INNER CHILD exhibition at Artipelag explores play in contemporary design

From October 10, 2026, to April 11, 2027, Artipelag in Stockholm, Sweden, will host 'INNER CHILD: Playing with Design,' curated by Lidewij Edelkoort and Philip Fimmano. This exhibition showcases the work of 100 artists and designers who emphasize playfulness, craftsmanship, and emotional ties. The curators suggest that the emergence of furniture resembling animals, along with tactile materials and childlike shapes, signals a shift in design mentality, motivated by curiosity and intuition rather than nostalgia. They view this as a reaction to political instability, environmental concerns, and technological advancements, calling it 'a form of activism in aesthetics.' The exhibition, divided into eight thematic sections, features contributions from Front, Miroko Machiko, Max Lamb, Yinka Ilori, and others, with children of designers Kiki van Eijk and Joost van Bleiswijk participating in the scenography. Edelkoort and Fimmano assert that play serves not as an escape but as a means to restore faith in humanity, highlighting a global trend towards smaller-scale production and meaningful material relationships, positioning creativity as a remedy for a bleak era.