CABINETS OF WISDOM

Presentation of Finlandia vodka’s campaign -“1000 Years of Less Ordinary Wisdom”

Exhibition Cabinets of Wisdom

Commissioned by: Next-DC

Task: Exhibition, organisation and communication

Participants:

Cabinets’ content: Antti Kalevi, Iina Vuorivirta, Kirsi Enkovaara, Eero Lampinen, Saana ja Olli and Marjukka Takala

Set design and design of the cabinets: Eva Ventova

November 2016, Sofia 

This is the third project for which Next-DC decides to collaborate with us on Finlandia vodka’s campaign – 1000 Years of Less Ordinary Wisdom. We received the brief to develop a concept in which Finnish creatives depict new artistic narratives around Bulgarian proverbs in a pop-up exhibition. Drawing inspiration from the widely popular in Renaissance Europe – Cabinets of curiosities, we built our idea upon them and named the exhibition Cabinets of Wisdom. Throughout the Renaissance wooden cupboards known as “cabinets of curiosity” were filled with contents and ornamental details intended to reflect an entire cosmos on a miniature scale. The selection of the Finnish participants was motivated by the variety of their artistic expression and the different spheres they work in: illustration, product design, textile, art. 

The tongue has no bones, but bones it can break

Drop by drop, a pond forms.

If you pretend to be a sheep, the wolf shall eat you.

The quick job is a shame to the craftsman.

Not every tree can a whistle make.

You can reach Constantinople by asking questions.

The resulting works vary in form and character but are united by the exposition design — six contemporary cabinets of curiosity constructed by Bulgarian stage artist Eva Ventova. These newly created Cabinets of Wisdom juxtapose apparently unrelated cultural traditions and narratives and show their interconnectedness with the rest of the world in ways that encourage curiosity and innovative thinking.

The exhibition was presented for ten days in a space in the process of renovation and under construction on the central Sofia street – Shishman. Three of the Finnish designers flew over for the opening event. All national TV stations had live coverage of the exhibition, and interviews and texts ran in all major radios, print and on-line media.