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COMPANY Aamu Song & Johan Olin Eteläinen Hesperiankatu 14 E 2 FI-00100 Helsinki info@com-pa-ny.com www.com-pa-ny.com |
SALAKAUPPA Tarkk'ampujankatu 5 FI-00120 Helsinki Wed-Fri 13-18, Sat 12-18 info@salakauppa.fi www.salakauppa.fi |
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COMPANY
is Aamu Song & Johan Olin, a design company based in Helsinki, Finland.
They work as artists and designers – often more like detectives – and run their own shop Salakauppa in Helsinki.
Education
Aamu studied industrial design at Seoul National University before coming to Finland to do her Masters Degree in furniture design at the University of Art and Design Helsinki (today called Aalto University).
Johan studied at the same university, first graphic design and later spatial design, then met Aamu and started COMPANY in year 2000.
COMPANY history
2023 Open new shop-gallery SALAKAUPPA (Secret Shop) in Helsinki (add. Tarkk'ampujankatu5, 00130 Helsinki).
2020 COMPANY Ateljé moves to Lallukka Artist House in Helsinki (add. Apollonkatu 13 E 2, 00100 Helsinki).
2015 Open COMPANY X SALAKAUPPA (Work X Shop) in Helsinki (add. Laivurinkatu 10, 00150 Helsinki).
2008 Open own shop SALAKAUPPA (Secret Shop) in Helsinki (add. Postikatu 1, 00100 Helsinki).
2007 Start searching and designing of own SECRETS production based on manufacturing traditions around the world.
2002 Start Anteeksi group (founding members of a collective of architects and designers).
2000 Start COMPANY design practice.
Selected projects
SECRETS projects are travels around the world to find great manufacturers.
Based on each makers own tradition we create new items – country by country.
SECRETS OF MEXICO -a collection of fantastical items with Mexican masters
The project was first shown in COMPANY's solo exhibition at Design Museum Helsinki 2019
SECRETS OF USA -a product family with Amish makers in Pennsylvania USA
The project was first shown at Storefront for Art and Architecture in New York
at COMPANYs solo exhibition ’Temple of Manufacturing’ in summer 2017
SECRETS OF JAPAN -a sprited collection of products with traditional manufacturers in Japan
The project was first shown at the Aomori Museum of Art, Japan 2015
SECRETS OF ESTONIA -a collection of new traditional items with Estonian manufacturers
The collection was first shown at the Estonian Design Museum 2013
SECRETS OF RUSSIA -a product family with great, grand Russian manufacturers
The collection was first shown at KIASMA Museum of Contemporary Art in Finland 2012
SECRETS OF HELSINKI -a collection with manufacturers inside the Helsinki city borders
The project was first shown as part of Helsinki World Design Capital exhibitions 2012
SECRETS OF BELGIUM -a collection of products with local manufacturers in Belgium
The collection was first shown at Brussels Design Week 2010
SECRETS OF CENTRAL FINLAND -a product family with manufacturers in Central Finland
The collection was first shown at Craft Museum of Finland 2010
SECRETS OF VIETNAM -a set of traditional footwear with local makers
The project was first shown at Himiko Gallery in Ho Chi Minh City 2008
SECRETS OF KOREA -a collection of shoes, bags and accessories with local makers
The project was first shown at Milan Furniture Fair, Italy 2008
SECRETS OF FINLAND -a product family with ever growing number of Finnish manufacturers
The collection was first shown at KIASMA Museum of Contemporary Art in Finland 2007
Selected public art projects
ART CARPET for Helsinki Central library Oodi, Finland (2018)
FLOWER VASE TREES art for a new Hospital in Espoo. A set of 18 steel sculptures holding glass flower vases.
