STAND

The stand integrates the objects in the exhibition, its design historical information and the visitors' comments. An interactive map with the layout of the permanent exhibition is the interface (built using
ImaNote). On the map it’s possible to navigate different materials related to the design objects, leave comments and links to Internet resources.

Through the stand, the design historical and documentative material by museum experts is exhibited in parallel to stories gathered from museum visitors. In the first stage results and different audio-visual materials from the workshops (Esa and the Objects, The Sound of Objects and Odes for the Objects) are displayed. Visitors can comment on these results, on the objects from the exhibition and on other visitors' comments.

Comments can be made on-site using the interactive stand in the museum or on-line from a remote station (ex. at home). By allowing comments before, during and after the visit is a way our aim is to extend and enrich the dialogue within the museum community.

The interactive stand was tested during two days in November 2007. Its pilot version is in use in a series of events from January to May 2008. During the "Secret Life of Objects, an interactive map" exhibition, the interactive stand is all day open to the general public. So, you can use it in the Design Museum and Take a look or leave your message here/ Jätä viesti tähän


Keydates
During January and February the interactive stand was open to the public during the workshops or events in the museum as during the opening of Sauma Exhibition and Yrjö Kukkapuro. From 21.02.08 to 24.02.08 the interactive stand is open to the public the whole day because of Winter Holidays in Finland.
In the exhibition: The Secret Life of Objects 18.3. - 1.6.2009 the stand is accessible all day.

The project in brief

"The Secret Life of Objects" is a research project done in collaboration between the Media Lab of the University of Art and Design and the Design Museum in Helsinki. The project started with the Museum's initiative to develop services for the permanent exhibition of Finnish modern design.

The project develops and at the moment has its own exhibition: The Secret Life of Objects, an Interactive Map of Finnish Design. From 18.03.08 to 1.06.08 in Design Museum.

From the museum point of view the main idea of the project was to explore how to discuss design objects with different groups, using different media resources. We organized workshops in which teenagers and children were invited to work with design objects using music, poetry, photography and drawing. Audio-visual materials gathered in the workshops are accessible in the exhibition and on-line through the interactive map and the blog .

The central question of the research project is how to design for participation in museums and what are the expected results of this participation. The interactive map is used as case study of visitors participating in co-creating the message of the exhibition. Visitors can comment on the historical material related to the objects, on the material coming from the workshops, on the objects of the exhibition, on other visitors' comments, on the exhibition as a whole, and on the future design.

It is also part of this project the development of a video production framework for documenting the workshops and started to make concepts for new uses of the materials.

In a later stage we will develop a concept for the Design Museum's own web TV channel, using the material created during the workshop with children in an attempt to take them to kindergartens outside Helsinki.

Contact Person: Mariana Salgado msalgado@taik.fi

Esa and the Objects workshops

“Esa ja esineet” (Esa and the objects) is a series of workshops designed for five-year old children exploring a series of design objects (5) of the Museum’s permanent exhibition. The aim is to collaborate with the Design Museum team in the research of the methods for discussing design objects especially with children, and at the same time introduce them to several different digital media tools.

Each workshop starts with the children watching a puppet show. The puppet (Esa) dreams about a mysterious object. After watching the show the children are invited to discuss about that object, what kind of object it is, is it familiar to them, what is it used for. They are also given a context for the theme object inside finnish design.

Following the discussion children are given a task where they can express their own views and feelings for the object, by producing new objects or new contexts for the object. They take pictures of their works using digital cameras and are asked to briefly tell their stories at the end of the workshop straight to a web cam mounted on a computer with Internet access.

The whole process is documented in video format, not only to be kept in the Museum’s archive but also to support later developments of the project such as the Museum web TV.

The first series of workshops took place in November 2007 in Helsinki.

Open letter from the objects to the visitor/ Avoin kirje Esineiltä museokävijälle.

Dear Visitor,

We, the objects in this exhibition, represent the permanent collection of the Design Museum. We are not from your kitchen, or the living room or from your granny's home. We are here, in this display, separated from the everyday function or context. But through your comments we can be part of many stories and places.

This exhibition is a courageous one; it is open. It needs your stories, feelings or ideas to be completed.

The collecting of comments started some time ago. Visitors wrote poems,
made music, drawings and stories inspired by us in workshops and events organised in the museum.

Now is your turn to comment:
How do you see us? How do you use us? Do you connect us with a moment or a person in your life? How do you find this exhibition in general? And what kind of design in your opinion, do we need?

Kind regards,

The Museum Objects

____________________________________________________

Avoin kirje Esineiltä museokävijälle.

Rakas museokävijä,

Me tämän näyttelyn esineet edustamme Designmuseon suomalaisen muotoilun peruskokoelmaa. Me emme siis ole keittiöstäsi tai olohuoneestasi tai isoäitisi kotoa. Olemme täällä, museon näyttelyssä, erossa arjen yhteyksistä ja käytöstä. Sinun ajatustesi välityksellä pääsemme kuitenkin osallisiksi monista tarinoista ja paikoista.

Näyttelymme on avoin / vajavainen. Se odottaa sinun tarinoitasi, tunnelmiasi tai ajatuksiasi tullakseen todeksi.

Ajatusten kokoaminen alkoi jo jonkin aikaa sitten. Museokävijät kirjoittivat runoja, tekivät musiikkia, piirsivät ja kertoivat tarinoita meidän innostamanamme museolla järjestettyjen työpajojen aikana.

Nyt on sinun vuorosi: Miten sinä näet meidät? Miten käytät meitä? Liitätkö meidät johonkin tapahtumaan tai henkilöön elämässäsi? Mitä ajattelet tästä näyttelystä yleisesti? Ja minkälaista muotoilua me sinun mielestäsi tarvitsemme?

Ystävällisin terveisin,

Museoesineet