Guest Country

Finnish design is uniquely linked to brand names that have a formative influence on style: Iittala, Artek, Marimekko and so forth are among the resounding names. Finnish design greats like Alvar Aalto are uncontested modern classics, Nokia wrote design history with the first generation of mobile phones, the Finnish sauna is the mother of all spas and wellness movements – Finland can look back at a multifaceted history of design.
 
“I am very happy to be able to look forward in 2019 to Finland as the guest country of the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK. The Nordic countries have developed a clearly profiled style more or less without parallel and it has been influencing the whole world for decades. Finland has written a special chapter in the history of design and is now waiting to astound the world with thrilling contemporary design. The VIENNA DESIGN WEEK and Helsinki – World Design Capital in 2012 – have been linked for several years now in a fruitful, sharing partnership. The collaboration with our guest country 2019 is starting with a great energy booster and will launch us in the coming months into the wilderness! It’s going to be spectacular – but we’re not going to disclose anything else yet!”
 says Lilli Hollein, director of the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK.
 
The focus of Finland’s presentation as guest country at the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK 13 will be an exhibition curated by Tero Kuitunen on contemporary Finnish design.
 
In addition to this exhibition, there will be Finnish contributions across the board of the Festival programme and the formats curated by the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK. This complex and multifarious guest country presence is being made possible for us by the Finland Institute in Germany, Business Finland, Visit Finland and the Finnish Embassy in Vienna.