The Surprise Guest Main Exhibition on the first floor of the Old Granary is inspired by the wonderful Finnish summer villa culture. The 2022 biennale introduced visitors to tiny houses designed by architects. Surprise Guest continues telling the stories of summer living. This time, we enter an atmospheric, imaginary summer villa, where a series of experiential spaces are built, from the dining room to the living room and from the summer kitchen to the veranda. This design exhibition presents the best in Finnish design, and in different rooms we meet greats such as Fiskars, Artek, Nikari and Woodnotes, Johanna Gullichsen and Villa ja Peite, Durat, Lapuan Kankurit, and Parolan Rottinki.
The moment of surprise comes when surprise guests arrive at the villa. Each room will have an artwork selected by curator Sini Rinne-Kanto, whose work adds layers and depth to the spatial experience. The artists hail from all over the world: we can expect names such as Laëtitia Badaut Haussmann, Kim Farkas and Laura Gozlan.
On the second floor of the granary, a group of students will be spending their summer. A Summer School project called Village Works, guided by architect Taneli Mansikkamäki, will teach the participants as well as the exhibition visitors about life at the ironworks. Village Works will leverage Fiskars’ rich cultural and craft heritage, offering participants the chance to learn techniques from local experts.
Village Works not only embraces the village’s social landscape but also explores living concepts beyond urban settings by examining what is essential and superfluous in our urban domesticity. Work is produced through continuous material experimentation, design, and the crafting of artifacts, tools and habitable structures. Biennale visitors will also get a deep look into the creative process when students work in the exhibition space in July.
In addition, a Biennale Shop is planned for the ground floor of the granary, with a wide selection of carefully chosen high-quality products.
