ROLE: AV TECHNOLOGY CONSULTANT, CURATOR, together with industrial designer Hannu Kähönen. Organized by the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York.
SAUMA [DESIGN AS CULTURAL INTERFACE] exhibition presents innovative contemporary design from Finland. The works in the exhibition explore new approaches to usability, user experience and the design process itself. The exhibition was originally curated for the American audiences and was first presented in Washington, DC as part of the Finnish Year of Design in 2005. After touring in the United States for three years, SAUMA was shipped to Europe.
SAUMA introduces experimental installations and design concepts including new portable devices, an experimental kitchen, an urban sauna and a game prototype. Other exhibition items study the ideas of portability, sensory experiences and the ways in which we navigate our urban environment. The contents of the exhibition are updated for each presentation.
After the opening exhibition of the tour at the Embassy of Finland gallery in Washington, DC in 2005, SAUMA was on show in New York at the World Financial Center Courtyard Gallery in the summer of 2006. The US portion of the tour ended in Los Angeles, where the exhibition was presented at the A + D Architecture and Design Museum in the summer of 2007.
After that the exhibition traveled to Europe, where it was first presented at the Design Museum in Helsinki, Finland in the spring of 2008 and then at the Danish Design Centre, Copenhagen in fall-winter 2008-2009 and finally at the Stavanger Kunstforening in summer 2009.
The production of the SAUMA exhibition has been supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Ministry of Education in Finland, the Arts Council of Finland, the Alfred Kordelin Foundation, and by the Asko Foundation. Computer equipment in New York was provided by Digital Society. Software provided by Cycling 74.
Exhibition Design by Harri Koskinen. SAUMA- exhibition´s WWW site.
MEDIA COVERAGE:
- SAUMA article in Helsingin Sanomat on October 1st, 2005
- An extensive SAUMA article in Washington Post on October 8th, 2005
- SAUMA article in Chicago Tribune on October 16th, 2005
- SAUMA article in Washington Post on December 25th, 2005
- SAUMA article in Kauppalehti on June 27th, 2006
- Rocketboom video blog´s SAUMA coverage from World Financial Center gallery´s exhibition opening in New York City
- Fox News 11 LA Coverage of SAUMA exhibition opening at the A+D Architecture & Design Museum in LA, in summer 2007:
- Régine Debatty´s a article on Tuomo Tammenpää´s Tiletoy in We Make Money Not Art.com blog on October 9th, 2005
- Régine Debatty´s article on Paula Löppönen´s and Ville Tikka´s Mukana vest in We Make Money Not Art.com blog on October 31st, 2005
- SAUMA article in American Express Departures- magazine Jan/Feb 2006 edition
- Régine Debatty´s article on Hilda Kozari´s AIR – Urban Olfactory Installation in We Make Money Not Art.com blog on June 5th, 2006
- Régine Debatty´s article on Hilda Kozari´s AIR – Urban Olfactory Installation in Futurelab.net blog on June 5th, 2006.
- Piers Fawke´s SAUMA article in his PSFK blog on June 5th, 2006
- Post about SAUMA in Core77 Design Blog on June 9th, 2006.
- SAUMA as the PICK OF THE WEEK in MoCoLoCo Design Blog, June 10th, 2006
- Régine Debatty´s article on Pasi Kolhonen´s City Wipeout in We Make Money Not Art.com blog on June 28th, 2006
Images from the exhibition´s initial Washington D.C. presentation:
