On the opening day of the Antti + Vuokko Nurmesniemi exhibition, we got to know the exhibition as told by the curators in the Design Museum’s Lunch Talk. The curators of the exhibition, docent of art history Susanna Aaltonen and amanuensis Harry Kivilinna diascussed about the life and work of Antti and Vuokko. Leena Svinhufvud, chief museum lecturer at the Design Museum, guided the discussion. The discussion took place on the Zoom platform 28.10.2022.
This autumn, the Design Museum’s main exhibition will feature works by one of Finland’s most renowned designer couples –first time ever in the same exhibition. Interior designer Antti Nurmesniemi (1927–2003) and textile artist Vuokko Nurmesniemi, née Eskolin (b. 1930) both made international careers in their own fields of expertise. Antti Nurmesniemi was an influential designer and a bellwether in the field of design. Vuokko Nurmesniemi revolutionized the Finnish textile and fashion industry. The exhibition at the Design Museum focuses on the Nurmesniemis’ life together and their professional careers from the 1950s to the 2000s. The exhibition is on display at the Design Museum from 28 October 2022 to 09 April 2023.
Speakers:
Ph.D. Susanna Aaltonen, photographer Timo Sinkkonen.
Ph.D. Susanna Aaltonen is an art historian specializing in design and architecture. She is a part-time teacher at the University of Helsinki and the Open University. Aaltonen’s dissertation was about the formation of the interior architect profession in Finland. Recently, Aaltonen has written e.g. about architect Wivi Lönn’s travels, visual artist Birger Carlstedt’s work as an art industry designer and interior architect Ben af Schultén’s life work in and outside Artek.
Curator Harry Kivilinna, photographer Konsta Leppänen.
Harry Kivilinna has worked as an exhibition curator at the Design Museum since 2014. Before that, he has worked at the Design Museum and the Museum of Arts and Crafts as an exhibition designer and in other positions since 1995. His special field at the Design Museum has been Finnish design. Previous exhibition projects have included e.g. exhibitions Timo Sarpaneva and Kirsti Rantanen, as well as numerous exhibitions related to Marimekko both Finland and abroad.
Main photo: Antti Nurmesniemi archive
