In 1950, Tapio Wirkkala presented the exhibition idea to H. O. Gummerus, Wärtsilä-Arabia’s PR Manager, and asked the company for financial support. Gummerus was immediately enthusiastic about the idea and recognised the opportunity to take Finnish design to the world. He negotiated the funding for the Finnish exhibition jointly from the state and private businesses such as Wärtsilä-Arabia, Iittala, Boman and Artek.

Gummerus was sent to the Triennale as a representative of the Finnish state. With his language skills, he took the role of helper and liaison to the Triennale organisation for not only Finland but also other participating countries. H. O. Gummerus was a journalist by education and had lived in Rome in his childhood and youth, as his father Herman Gummerus had served as Finland’s Envoy to Rome.

Later, he had studied in Paris and New York. In October 1952, he became the first Director of the Finnish Society of Crafts and Design, and from there began his work as a promoter of Finnish design, lasting almost a quarter of a century.

The IX Triennale di Milano in 1951 was an international breakthrough and a great victory for the Finnish applied arts. The Finns received a total of 25 awards, six of which were the highest prizes, the Grand Prix. Tapio Wirkkala was the exhibition commissioner and exhibition architect and won three Grand Prix, one of which was for exhibition architecture.

The Finnish section was simplified and elegant. According to Wirkkala, austerity and minimalism were stylistic means for disguising the shortage and deprivation that prevailed in post-war Finland. There was an abundance of glass and ceramics on display in the exhibition, but only a few textiles, for example.

Foreign magazine reviews praised the objects’ stripped-down design language and restrained colour scheme, and the objects were found to reflect Finnish nature. The Italian magazine Domus dedicated 14 pages with pictures for the Finnish section. The success gave rise to talk of “the miracle of Milan”.

Photo: Pietinen

The exhibition was designed by interior designer Ilmari Tapiovaara. In Tapiovaara’s words, the exhibition was a way to show what the term ‘industrial design’ meant and how it differed from exclusive applied arts. Finnish applied art exhibitions had been criticised for showcasing luxurious unique artefacts and forgetting the ordinary everyday objects. This exhibition was also a way to improve cooperation with industry and assure the consumer of the competitiveness of Finnish products.

The exhibition had been divided into different sections which each had its own symbol representing the subjects or shapes found in nature. These included a honeycomb cell, a giant eye and an egg. The main attraction of the exhibition was the first Finnish People’s Car, manufactured by Wihurin Uusi Autokoriteollisuus Oy, which ultimately did not go into production. According to the press, the exhibition showcased objects ‘from a light button to a crane.’ New product groups included plastic items, leather products, household appliances and radio devices.

Over 11,000 people visited the exhibition and guided tours of the exhibition led by designers were held. The exhibition was also reported on in several radio programmes and on the TES Television.