Cultural Environment Wednesdays: Art Nouveau at the Paris 1900 World´s Fair
The Cultural Environment Wednesdays lecture series celebrate the completion of Helsinki’s cultural environment program. During the spring, a series of three presentations will be heard in Helsinki City Museum’s lobby every other Wednesday. On March 22, historian Marikit Taylor will give a presentation on Art Nouveau at the Paris 1900 World’s Fair. Please note that this lecture is in English.
In 1900, Art Nouveau was at the height of its popularity. At the World’s Fair, this new style played an important, often underestimated political role, in a context of rising nationalism and political tensions. Countries such as Finland used Art Nouveau to promote national identity and the dream of independence. With its flowing curves and floral motifs, Art Nouveau was also used to decorate industrial pavilions and pleasure palaces. As 50 million visitors passed through the “Porte Binet”, an ephemeral world devoted to beauty and the glory of modern man opened up before them.
Lecturer Marikit Taylor is a historian specialized in architectural and industrial history. She has focused much in her research on international Art Nouveau. In 2019 she was delighted to contribute to Helsinki City Museum’s publication on Helsinki Art Nouveau.
Cultural Environment Wednesdays:
8.3. Mikko Lindqvist: Helsinki’s Empire Plan – basis, historical layers and present day of city planning (in Finnish)
22.3. Marikit Taylor: Art Nouveau at the Paris 1900 World´s Fair. Finland’s pavilion amidst national representations and palaces built for pleasure (in English)
5.4. Juha Vuorinen: Pearls of 1970s Helsinki; Merihaka, Itä-Pasila & SIltamäki – starting points for understanding regional cultural environment values
Read more of cultural environment:
https://www.helsinginkaupunginmuseo.fi/en/pictures-objects-helsinki/cultural-environment/
Photo: Finland’s pavilion at the Paris World’s Fair in 1900. Finna.fi, Aalto University.
