Between 1958 and 1965 Timo Sarpaneva worked as the architect for the Finnish Society of Crafts and Design’s exhibitions. The exhibitions toured, among other places, Asia, South America and the metropolises of Europe. Sarpaneva planned not only the placement of pieces but also designed the exhibition structures and lighting. He oversaw their erection and overall completion, right down to the smallest detail. “When we set out to design the exhibitions, the fires were lit! Everyone jumped in. Ceramicists, textile artists, furniture designers – everyone! Industrial plants let us design and make pieces for these exhibitions. Structures, lighting – the whole thing was seamless, brilliant, dazzling! That’s when Finnish design finally made itself known to the whole world. This was an unprecedented show of force by such a small nation – this is how we can penetrate markets and sell our goods to the world.”
