KAJ FRANCK

The Films ￨ Oiva, pöytä ja Kaj Franck ￨ Oiva Toikka - Royal SiO2

OIVA, PÖYTÄ JA KAJ FRANCK

Oiva, Table and Kaj Franck

57 min · Documentary · Yle Areena, 2012

"Oiva, pöytä ja Kaj Franck" is a documentary portrait of Finnish designer Kaj Franck, told largely through the memories of his friend and colleague Oiva Toikka. The film centres on their long professional relationship, which began when Toikka arrived at the Nuutajärvi glassworks in 1963 and found himself working alongside one of the most influential figures in post-war Finnish design.

Returning in 2012 to the same table where they once worked together, Toikka recalls their collaboration and draws while reflecting on Franck’s personality, ideas and deep passion for objects and materials. The documentary also features Franck’s colleagues, students and friends, as well as archival footage filmed by Franck himself in Finland, the United States and Japan. His ideas about simplicity, restraint and ecological responsibility are presented alongside the objects and working practices that made him a defining figure in Finnish design.

The Films ￨ Suomalainen muoto ￨ Kaj Franck - Royal SiO2

SUOMALAINEN MUOTO

Finnish Form

12 min · Documentary · Yle Areena, 1960

"Suomalainen muoto" is a short documentary presenting Finnish art and industrial design at the beginning of the 1960s. The film examines four different aspects of Finnish design through the work of silversmith Bertel Gardberg, textile artist Dora Jung, ceramic designer Kaj Franck and glass artist Timo Sarpaneva.

The film follows the designers at work, showing Gardberg forging silver, Jung weaving nature-inspired textiles, Franck developing functional ceramics and Sarpaneva working with glass. Their work reflects key characteristics associated with Finnish design of the period: purity of form, the combination of beauty and practicality, the influence of nature and close collaboration between designers and skilled craftsmen. The documentary also offers glimpses of other leading Finnish designers and their work, providing a concise visual portrait of the country's celebrated design culture at the beginning of the 1960s.

The Films ￨ Travel as a tool ￨ Kaj Franck - Royal SiO2

TRAVEL AS A TOOL

10 min · Personal film footage by Kaj Franck · Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki, 2020

Kaj Franck – USA 1956 presents colour cine film footage recorded by Finnish designer Kaj Franck during his extensive journey through the United States in 1956. Travelling with the support of two grants, Franck first arrived in New York before crossing the country, continuing later to Mexico, Japan and Thailand. He had acquired a cine camera before his departure and used it to record the places, people and details that caught his attention.

The footage offers a rare glimpse into the world as seen through Franck’s eyes, from New York and Chicago to rural landscapes and coastal towns. Among the recurring subjects are architecture and construction sites, everyday objects, ordinary activities and children at play, revealing the designer’s curiosity about both the built environment and everyday life. The material forms part of a larger archive of 21 reels, of which ten were digitised and edited into four online excerpts for the Architecture & Design Museum Helsinki’s 2020 Travel as a Tool exhibition.

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