Finnish Design Project 2012

This digital resource showcases the Finnish materials within the University of Brighton Design Archives. It was produced to mark Helsinki’s designation as World Design Capital 2012 and includes photographs of Finnish design from the picture library of the Design Council, posters from the archive of the International Council of Graphic Design Associations (ICOGRADA), and unique documentation within the archive of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID). The resource includes a new photography project by Sirpa Kutilainen which explores what Finnish design means to Brighton’s Finnish community. The photographs form an exhibition produced as part of the Brighton Fringe 2012.

Finns in Brighton

To celebrate Finnish design in Brighton in May 2012, Sirpa Kutilainen created a ‘modern’ continuation for the archival materials used for this project. For this, she sought out people in the Finnish community of Brighton & Hove who were interested in taking part. They talked about what Finnish design means to them personally and how they use it in their daily lives, going on to photograph the participants in their homes with their favourite Finnish design object.

Visit the Finns in Brighton pages to explore further.