Comissioned by EMMA Museum, Finland (2016)
ATENEUM FURNITURES meeting space / lobby furnitures for The Finnish National Gallery ATENEUM, Finland (2013)
SAMMEN / TOGETHER a multicultural foyer furniture for museum lobby. Trondheim Kunstmuseum, Norway (2012)
SOUNDS OF SEA a set of nine stainless steel sculptures for the The City of Auckland, New Zealand (2011)
HELGA MOUNTAIN a public sculpture (for children). City of Kongsberg, Norway (2011)
CITY PETS a family of concrete animals/seats for Poltinaho housing area, Hämeenlinna, Finland (2010)
KAIDE-TAIDE & COLOUR CURTAINS art for two new residental blocks in Toukoranta, Helsinki (2009)
CONCERTS IN WOODS outdoor concert space/installation for Our Festival, Finland (2009, 2010 & 2013)
PICASSO’s LIVINGROOM a space in the spirit of Picasso for The Finnish National Gallery ATENEUM, Finland (2009)
MACHABANG a spatial installation for IAS Art Space. Seoul, Korea (2008)
MINI-SCHOOL a set of concrete sculptures for Koulutanhua school Helsinki, Finland (2007)
REDDRESS a dress/concert space (in co-operation with Kvadrat and Louisiana Modern Art Museum, 2004)
Other selected projects
HERMÈS Summer windows Northern Europe: Amsterdam, Brussels, Luxemburg, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm (2024)
HERMÈS Spring windows for Maison Dosan, Seoul (2024)
SECRETS OF IMAGINATIONLAND -a journey to meet manufacturers existing in our imagination (2021)
SECRETS OF FINLAND for Artek. A ceramic product family for Artek (2019)
HOUSE OF CARDS / KORTTITALO. Installation for EMMA Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Finland (2018)
INTERNATIONAL GENDER EQUALITY PRIZE. Design for a new award given biannually by the Government of Finland (2018)
MOOMIN MUSEUM lobby space and furnitures for the new Moomin Museum in Tampere, Finland (2017)
MOOMIN FOREST an installation for museum visitors. GL Strand, Copenhagen, Denmark (2017)
POSTAGE STAMP SET ’CRAFTS’ for Posti Ltd (The Post of Finland 2015)
ART KIOSK SALAPALATSI a conceptual kiosk/exhibition for the Helsinki Art Museum, Finland (2015)
VALOPALLO a wooden lamp for Aarikka, Finland (2014)
MAAILMAN MEKOT / GLOBAL DRESSES Marimekko / Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum, Finland (2014)
AHEAD AREENA central arena design for Habitare Furniture Fair, Helsinki (2014)
SAUNA STOOL a new stool for Kulttuurisauna, Helsinki. Manufacturer Nikari Oy (2013)
AUGUST STOOL (aka RUDI-KARI Stool) for Nikar, Finlandi (2012)
GUIDING HATS for Gwangju Design Biennale, Korea. A collection of headwear using trad. bamboo techniques. (2011)
FARMERS’ GOLD by Editions in Craft, Sweden. A collection of items using trad. straw weaving techniques. (2010)
LISN TO FINLAND: TUOKKU –a portable insence holder for Shiheido, Japan (2007)
KENTAURI a furniture collection for Piiroinen and Marimekko, Finland (2005)
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Awards and Grants
Aamu and Johan have been recognized of their works with the
State Prize for Design in 2010 by the Art Council of Finland.
Other awards include the
Helsinki Design Award, Finland 2018,
World Changing Attention Grant 2009,
Special Mention Award, Milan Furniture Fair, Salone Satellite, Italy 2008,
Finnish Labour Association Diploma in 2007 and in
2004 the Golden Award at Blickfang Design Fair, Zurich, Switzerland (together with Anteeksi group).
COMPANY has received artist grants from
Arts Promotion Centre Finland,
The Finnish Cultural Foundation,
The Korean Ministry of Commerce,
Frame Fund Finland,
Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland and
The City of Helsinki.
Artist residency grants from:
Finnish Institute in New York (U.S.),
Gapado Air (Korea),
MJF Foundation (Norway),
Ssamzie Space (Korea),
Villa Waldberta (Germany).
