In a 1957 speech in London, celebrated Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto said, “We should work for simple, good, undecorated things, but things which are in harmony with the human being and organically suited to the little man in the street." Aalto’s designs and the other examples of Finnish design are celebrated as much for their humanist philosophy as their clean, modern style in Finland: Designed Environments. Finnish design stands apart from other design sensibilities not just because the objects are beautiful, but because through their enduring, efficient work, Finnish designers encourage thoughtful consumerism in a wasteful world.

“After the success of last summer’s exhibition on Danish Modern furniture, we are pleased to continue the conversation about the value of excellent design here at the Nordic Heritage Museum,” said CEO Eric Nelson, “Seattle is a city full of creative talent and new industries that thrive on good design, and so we are particularly excited to bring this exhibition to Seattle.”

Finland: Designed Environments examines the explosion of creativity in Finnish design, craft, and architecture over the past fifteen years. Examples of furnishings, fashion, and craft, as well as architecture and urbanism, illustrate how nearly every aspect of Finnish life incorporates thoughtful design thinking—from city streets and summer homes to fashion and food—and is marked by sensitivity to form and material. The exhibition employs a broader definition of “design” that goes beyond products and spaces to include processes and new applications of the values of Finnish design. The exhibition comes to use from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. This is the first significant U.S. museum presentation since the 1990s to examine contemporary Finnish design.

The Nordic Heritage Museum is honored to be joined by Mrs. Ritva Koukku-Ronde, the Ambassador of Finland to the United States, who will formally open the exhibition and make some brief remarks at the Member Preview and Press Preview on March 11. The Nordic Heritage Museum is also pleased to partner with the Seattle Symphony this spring, as they present the music of Jean Sibelius, a Finnish composer, in conjunction with the exhibition.