Artek - Artek x Forbo Linoleum challenge a new generation of design talent

Artek x Forbo Linoleum challenge a new generation of design talent

Gotta Serve Somebody exhibition shows prototypes made from wood and linoleum

9/4/2018

Gotta_Serve_Somebody_3 — Parasite, design Monika Faidi. Photo: Chikako Harada

For over 80 years Artek and Forbo Flooring Systems have worked together to produce many of Artek’s best-loved designs. To celebrate a relationship typified by a shared commitment to the highest standards of quality, the brands invited young design students to experiment with the two materials with which Artek and Forbo are most intimately associated: wood and linoleum. And what theme could be more fitting for the collaboration than hospitality?

The students, all participants of the Aalto University Master’s Programme in Furniture Design, were challenged to create furniture that expresses the essence of hosting: trust, generosity and goodwill. The brief was titled “Gotta Serve Somebody” inspired by the Bob Dylan song, and asked the students to design products made of wood and linoleum that remain in keeping with Artek values.

Gotta_Serve_Somebody_1 — The students working at the Aalto University workshop. Photo: Chikako Harada

Artek will host a project exhibition “Gotta Serve Somebody” at the Artek Helsinki Store on 6–29 September, 2018. The exhibition is a part of Helsinki Design Week’s program. Designed by the students and showcasing their work, the exhibition will display a wide variety of the finished prototypes, including serving trays, cabinets, coat hangers, and coffee tables alongside several material experimentations. With the exhibition, Artek seeks to answer the question posed by Helsinki Design Week: how can design be used to enhance trust and transparency?