Works in collections
COMPANYs works belong to the permanent collections of
Design Museum Helsinki, Finland
EMMA Museum of Modern Art, Finland
Helsinki Art Museum HAM, Finland
The Islandic Design Museum
The Institut für Auslandbeziehungen, Germany
Museum of Art, Seoul National University, South Korea
Trondheim Kunstmuseum, Norway
V&A Museum of Childhood, UK
COMPANY’s products from the SECRETS collection are available across the globe in selected stores such as
ARTEK, Helsinki, Finland. Tokyo, Japan
CALL, IDEÉ, ISETAN, Tokyo, Japan
COOPERHEWITT
Museum Shop, NYC, US
DESIGN MUSEUM Shop, Helsinki Finland
HAY, Copenhagen, Denmark
HEATH, San Francisco & Los Angeles, US
LAFAYETTE ANTICIPATIONS, Paris, France
MoMA Design Store, NYC, US
SVENSKT TENN, Stockholm, Sweden
THE CONRAN SHOP, UK, France, Germany, Japan
VITRA DESIGN MUSEUM Shop, Weil am Rhein, Germany
Clients & collaborators
While Aamu and Johan put their main focus in collaborations with extraordinary makers in their own SECRETS project, they have also found time to work on commissions with companies such as
Artek, Hermès, Ideé/Muji, Kvadrat, Marimekko, Nikari and the Finnish Post.
They’ve designed comissioned projects for museums and institutions such as
Ateneum (Finnish National Gallery), Design Museum Helsinki, GL Strand Copenhagen, Habitare Fair Helsinki, HAM Helsinki Art Museum, EMMA Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art ,Kulturhuset Stockholm, Louisiana Museum of Art, The Moomin Museum, Spiral Gallery Tokyo, Storefront for Art and Architecture NYC and Trondheim Art Museum, Norway.
Public art works they've designed for the cities of
Auckland, New Zealand. Espoo & Helsinki, Finland. Kongsberg, Norway.
Teaching
Aamu and Johan have been visiting teachers and lecturers at
Aalto University School of Architecture, Finland
Boisbuchet (by Vitra Design Museum & Centre Pompidou) France
Cranbrook Academy of Art, US
Forsbergs Design School,
Stockholm, Sweden
Iceland Design Academy, Reykjavik, Iceland
Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, Stockholm, Sweden
Seoul National University, South Korea.
University of Art and Design Helsinki, Finland
Virginia Commonwealth University, US
They’ve been invited speakers to various venues including
Aomori Art Museum, Japan.AXIS gallery Tokyo, Japan. Auckland City hall, New Zealand. Design Museum, Finland. The Finnish Embassy in Tallin, Estonia. The Finnish Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia. Estonian Academy of Arts, Estonia. Habitare Fair, Helsinki, Finland. Helsinki University, Finland. The Kennedy Center Washington, US. KIASMA Museum of Contemporary Art, Finland. London Design Festival, UK. Nizhniy Novgorod University, Russia. Reykjavik Art Museum, Iceland. Sofia Design Week, Bulgaria. Seoul Design Festival, South Korea. Stockholms Arkitektförening, Sweden.
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Exhibitions
COMPANY’s works have been presented in several museums and galleries such as
21_21 Design Sight Tokyo, ARTIUM Fukuoka Japan, ATENEUM / Finnish National Gallery, Aomori Museum of Art Japan, AXIS gallery Tokyo, Castello Sforzesco Milan, D+A museum Los Angeles, Danish Design Center, Design Museum Finland, Design Forum Finland, Design Museum Holon Tel Aviv, Estonian Museum of Art and Design, Form Design Center Sweden, Frankfurter Kunstverein, Hafnarborg museum, Iceland, INSA Art Space Seoul, The Kennedy Center Washington, KIASMA Museum of Contemporary Art Helsinki, Kunsthalle Helsinki, Kulturhuset Stockholm, Lousiana Museum of Modern Art Denmark, MAMM Moscow, Matadero Madrid, MOCA Shanghai, Raathaus Galerie Munich, Seoul Culture Station. Spazio Rossana Orlandi Milan, Temporary Art Museum Bangkok, Trondheim Kunstmuseum Norway, Museum Vandalorum Sweden, V&A Museum of Childhood UK and Wanås Konst Sweden.
