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News • Helsinki • Finland • 2012-02-07

World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 introduced in Stockholm

World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 is introduced in Stockholm on 7-11 February. At the same time, Stockholm is hosting Stockholm Design Week, Stockholm Furniture Fair and Northern Light Fair. The furniture and lighting fairs together form the world’s largest event showcasing Nordic design. In recent years, the fairs have been attended by about 40,000 people interested in design, as well as hundreds of Swedish and international journalists.

The focal point of the WDC Helsinki 2012 visit to Stockholm is formed by HEL YES! Stockholm, set up in the old Skeppsholmen church known as the Eric Ericsson Hall. The pop-up restaurant serving Finnish food combines visual sensations, music and dance with gastronomic pleasures and social experiences. The culinary cultural event is open 7-11 February, and there is space for 150 guests each evening.

HEL YES! Stockholm is the brainchild of the food visionary Antto Melasniemi, familiar from the London version, artist Klaus Haapaniemi and designer Mia Wallenius. They have been joined by new team members, choreographer Kenneth Kvarnström and the Helsinki Dance Company. HEL YES! Stockholm is part of the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 programme. Partners of the restaurant are Fortum, Iittala, Lapin Kulta, Paulig and Viking Line. HEL YES! is also one of the Lapin Kulta Events package.

HEL YES! Stockholm will also present the Bone Orchestra created by artist Maria Duncker. Duncker has built the instruments of the orchestra together with designer Mikko Paakkanen. The restaurant is dressed by fashion designer Kaisa Inari Kinnunen, and the lighting is designed by Matti Jykylä. The surfaces of the old church are draped with about a hundred square metres of new fabrics created by Wallenius and Haapaniemi. As the result, HEL YES! Stockholm serves up a design experience appealing to all the senses.

At the start of Stockholm Design Week, the latest issue of the Swedish FORM magazine is launched. The issue theme is World Design Capital Helsinki 2012. The magazine focuses on Nordic architecture and design and is published by the umbrella organisation of Swedish design, Svensk Form, and its circulation is about 20,000.

The latest issue of FORM will be given out at the PechaKucha evening, centering on World Design Capital Helsinki 2012. In addition to the HEL YES! Stockholm team, speakers at the event taking place at the Berns night club on Tuesday 7 February include Pekka Timonen, Executive Director of WDC Helsinki 2012 and a number of international names. Melasniemi, Haapaniemi and Timonen will also speak at the Stockholm Furniture Fair on Wednesday 8 February.

Further information

- www.wdchelsinki2012.fi

- www.helyes.fi

- www.stockholmdesignweek.com

- www.stockholmfurniturefair.se

- www.stockholmfurniturelightfair.se

- www.svenskform.se/en/form

- World Design Capital Helsinki 2012: Laura Aalto, Marketing and Communications Director, +358 (0)40 507 9660, laura.aalto@wdchelsinki2012.fi

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