A new exhibition will open at the Gallery of the Design Museum on Friday, September 4. Instead of the traditional invitations, the Soil Matters exhibition is celebrated throughout the weekend. The program of the opening weekend includes a discussion, guided tours in Finnish and English, Design workshop for families, and an Open Studio of ceramic artist Catharina Kajander.
At the Design Museum’s Gallery from Friday to Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Participation with a museum entrance ticket.
Our aim is to make your museum visit as safe and as pleasant as possible. For everyone’s health and safety, we have limited the capacity of our events. More specific instructions can be found below. We urge all visitors to follow these instructions during the visit to the museum.
The Soil Matters exhibition explores how soil and its changes are intertwined with human activity. The exhibition makes the soil visible and encourages viewers to reflect on their human-soil-relationship. The exhibition is curated by ceramic artist and Aalto University professor Maarit Mäkelä, and ceramic artist and Aalto University doctoral student Riikka Latva-Somppi.
Soil Matters is open at the Design Museum during Helsinki Design Week daily from 11 am to 6 pm (the museum on Mondays is closed). Entrance with the museum’s ticket.
Lunch Talk discussion: Soil Matters
Friday, Sep 4th at 1 pm
As a safety precaution, we have limited the number of seats to this event to 30. Please book your seat in advance: info@designmuseum.fi When booking your seat, please tell us your name and specify the event you would like to participate.
At the Design Museum’s Lunch Talk, guests can meet the creators of the Soil Matters exhibition. Latva-Somppi and Mäkelä talk about the project and discuss the materiality of soil through the themes of the exhibition.
Guided tours to the new Soil Matters exhibition
Saturday, Sep 5th in Finnish at 2 pm and in English at 3 pm
As a safety precaution, we have limited the number of participants to 10 per tour.
Design Museum’s skilled guides take you through the themes, projects and the research behind the works in the exhibition. Participation in the guided tours is included in the museum entrance ticket.
Design Workshop for Families: Painting with Soil
Saturday, Sep 5th from 4 pm to 6 pm
As a safety precaution, we have limited the number of seats to this workshop to 10 persons. Please buy your ticket on the day of the event from the counter. No advance reservations.
The Design Workshop for Families lets the participants’ paint with soil. Different coloured soil samples are made into paints and then used to make art. In the Workshop, you learn how different minerals and metals in local soils affect their colours. Why different soils have different colours? Why is Finnish clay grey, but bricks reddish? Where do white and yellow clay come from?
You can join the nonstop workshop as long as there is space in the workshop. The workshop is for everyone and does not require any special skills. Recommended for over 4 years old, under 10 years old accompanied by an adult. No separate material fee.
Soil Matters Open Studio: Catharina Kajander
Friday from 3 to 6 p.m.
Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m.
Sunday from 12 to 3 pm
Ceramic artist Catharina Kajander builds a large vessel of Finnish red clay in an Open Studio in the exhibition space. The artist works with sausage technique, which is one of the oldest ways of making pots.
Earth Scanning Workshop
Saturday from 1 pm to 3 pm
Geologist Maarit Saresma will scan soil samples from around Finland with an XRS-analyser.
