Fiskars 375
Throughout 2024, Fiskars celebrated its 375th anniversary. Among the oldest brands and companies in the Western world, Fiskars has championed the ageless principles of high quality, timeless design, and unparalleled functionality ever since the company was founded as an ironworks by the Fiskars river in Finland.
During the 375 years, the world and our understanding of its possibilities have changed in countless ways. Breakthroughs in gravity, electricity, healthcare, industrialization, and technology have shaped the everyday – yet, the essentials remain the same. It’s the little things that we do each day that have the potential to make the everyday extraordinary.
Cooking, creating, gardening are at the core of Fiskars’ offering, and the award-winning, ever-creative design team behind the Fiskars brand are endlessly inspired by Nordic minimalism, pure nature, and the opportunity to do things just a bit better.
“It would have been tempting to create all kinds of anniversary gimmicks, but when we think about it, the Fiskars brand is never about decorations and unnecessary frills. Instead, we focus on the essentials, and make sure every little detail serves a purpose. The same spirit will guide our anniversary celebrations – we want to honor our heritage with a sharp focus on the things that make us Fiskars”, said Nathalie Ahlström, President & CEO of Fiskars Group.
The anniversary events
Fiskars was founded in 1649 as an ironworks by the Fiskars river, in a place known as Fiskars Village. What’s unique about the company heritage is that the company is still very present in its birthplace, taking part in the everyday of the creative art & design community that has taken over the spaces previously occupied by Fiskars manufacturing.
To celebrate the anniversary, Fiskars published a unique book about its birthplace Fiskars Village. The anniversary book offers a glimpse into the everyday life of the creative community in Fiskars Village. The book covers nine inspiring personal narratives and four stories by acclaimed creative writers, and it is full of beautiful images taken during the year’s four seasons.
“Fiskars’ purpose is to increase people’s happiness by making our daily routines more enjoyable, smoother, and more sustainable. In this anniversary book, we want to pay homage to the everyday, to daily life in Fiskars Village, its people and their homes. We also want to celebrate our roots, which are continuously strengthened by ordinary, yet special, everyday moments,” says Head of Public Affairs and Head of Fiskars Village at Fiskars Group, Jan D. Oker-Blom.
During the summer months, the Fiskars Village Art & Design Biennale offered inspiring views into architecture, art and design, in the beautifully preserved old village. The Biennale combined art and design and engaged artists, designers, local communities and various audiences. The Biennale offered a topical, egalitarian platform for encounters between makers and enthusiasts.
Another of the Biennale’s Main Exhibitions celebrated the 30th anniversary of the artist cooperative Onoma. An exhibition called Fragile was curated by Marja Sakari and took place at the Copper Smithy.
FISKARS FESTIVAL is a festival unlike any other. The festival has grown into Fiskars Village, home to a creative community with centuries of history always looking ahead. At FISKARS FESTIVAL, you can experience a unique intersection of time and place. The festival creates a shared space that connects younger talent to the original source – a source of inspiration, artistic authenticity, tradition and integrity, and pioneering design that makes the everyday extraordinary.
Fiskars Group is proud to partner with the LEAD Foundation and the Fiskars Village community in making this extraordinary experience a reality. The festival took place July 29 – August 3, 2024.
Collaboration with the LEAD! Foundation and the anniversary commission piece by Florence Maunders
To celebrate the Fiskars’ 375th anniversary, a commission piece was ordered with support from the LEAD! Foundation from Florence Maunders. In the video, Jukka-Pekka Saraste introduces the composition, and Florence, followed by the first performance of the composition Valmistettu metallista (Made of metal).
Fiskars Group is a proud partner to the LEAD! Foundation. LEAD! Foundation’s mission is to support the emerging careers of the next generation of young conductors and aspiring orchestra principals. The foundation is directed by leading Finnish conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste and provides teaching through the LEAD! Foundation Academy. Based in Finland and active internationally, we are also the founders of the Fiskars Summer Festival, the main platform for our annual conductors’ masterclass, which features renowned guest conductors invited from both Finland and abroad.
