Visibly Invisible – Artek’s Drawing Office 1936–2004 at Aalto2 Museum Centre

Dates: 23.05.2025 – 14.09.2025

Visibly Invisible – Artek’s Drawing Office 1936–2004 brings to light for the first time the talented group of designers who worked at Artek over a span of more than 60 years.

From the very beginning, Artek’s brand was built on the furniture designed by the Aaltos, and in particular by Alvar Aalto. Over the decades, Artek’s in-house drawing office employed a wide range of interior architects, textile designers and professionals in the applied arts. Their work is behind many well-known products, yet as designers they have remained almost anonymous. This exhibition brings these skilled creators to the fore – individuals who helped shape Artek’s rise as a modern European design and interiors pioneer.

The drawing office functioned as a collective, handling a wide variety of design tasks, from furnishings for private and public spaces to the smallest domestic details. Its holistic approach included interiors, textiles, fairs, exhibitions and visual graphics. By applying and varying Alvar Aalto’s structural innovations, the team created a broad spectrum of versatile furniture for different settings – quiet yet thoughtful examples of Artek design.

Produced by the Alvar Aalto Museum, the exhibition reveals the designers behind the signatures and drawings, highlighting the work and careers of several key figures. The furniture and artefacts on display are primarily drawn from Artek’s collection managed by the Alvar Aalto Foundation.

Exhibition enquiries:
Mari Murtoniemi
Alvar Aalto Museum

tel. +358 40 355 9162