Helsinki Design Week
Curating main design exhibition at the Olympic Stadium
Client’s wish
Helsinki Design Week enlisted Margriet Vollenberg to bring the most captivating design talent to the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in September 2020. This project involved curating Helsinki Design Week’s main exhibition, taking place in the newly renovated Olympic Stadium, spanning 20,000 square meters. Helsinki Design Week sought to harness Vollenberg’s extensive experience in the design industry and her international expertise.
“ Our aim is to increase the impact of design and to gain increasing interest from a wider and more international audience. Margriet was the perfect choice for helping us achieve this,” says Kari Korkman, Founder and Director of Helsinki Design Week. ”
Analysis
Helsinki Design Week stands as the largest design festival in the Nordic countries, offering a multidisciplinary showcase of design across various fields, including fashion, architecture, and urban culture. The festival’s program is a collaborative effort involving national and international stakeholders and an extensive event-planning network. The festival provided an exclusive opportunity for visitors to explore the recently renovated 1952 Olympic Stadium, offering a fresh perspective on this iconic Helsinki landmark.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! The Olympic Stadium provides the selected artists and designers with a blank canvas, the city is celebrating the re-opening and the exhibition will change the visitor’s perception of the building. I’m looking forward to curating an exhibition which connects to the values of sport, such as fun, entertainment and bringing people together,” says Margriet Vollenberg.
What we did
The theme chosen for Helsinki Design Week 2020 is “Commitment Matters,” which prompts reflections on the significance and value of design, particularly in the context of sustainability. Organisation in Design conducted a meticulous selection process to identify designers from Northern European countries. Subsequently, we developed a series of exhibitions both within and outside the Olympic Stadium, all centered around the theme of commitment and its relevance in the world of design. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, the project was not realised.