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News • Helsinki • Finland • 2012-09-05

Everyday Discoveries – International Design House Exhibition to seize Suvilahti 6-16 September 2012

World Design Capital Helsinki 2012’s main exhibition, Everyday Discoveries – International Design House Exhibition, will fill Suvilahti between 6 and 16 September 2012. Solutions by hundreds of designers from 23 countries will arrive at the exhibition. The free exhibition will be open from Monday until Friday between noon and 8pm and from Saturday until Sunday between 10am and 8pm.

Everyday Discoveries – International Design House Exhibition will offer concrete examples of design solutions that different countries have for the same everyday situations. In addition to the indoor exhibition space in Suvilahti, the exhibition will also spread to the outdoor container village. You will also be able to find a cafe, design shop and an urban garden at the venue.

“The exhibition will offer the visitors a chance to do a round the world design trip. It will be interesting to discover how people everywhere look for and find new and surprising solutions for everyday situations. The exhibition will also be an important meeting place where hundreds of people in the design industry get to know each other and Finnish design,” says Kaarina Gould, Programme Director of World Design Capital Helsinki 2012.

Everyday Discoveries – International Design House Exhibition is part of the programme for every city that has been selected as World Design Capital, and it is also referred to as the World Design Capital Signature Event. The exhibition organised in Helsinki has been curated by IMU Design, and it is produced by Design Forum Finland.

Kattilahalli will bring together the six main themes from imagination to innovation

In Kattilahalli, the countries will encounter one another through six different themes. In the Icon section each participating country will present one well-known design object. Hungary’s choice for this category is Rubik’s Cube. The Invisible section will showcase many functional and well-known products, which we are not used to seeing as design. In this category, Finland will present Plastex’s plastic hip flask. The Imagination section will look into children’s culture through books that you can browse, as well as illustrations and stories.

The Innovation section will present design inventions which improve our everyday life. South Africa will bring the Hippo Water Roller, a device for carrying water. The Re-interpretation section will display products whose designers have looked for inspiration in traditional ideas, things and objects from the past. In the middle of Kattilahalli, the countries will be brought together along one table in the Get-together section. Each participating country in the exhibition will bring a chair and a table setting to the long table.

Outdoor activities, sports and gardening

Each country will have their own stall in the container village in Suvilahti. The visitors will have a chance to experience a North American children’s play park; try out Irish hurling, or find out about British gardening, among many other things. Finland\'s exhibition will present design solutions for the extreme northern conditions.

During the eleven exhibition days, the countries will provide entertainment to the visitors from lectures to parties. The world’s first World Design Capital, Torino’s lectures will allow the participants to find out about the 2008 programme and its aims and hear how the projects have continued after the World Design Capital year. The Estonians will bring to Suvilahti two fashion shows, workshops and an evening party open to the general public.

Transport links and opening times

It is easy to find your way to Suvilahti. The exhibition venue, situated right next to Kalasatama metro station, is easily accessed from Helsinki city centre by metro, bike, car and bus.

Everyday Discoveries – International Design House Exhibition, 6-16 September 2012

Suvilahti, Helsinki (Sörnäisten rantatie 22 or Kaasukellontie 1)

Open from Monday to Friday noon-8pm and Saturday to Sunday 10am-8pm

Free-of-charge

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