They’ve had solo and group shows at commercial fairs in
Blickfang Designfair Zurich, Bucharest Design Week, Brussels Design September, DMY Berlin, Designblok Prague, Formex Fair Stockholm, Gwangju Design Biennale, Habitare Furniture Fair Helsinki, ICFF New York, London Design Festival, Milan Furniture Fair, Saint Étienne Design Biennial, Seoul Design Week, Sofia Design Week, Stockholm Furniture Fair, Tokyo Design Art and Venice Architecture Biennale.
They’ve also exhibited in Finnish Cultural Institutes in Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, London, Paris, Oslo, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Tokyo and Washington D.C. as well as in the Korean Cultural Centre in London.
Selected solo exhibitions (a full list of exhibitions in the ’exhibitions‘ folder)
2024 SALAKAUPPA Vending Machine Tour, Tokyo-Osaka-Yame, Japan
2023 SEA MONSTERS -An Uneducated Expedition to Find Lost Sea Monsters. Muji Gallery Finland
2023 SALAKAUPPA Gallery Shop
(on-going) Tarkk'ampujankatu 5 00120 Helsinki Finland
2023 SALAKAUPPA MARKET in Artek Tokyo Japan
2022 SECRETS OF IMAGINATIONLAND. Muji Gallery. Helsinki, Finland
2019 SECRET UNIVERSE. Designmuseum, Helsinki, Finland
2018 SECRETS FROM FOREST. ARTIUM, Fukuoka, Japan
2017 SECRETS OF SOUTHERN JAPAN, Spiral Building & Call. Tokyo, Japan
2017 TEMPLE OF MANUFACTURING. Storefront for Art and Architecture. New York, USA
2016 SALAKAUPPA X ARTEK. Artek Helsinki store, Finland
2015 SECRETS OF NORTHERN JAPAN. Aomori Museum of Art, Japan
2013 SECRETS OF ESTONIA. Estonian Museum of Applied Art And Design, Estonia
2013 SECRETS OF RUSSIA. Borey Art Center. St Petersburg, Russia
2011 REDDRESS & COMPANY. York Hall, London Design Festival, UK
2011 COMPANY in Coffice. Stockholm Designweek, Sweden
2011 COMPANY SECRET SHOP. Spark | Design Space. Reykjavik, Iceland
2010 SECRETS OF CENTRAL FINLAND. The Craft Museum of Finland
2008 SALAKAUPPA / SECRET SHOP (2008-2023) Postikatu 1, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
2008 COMPANY SECRET SHOP. Finnish Cultural Institute, Oslo, Norway
2008 REDDRESS in Designmai. Elizabeth Church Berlin, Germany
2008 MACHABANG. COMPANY in INSA Art Space. Seoul, Korea
2007 TOP SECRETS OF FINLAND. KIASMA Museum of Contemporary Art, Finland
2007 REDDRESS + COMPANY. Designmuseum. Helsinki, Finland
2006 COMPANY Homeland. Design Forum Finland, Helsinki, Finland
2005 REDDRESS World Premier. Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark
2005 AAMU LAND +Laboratorium. Copenhagen, Denmark
Selected solo shows at design fairs
2025 SALAKAUPPA by COMPANY. Small Small Space, Milan Design Week, Italy
2011 COMPANY Secret Shop. DMY Design Festival Berlin, Germany
2010 COMPANY ’Secrets of Belgium’ (touring exhibition) Brussels Design September
