Artek Pavilion to be offered in sale of 20th Century Design, June 14, 2008 Sotheby’s is proud to offer the Artek Pavilion by internationally recognized architect Shigeru Ban in collaboration with UPM, as part of the June 14, 2008 sale of Important 20th Century Design.
by Artek and the forest products group UPM in April of 2007, in
Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, Italy, in the triennial garden, a legendary platform in
international design. In September of 2007, the Pavilion was erected in Helsinki, Finland in the area
between the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum. In December of 2007, the
nomadic pavilion was reconstructed and placed on exhibition for the third time at Design Miami, Florida.
Pavilions as architectural manifestations and exhibition spaces for furniture and lighting have had a
significant role throughout Artek’s history. They have had global influence in the fields of architecture and
design as tangible representations of an era – and materialize the on-going Artek ideology of promoting
humane and innovative design in the present. The most well known examples of these pavilions go back
to the 1930s, to the Paris (1936-37) and New York (1939) World Fairs. These pavilions were designed by
the Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto and furnished by Artek, the company he founded in 1935.
Pictured: Artek Pavilion at Design Miami in Florida, December of 2007 Photo: Michael Stavaridis)
About Proventus
Proventus is a privately held company that invests in companies in need of change and actively contributes
to their development. In addition to the industrial operations, Proventus is the principal of the arts
museum Magasin 3 Stockholm Konsthall and the Jewish Theatre in Stockholm. Proventus is also engaged
in the arts through Alvar Aalto's Maison Louis Carré in France and the Israeli based Batsheva Dance
Company to which the proceeds of the pavilion will be donated. http://www.proventus.se/
About Artek
Artek was established in 1935 by four young Finns led by the visionary modern architect Alvar Aalto to
promote humane and innovative design. The corner stones of Artek’s product development strategy are
ethics, aesthetics and ecology. Combining the heritage of Alvar Aalto with ambitious product research,
Artek today is more art and tech than ever.
www.artek.fi
About UPM
UPM is one of the world’s leading forest products group. The Group employs around 26,000 people and
in 2007 made sales of EUR 10 billion. UPM’s main products include printing papers, label materials and
wood products. The company has production units in 14 countries and its main market areas are Europe
and North America. UPM’s shares are listed on the Helsinki stock exchange and the company has an ADR
programme on the OTC market in the United States.
www.upm-kymmene.com www.upmprofi.com
About Sotheby’s
Sotheby’s is a global company that engages in art auction, private sales and art-related financing activities.
The Company operates in 40 countries, with principal salesrooms located in New York, London, Hong
Kong and Paris. The Company also regularly conducts auctions in nine other salesrooms around the
world. Sotheby’s is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BID.
www.sothebys.com
For more information, please contact Sotheby’s Press Office, 212 606 7176
# # #
*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium.
