Aino & Alvar Aalto at Vandalorum

Exhibition May 23, 2026–January 24, 2027

Press preview: Friday, May 22 at 11:00 AM, in the presence of collector Pertti Männistö, exhibition curator at Kunsthalle Helsinki Eeva Holkeri, and Vandalorum museum director Elna Svenle. RSVP to johanna.hansson@vandalorum.se

This exhibition presents Aino Marsio-Aalto and Alvar Aalto, one of the most significant duos in 20th-century design and architecture. They worked as equal partners and developed a design language that combined soft organic forms with function and sustainability. The exhibition features more than 300 of their iconic objects—furniture, glass, lighting, and unique prototypes—drawn from the private Aalto collection of Pertti Männistö, the largest of its kind in the world.

Aino Marsio-Aalto (1894–1949) was trained as an architect in Helsinki, Finland. In 1924, she began working at Alvar Aalto’s architectural office, and the same year they married. Aino Marsio-Aalto quickly distinguished herself through her aesthetic sensibility, material knowledge, and craftsmanship. She made significant contributions to modern glass design, furniture design, and interiors, and co-founded Artek in 1935, where she served as Design Director and later CEO.

Alvar Aalto (1898–1976) was one of the leading architects of modernism and Finland’s most internationally renowned figure in the field. A pioneer of functionalism, he began in the late 1930s to move toward the organic architecture that would influence generations to come. He came to view his buildings as seamless wholes that also included custom-designed interiors, furniture, and lighting.

The exhibition at Vandalorum includes director Virpi Suutari’s award-winning documentary film about the Aaltos, featuring the Aalto-collection of Pertti Männistö. Vandalorum will also publish a catalogue with new texts by American author and curator Nina Stritzler-Levine and Swedish writer Hedvig Hedqvist, with photographs by Patrik Lindell. The exhibition design is created by TAF Studio.

The exhibition is based on Kunsthalle Helsinki Aallot — Aino and Alvar Aalto Through the Eyes of a Collector (2022) and AALTO Aino & Alvar at Millesgården Museum (2025–26).

The Artist's Stool

In connection with the exhibition, Vandalorum and Artek present The Artist’s Stool, a project in which contemporary artists and designers have been invited to independently transform a newly produced Stool 60 in birch, originally designed by Alvar Aalto in the early 1930s. The stools will be exhibited at Vandalorum and eventually auctioned. The proceeds will be shared equally between the creators and Vandalorum. Vandalorum’s share will go entirely to the Design School, where children and teenagers meet weekly to learn about design and participate in workshops with professional designers and artists.

Participants in The Artist’s Stool: Peter Andersson, Karin Broos, Folkform (Anna Holmquist & Chandra Ahlsell), Maria Jeglinska-Adamczewska, Richard Johansson, Jenny Nordberg, Masayoshi Oya, Fredrik Paulsen, Sigrid Sandström, TAF (Gabriella Lenke & Mattias Ståhlbom), Gustaf Westman

Thanks to: Tore G. Wärenstam Foundation, Estrid Ericson Foundation, Swedish Arts Council, Region Jönköping County, Värnamo Municipality, and Vandalorum’s Partners: Hamrin, Liljedahl, Svenstig

Photos:
^{Aino Marsio-Aalto & Alvar Aalto, Aalto's Flower 1939, photo: Elina Männistö
Aino Marsio-Aalto & Alvar Aalto in the garden outside their Riihitie house in Helsinki 1936, courtsey: Heikki Aalto-Alanen
Alvar Aalto, Armchair 37 1936, Pertti Männistö's Collection, photo: Anssi Vaarola
Solarium terrace at Paimio Sanatorium in Finland, photo: Gustaf Welin/Alvar Aalto Foundation (1933) 
Alvar Aalto, Paimio Armchair 1931-32, Pertti Männistö's Collection, photo: Anssi Vaarola
Aino Marsio-Aalto, Floor Lamp 607 A 1941, Pertti Männistö's Collection, photo: Anssi Vaarola
Alvar Aalto Stool 60 1933, Pertti Männistö's Collection, photo: Anssi Vaarola}