2009 COMPANY Mobile. Milan Furniture Fair, SaloneSatellite, Italy
2008 COMPANY Secret Shop. Milan Furniture Fair, Salone Satellite, Italy
Selected group exhibitions (a full list of exhibitions in the ’exhibitions‘ folder)
2023 Ocean Blindness. Axis Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2022 Design Matters. Harbourfront Center, Toronto, Canada
2020 Travel as a Tool, Design Museum Helsinki, Finland
2019 Wild at Heart. Vienna Design Week, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Japan
2019 FIN/JPN Friendship collection. Artek, Milan Furniture Fair, Italy
2018 Century of the Child. V&A Museum of Childhood, UK
2017 FIN / 100. 21_21 Design Sight, Gallery 3, Tokyo, Japan
2017 33 Beginnings – 100 years of Finnish design. MAMM, Moscow, Russia
2017 Seoul Design Week. Seoul, Korea
2017 Echoes. Finland 100 yrs. Warsov, Bratislava, Prague, Berlin
2016 Mode & Moments (Korea fashion 100 yrs). Seoul Station, Korea
2016 Research RE: researched. Post Territory Ujeongguk. Seoul, Korea
2016 Roundabout Baltic. Stalowa Wola, Poland. Form/Design Center, Sweden
2016 Objects of Desire. Design Museum, Finland
2016 Zakka. 21_21 Design Sight. Tokyo, Japan
2015 Century of the Child. Design Museum, Finland & Denmark
2015 Anthology of Finnish fashion. Design Museum, Finland
2015 We Live Here. Stockholm Design Week, Sweden
2014 Kimpassa. Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum, Finland
2014 Play Nordic. Nordic Embassies, Berlin, Germany
2013 Shop Show. Form Design Center, Sweden & Design Museum, Finland
2013 Nordic Cool. The Kennedy Center. Washinton DC, US
2013 Finnish Form. Design Museum. Helsinki, Finland
2012 12 Designs for Nature. Kellohalli, Finland. STHLM Fair, Sweden
2012 Camouflage (Secrets of Russia). Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum, Finland
2012 Sammen/Together. Trondheim Kunstmuseum, Norway
2012 Farmer’s Gold. Spazio Rossana Orlandi. Milan, Italy
2012 ULTRABODY. Castello Sforzesco. Milan, Italy
2012 DesignWorld. Design Museum. Helsinki, Finland
2011 Gwangju Design Biennale. Gwangju, Korea
2011 The History of Future (2050). Ggooll space. Seoul, Korea
2011 New Olds. Design Museum Holon. Tel Aviv, Israel
2010 13798 grams. Lambretto Art Project, Milan Fuori Salone, Italy
2010 Heroes. Krehky Gallery, Prague, Czech Republic
2010 Children’s Sizes. Hafnarborg museum, Iceland
2009 FinDesign. Matadero Central de Diseño. Madrid, Spain
2009 My Perfect Neighbours. London Design festival, UK
2008 Singletown by Droog Design. Venice Architecture Biennale, Italy
2008 SuperStructures. Himiko Gallery. Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
2008 Night on Earth. Showroom Berlin, Myymälä2 Helsinki, Moca Shanghai
2005–09 Sauma Design as Cultural Interface.
Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Oslo and Stavanger
2008 Ssamzie Space. ’Made in Korea’. Seoul, Korea
2007 Lisn to Finland. Helsinki, Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan
2007 Sparkling design, Kunsthalle Helsinki, Finland
2006 Blueberry shop-play. Finnish Cultural Institute. Paris, France
2006 Freispiel. Raathaus Galerie, Munchen, Germany
2006 Remix-retouch. Fiskars smithy, Finland
2006 Cool Dozen -chair exhibition. Toronto, Canada
2006 Soi Sabai Temporary Museum. Bangkok, Thailand
2005 Fiction hotel. Kulturhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
2005 Parallel life. Frankfurt Kunstverein, Germany
2005 ICFF Furniture Fair. New York, USA
2004 Blickfang Design Fair, Zürich, Switzerland
2004–13 Milari, Annual Furniture Fair. Finland
2003–10 Fäsäri, Annual Fashion show. Finland
2003 Lightplatform. Stockholm Furniture Fair, Sweden
2001 Lightplatform. Habitare Fair Helsinki, Finland
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Press / Magazines
COMPANY’s works have been published in magazines such as
ABITARE (Italy), ART (Germany), ART IN CULTURE (Korea), AXIS (Japan), BLUEPRINT (UK), BRUTUS (Japan), CASA BRUTUS (Japan), CASAMICA (Italy), CRAFTS (UK), DAMN° (Belgium), DESIGN REPORT (Germany), DISENO INTERIOR (Spain), DESIGNO (UK), EL MUNDO (Spain), EL PAIS (Spain), ELLE DECORATION (Ger, UK), ELLE DECO (Italy), ELLE DECOR (Japan), FINANCIAL TIMES (UK), FORM (Sweden), FRAME (Netherlands), FRIEZE (UK), GUARDIAN (UK), HELSINGIN SANOMAT (Finland), ICON (UK), IDEA (Japan), IDN (Hong Kong), INTERNI (Italy), I.D. (U.S.), LA REPUBBLICA (Italy), MARIE CLAIRE (Italy), METROPOLIS (U.S.), MILK (France), MONITOR (Ger/It), MONOCLE (UK), OTTAGONO (Italy), PEN (Japan), PLAZA (Sweden), POLITIKEN (Denmark), PRINT (U.S.), SPUR (Japan), SURFACE (U.S.), THE NEW YORK TIMES (U.S.), WALLPAPER (UK).
(A more complete list in the ‘bibliography‘ folder)
Online design magazines include
Designboom, Dezeen, Design Stories, Colossal, It's Nice That, Wallpaper, among others.
Press / Books
Projects published in book include
&FORK (Phaidon, 2007)
20+12 (WSOY, Finland 2011)
CHILL-OUT SPACES (Tectum, Belgium 2004)
CRAZY GIFTS (Brandstatter Verlag, Germany 2010)
DESIGNED FOR THE FUTURE (Princeton Architectural Press, US 2015)
DESIGNKUPLIA (Aalto ARTS Books, Finland 2013)
FINNISH DESIGN YEARBOOK (DFF 2006-2015)
FORMS WITH A SMILE (Stichting kunstboek, Belgium 2008)
GOING PUBLIC (Gestalten 2012)
IDEOLOGY/FORM/MATERIAL (Designmuseum, Finland 2013)
MONOCLE Guide to Shops, Kiosks and Markets (Gestalten 2019)
NEW OLDS (AVedition 2011)
NORDIC DESIGNERS (Arvinius Förlag, Sweden 2011)
PLAY ALL DAY (Gestalten 2009)
PURE FINLAND (Garden City Publishers 2007)
ONCE UPON A CHAIR (Gestalten 2009)
REDDRESS (TAIK publications, Finland 2007)
SECRETS OF NORTHERN JAPAN (Aomori Museum of Art, Japan 2015)
SHOP IMAGE GRAPHICS IN SCANDINAVIA (PIE Books, Japan 2010)
SUOMALAINEN MUOTOILU I & II (WSOY 2008 & 2009)
SUOMALAISEN DESIGNIN UUDET MIELENTILAT (Otava, Finland 2007)
ULTRABODY (Corraini Edizioni, Italy 2012)
TOGETHER / KIMPASSA (Kiasma, Finland 2014)
TOP SECRETS OF FINLAND (Kiasma, Finland 2007)
WHAT DO YOU LOVE? (IDN, Hong Kong 2007)
COMPANY's own publications include
SECRETS OF IMAGINATIONLAND (Company 2021)
SECRET UNIVERSE (Design Museum Helsinki 2019)
THE BOOK OF SECRETS (Company 2016)
SECRETS OF RUSSIA
(Company 2012)
10 YEARS IN GOOD COMPANY (Company 2011)
REDBOOK (The Finnish Institute London / Company 2011)
COMPANY COOKBOOK (Company 2008)
AAMULAND (Company 2005)
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