Concept Store Group Exhibition

The Concept Store exhibition explores phenomena of commercial culture from the designer’s perspective. Designers are often seen as gatekeepers of “cool” — figures standing above trends, commerce, and tastelessness. This exhibition critically examines that role and turns it on its head: what if the designer is also a consumer among many, and design becomes a tool for reflecting on one’s own relationship with consumption?

The group exhibition engages with themes of commercialism, authenticity, and critical design. It asks whether the designer guides design or whether design shapes their relationship with culture, while blurring the boundaries between gallery and commercial space as works move across mockups, photographs, products, and messages.

Aarni Kapanen (b. 1998), Veera Kortelainen (b. 1995), Akseli Manner (b. 1999), and Sanna Nykänen (b. 1999) are multidisciplinary visual communication designers whose work spans typography, strategic design, publications, and coding. They use design as a means for social engagement and for rethinking established ways of thinking.