Aalto Festival brought together thousands of participants in May

Organised for the first time, Aalto Festival’s versatile programme included exhibitions, seminars and lectures from different fields, fashion shows, movie screenings and much more. All six schools took part in the festival, and up to one third of the events were multidisciplinary.

The spring edition of the traditional sales by TOKYO, the association of art and design students, offered lots of unique art works, design and handicrafts at Media Centre Lume. The atmosphere at the sales was literally warm, as the place filled up with people interested in the works of young talents.

The pop-up gallery SUPERSTORE, located in Gallery Esplanad, showcased young designers’ works in the middle ground between art and design. The other 14 exhibitions of the festival, presented, among others, graphic design, architecture, interpretations of the future of art education, results of combining art with mathematics, as well as bio and environmental art.

Students of the School of Electrical Engineering presented all sorts of equipment and gadgets made during the past semester in the final seminar of electrical engineering workshop course. This spring the students had built for example a doll’s house equipped with an elevator and solar cells, a Segway, a mechanical television and different kinds of flying and crawling vessels.

Many innovative and surprising solutions to tasks given by different companies were seen at the final show of the interdisciplinary Product Development Project course. The team M_Cubed (pictured) created for Konecranes a logistic system that enhances the transportation of materials in hospital environment saving the personnel’s time to taking care of patients.

The annual student fashion show, Näytös15, by the School of Arts, Design and Architecture has established itself as one Finland’s most anticipated fashion events of the year. Näytös15, held in Kattilahalli, Suvilahti, presented spectacular collections after another admired by hundreds in the audience.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Finnish art education, several exhibitions and events were organised in May as part of Aalto Festival. The diversity of art education was showcased in more traditional venues, such as Ateneum (pictured), as well as in the modern Kamppi shopping centre, where an art exhibition took place in an empty store space.

The festival showcased Aalto University talents also in the form of seminars and lectures. The topics ranged from digital cultural heritage, sustainable technology and the future of energy to design for government, fashion, and colour and material design. The house was full at the Design for All seminar (pictured). The presentations covered all inclusive and accessible services and environments.

Aalto Festival was visible in the Helsinki city centre, where the Aalto Festival Info Kontti (container) made the new festival familiar to passers-by during 18–27 May. At Kontti, students of Aalto University handed out festival catalogues and lollipops and guided the public in questions related to the festival.

Some of the Aalto Festival events still continue even after the event has ended this spring. For example, Säie pavilion, built during the Wood Programme course at the Department of Architecture, is open for public until 23 August in the square between Design Museum and the Museum of Finnish Architecture.

During the summer months, you also have the chance to see furniture design at Luku III exhibition, the new surf innovation at Kalasatama Surf’N’Art City, a selection of master’s theses from the Department of Architecture at Final Works exhibition, and art works by art education students at Kuvis1000 Node exhibition. For detailed information and opening hours, please visit the Aalto Festival website at aaltofestival.fi.

Aalto Festival was organised on 18–31 May in various locations in Helsinki and Espoo. The festival showcased the talents of Aalto University students, graduates and faculty with more than 40 events. Read more on the festival at aaltofestival.fi.