Just like Nordic Design, the term Bauhaus indicates modern, functional, democratic design. The centennial of the German art school Bauhaus (1919–33) is an opportunity to look at the collection of Design Museum Helsinki through the lens of Bauhaus and search for influences, parallels and differences. Located in the Changing Room of Design Museum’s Collection exhibition, the exhibition presents one of the most iconic Bauhaus-artefacts: the Bauhaus-Lamp, designed by Wilhelm Wagenfeld in 1924. By bringing together this idealized object and its critical perception, the exhibition points out the difficulties in realizing utopian ideas and introduces the viewers to the challenges of design.
Furthermore, the exhibition connects Bauhaus ideas with artefacts from the permanent collection, asking: What is the meaning of Bauhaus in the Nordic countries and how does it relate to Nordic design and architecture? Is there a shared history or should we see them as separate worlds? What is “Bauhaus”, after all? – and “Nordic Design”, then?
The exhibition Fokus Bauhaus is curated by
Julia Meer (Berlin) and
Julia Kartesalo (Helsinki).
The exhibition is supported by Goethe-Institut Finnland and Arts Promotion Centre Finland.
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