“A&D — Was Matti Abducted?” Exhibition

What can architecture and design look like when translated into printed products? Throughout November, the exhibition “A&D — Was Matti Abducted?” showcases printed textile works created last spring by first-year Textile Design students.

One of the course assignments was to design and produce a small collection inspired by the theme of Architecture & Design. The collection consisted of two printed products: a placement print for a T-shirt and a repeating pattern for a tote bag.

The students drew inspiration from a wide range of sources, particularly from the field of architecture, but also from design. The starting point for a collection could be found in a familiar suburban neighbourhood, the details of Gothic church architecture, Finland’s smallest building protected by a local detailed plan, or an Italian design collective from the 1980s.

The target audience for the collections was defined as young students of design, art or architecture, as well as tourists interested in these themes. When exploring the tourist perspective in particular, the students came up with some very topical and wonderfully absurd stories, ranging from tourists escaping the Italian summer heat to fans of Matti Suuronen who believe in conspiracy theories. This is also where the exhibition title originates.

The T-shirt prints were produced on high-quality garments by Finnish brand R-Collection, while the tote bags were made from Marimekko deadstock fabrics or other recycled materials. The students had access to the full range of hand-printing techniques, from screen printing to specialised pigment printing methods. They also had to embrace the occasional imperfections. The finished products were not meant to look industrially manufactured; instead, they were encouraged to retain the maker’s individual touch and personal craftsmanship.

Pictured: A detail from Emmi Kilponen’s HELSINGIN JUGEND collection.

Exhibiting students:

• Selma Blomberg
• Trivia Hiltunen
• Jenny Karjalainen
• Emmi Kilponen
• Jenna Koivisto
• Kaisa Kuusela
• Sára Köteleki
• Salla Mannerkoski
• Essi Paakkonen
• Taija Ruotsalainen
• Pinja Turunen
• Hannah Tarvainen
• Henri Tölli
• Noora Ukkonen
• Laura Varhimo

Printed Textiles course instruction, exhibition curation and further information: Tiina Karhu, tiina.karhu [at] metropolia.fi (tiina[dot]karhu[at]metropolia[dot]fi)