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Artek was formed in 1935 in Helsinki, when Finland was a new country still trying to define itself. Two years ago Tom Dixon became part owner and creative director of what he calls ‘the last of the modernist design companies that exists in its original form’. This truth he understood. What he had less of a grip on — at least until spending time in Finland — was how much Artek is held dear by Finns. All Finns. It is design as part of national identity and totally unique.
The Artek challenge then was about more than taking charge of its cherished back catalogue; luckily, Artek’s five founders had left a lot to go on. ‘The Artek founders devised this amazing manifesto in 1935,’ says Dixon. ‘It is truly radical but sounds totally contemporary. They talk about global communications and networks; about branding, but also poetry, music and art.’ Here was a company that saw design as part of a wider cultural and commercial world. ‘It is the perfect business model for a contemporary company,’ he insists. In its early days Artek exhibited Alexander Calder in its store, but, before Dixon’s arrival, it hadn’t done any new product development in 50 years. In many ways, Dixon sees his job as reactivating the Artek manifesto for the modern world: reconnecting art and technology and introducing contemporary concerns such as sustainability.
One of Dixon’s first projects at Artek was the development of a new line of bamboo furniture, including the table he took to the new Espoo Museum of Modern Art, located in Helsinki’s sister city. The bringing together of contemporary art, design, natural materials and the latest technology in this room ‘symbolises the way Artek should go’, says Dixon.
The Samsung LCD TV is the perfect example of modern technology, he says. ‘You can use it at home, in the office, or put it in a gallery to play video art. I’m interested in how technology can integrate all these different contexts, and the Samsung TV does that.’
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