanomat monthly supplement. To enter the competition, send 1–5 photos of your diy pieces and your contact details to ite@helsinkidesignweek.com.
P
echaKuchaNight
The PechaKucha concept is a part of Helsinki Design Week. At fast-paced PechaKucha events, each speaker has to distil their message into 20 seconds and 20 photos. The Japanese term pecha kucha refers to the “chattering” sound of conversation.
HELSINKI DESIGN WEEK NEWSLETTER
ISSUE NO. 1/2010
H
elsinki Design Week Newsletter Issue no. 1/2010is a 12-page, English-language publication in tabloid format
which came out on 26 March. Helsinki Design Week Magazine
will be published together with the We Are Helsinki paper in August. Both publications will include highlights from the calendar of events, registration forms and feature articles on various events.
Saturday 4 September
Empty Bowl, to benefit Unicef. Helsinki Cathedral crypt. PechaKucha evenings held in conjunction with Helsinki Design Week.
Wednesday 21 April
PechaKuchaNight. Old Student House.
Thursday 27 May
PechaKuchaNight. Pörssisali.
A
JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE FOR
DESIGNPARTNERS100 AND THE HABITARE TRADE FAIR
WILL BE HELD ON
6 May at 9:00 a.m. in Helsinki.
ENQUIRIES AND PHOTO REQUEST:
^ / Huippu / Design / Management
Laivurinkatu 37, 00150 Helsinki, Finland Tel. +358 9 679 043
Fax. +358 9 679 039
Email: communications@huippu.fi www.huippu.fi
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CALENDAR
OF EVENTS (the programme will take shape and grow
during spring and summer)H
elsinki Design Week 26 August – 5 September
Thursday 26 August
Dedication ceremony on Seurasaari Island. Cradle of the Kalevala, Spirit of Place/Spirit of Design. Architecture students from Aalto University School of Science and Technology and the Catholic University of America, Washington dc.
Friday 27 August
Night of the Arts. Programme includes a design auction at Kolmikulma Square, organised by Design District Helsinki.
Friday – Sunday 27 August – 5 September
Shopping in Helsinki, Windows Installations. Design shops and galleries. Curated by Gareth Hayes.
Saturday 28 August
PechaKuchaNight. Korjaamo Stage.
Saturday – Sunday 28 – 29 August
Design Market. Cable Factory.
Tuesday – Friday 31 August – 3 September
Open Studios. Programme to be announced.
Wednesday – Friday 1–3 September
Helsinki Design Week at the Cable Factory. Cable Factory. Wednesday 1 September: Nordic Night gala opening cere-mony. Fashion, music, displays and exhibitions from the Nor-dic countries.
Thursday 2 September: Architecture Day programme, Liike 10 Years Anniversary fashion show, PechaKuchaNight. Friday 3 September: Future Day
Wednesday – Sunday 1–5 September
Habitare: Ahead!, Interiore, ArtHelsinki, Valo and
Designpartners100. Helsinki Exhibition and Convention Centre.
Thursday – Saturday 2–4 September
OpenHouseHelsinki. Tours led by architects and expert guides. No entry charge. Updated programme at www. openhousehelsinki.fi.
