BEAUTY OF EVERYDAY – Maire Gullichsen 100 years, ARTEK JUBILEE EXHIBITION IN PORI ART MUSEUM
The exhibition is part of the Maire Gullichsen and Modernism series.
Press is invited to the museum on Thursday, 5 June, at 11–13, information meeting will be on Friday, 6 June, at 12.00. The exhibition architect Kirsi Gullichsen and managing director Mirkku Kullberg will be present.
The year 2007 marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of Professor Maire Gullichsen. Maire Gullichsen founded Artek Oy in 1935 together with Aino Aalto, Alvar Aalto and Nils-Gustav Hahl. She lived longest of the founders. After Hahl was killed in battle Hankoniemi in 1941 and Aino Aalto died in 1949, Maire kept the original spark of Artek alive up to her death, building a solid foundation for the future of Artek. Artek paid homage to her life´s work with a jubilee exhibition BEAUTY OF EVERYDAY which will be presented at the Pori Art Museum in a more compact version.
Maire Gullichsen was also founder of the Free Art School, the exhibition organisation Nykytaideyhdistys (Association for Contemporary Art) and she established Galerie Artek from exhibitions held in the Artek store. Modern and abstract art was introduced to Finland by her. It was not a long step from art to design. Maire believed that the harmony of colours and forms could be used to enhance everyday life, make homes more pleasant and their occupants happier. She believed that beauty was democratic and that it could be attained by simple means. She wanted Artek to sell only exemplary products, and took an active role in the selection of goods for the shop.
The exhibition seeks to shed light on the ideas, activities and achievements of Maire Gullichsen from the perspectives of aesthetics, ethics and democracy, and to tell about Modernism, the movement that lay close to the heart of Artek and its founders. The exhibition is realised by the architect Kirsi Gullichsen and the exhibition team at Artek. Exhibition texts are written by the art historian Helena Woirhaye.
Artek will bring to the museum store a range of glass objects designed by Maire Gullichsen as well as other products selected by Maire for the Artek collection. Kitchen textiles made of the Siena fabric designed by Alvar Aalto and French garden furniture made of wood slats represent practical beauty in everyday life.
Publication:
ISBN 978-952-5648-16-4
BEN AF SCHULTÉN JA ARTEKIN TRADITIO
BEN AF SCHULTÉN OCH ARTEKS TRADITION
BEN AF SCHULTÉN AND THE ARTEK TRADITION
Porin taidemuseo | Björneborgs konstmuseum | Pori Art Museum
29.05. – 27.09.2009
Julkaisija | Utgivare | Published by
Porin taidemuseo ja Maire Gullichsenin taidesäätiön
Björneborgs konstmuseum och Maire Gullichsens konststiftelse
Pori Art Museum and Maire Gullichsen Art Foundation
Yhteistyössä | I samarbetet med | In co-operation with
Maire Gullichsenin taidesäätiö, Mairea -säätiö, ARTEK, Alvar Aalto –museo ja Kirsi Gullichsen Arx Oy
Maire Gullichsens konststiftelse, Mairea stiftelsen, ARTEK, Alvar Aalto museum och Kirsi Gullichsen Arx Oy
Maire Gullichsen Art Foundation, Mairea Foundation, ARTEK, Alvar Aalto Museum and Kirsi Gullichsen Arx Oy
Toimitus | Redaktör | Editor
Kati Kunnas-Holmström
Kääntäjät | Oversättning | Translations
Nina Björkman (ruotsi, svenska, svedish)
Jyri Kokkonen (englanti, engelska, English)
36 s., mv-kuvat
Porin taidemuseon julkaisuja 97