Artipelag’s INNER CHILD proffers creativity as a joyful relief for a forlorn world

Artists and designers often create some of the most boldly creative works, however they typically arrive at it through learning and practicing their craft over time. Look at children, in contrast. Their imagination knows no boundaries. They don't need years of practice or permission to dream.The biggest question for an adult remains: Why? For a child, it is Why not? Why can the grass not be blue? Why can the sun not be big, warm and cosy, all at the same time? Why not smile, spread hope and joy when life is so beautiful?

Peeking into the world and its ongoing complexities through the unfiltered lens of a child’s imagination, Stockholm-based cultural centre Artipelag brings INNER CHILD: Playing with Design, a design exhibition running until April 11, 2027. The showcase references the idea of the ‘inner child’ as a psychological and metaphorical notion representing the subconscious childlike aspects of an adult’s personality. The exhibits, rooted in hope, joy and boundless curiosity, strive to address the concerns of a world marked by emotional isolation, capitalistic consumption, socio-political tensions and climate change.

Acclaimed trend analysts and curators from Paris, Lidewij Edelkoort and Philip Fimmano, bring contributions from more than 100 designers from around the world as pieces that channel their innate whimsy. “Play is no longer a micro trend in the design world; it’s quickly becoming a fully-fledged movement capable of changing our creative course and ways of making,” the curator duo tells STIR. “What unites us most at this challenging dark time is our desire to communicate optimism, hope and empathy; very much a survival mechanism.” The showcase comprises furniture, products, objects, lighting, textiles and artworks, categorised into eight sections based on the trends and perceived needs of the global population, as identified by the curators.

The exhibition experience starts with the Colour Blocks section referencing the colourful building blocks that typically mark the foray of a child into the creative world. Here, visitors will find the varicoloured FORM stool collection by Belgium’s Nortstudio, which translates vibrant geometric forms into seating and tables; the spirited colour palette of British-Nigerian designer Yinka Ilori’s Square Stool collection; Dutch product designer and artist Floris Hovers’ CARtools and other polychromatic objects. Moving beyond colour, the exhibition explores the simplicity of geometric shapes and the tactile warmth of sturdy materials such as wood. This section features In-Betweeness by Thailand’s Worapong Manupipatpong, a furniture series that explores spatial comfort and inhabitation, alongside Manolito Stool by Spanish designer Marc Morro. With its simple, modular design, the latter invites multiple interpretations and applications, transforming effortlessly from a stool into a table or bookshelf.

While invoking childlike playfulness through simplistic forms and vibrance, the exhibition signals an altered perspective of (re)building a world struggling to emerge from catastrophes. Beyond their inherent vibrance and whimsy, the designs share a common thread of being handcrafted, tying to the exhibition's brief that discussed creativity as a ‘counter-reaction to the emotional turbulence and new technologies of our times.’ As the curators relay to STIR, “We live in a time when technology and AI have infiltrated our lives to the point where our very existence and prosperity are coming under threat. This pressure will lead more and more to the rediscovery of everything that makes us human, amplifying all aspects of our own ingenuity.”

The spatial categorisation further moves into a deeper material exploration through one of the most versatile creative materials increasingly resonating with contemporary design movements—cardboard. The Creative Cardboard section presents a diversity of works such as Fuordacqua by Italy’s A4Adesign; an extensive collection of cardboard furniture by British designer Max Lamb alongside Faye Toogood’s Maquette 006 / Box Screen Tapestry carpet, which transforms the frugality of cardboard into an aspiration realised in wool and cotton. The space also features Paper Table, a collapsible display setup supported with folded paper,by Hiromitsu Konishi from Japan; cardboard-like ceramic vessels by French ceramicist Jacques Monneraud; and Tim Kowalczyk’s colourful cardboard utensils from the US. The section carries deep personal resonance for Edelkoort, who is reminded of her own childhood spent navigating post-war Netherlands, scavenging for amusement and joy in a time plagued by abject poverty and despair.

No matter the rigour in channelling one’s inner child, if the outcome is scrutinised through the prejudices of an adult, it is susceptible to becoming diluted with the pessimistic and reductive regulations of realism. Perhaps that is why Lamb asked his son to freely paint over some of his cardboard furniture works, and the curators decided to hand over the responsibility of the exhibition design to a Netherlands-based designer family, with the task led by nine-year-old Ko and 13-year-old Puk, the sons of Kiki van Eijk and Joost van Bleiswijk. “The kids knew immediately what they wanted to do after being briefed, reminding us of the power in trusting one’s intuition. Rather than modify any of these ideas, we placed our trust in their creativity,” the curators recall. The young designers leverage the spacious gallery interiors in adding a sense of fantasy and wonder to the displays. “One enters the exhibition rooms and quickly realises the scenography is totally unique. The result is entertaining, inspiring, pure and authentic,” remark Edelkoort and Fimmano.

Cuddling Compassion, explores tactility and touch, adorning pieces from local artists such as Ann-Cathrine Sigrid Ståhlberg’s larger-than-life DJUNGELSKOG (orangutan); Vigilant Gorilla wool rug illustrated by Miroco Machiko from Japan; the cosy Bruco benchfrom Estudio Campana; the playful furry sculpture Atlas [Fur] by Pietro Franceschini; and the elegant Fur Lamp by Austria’s Xaver Kuster. The young exhibition designers further peppered the displays with objects of cuddle and comfort, such as furry soft toys, for a smoother gradation of scale between the displayed object and the viewer.

The following section, Pasting Paper, introduces a material expression that has picked up since the COVID-19 pandemic: papier-mâché. The ingenuity of the material lies in its availability and inherent malleability, which places it in an ideal category considering the necessity of material-conscious workflows in contemporary times. The exhibition includes objects exploring the materiality in works such as the rough, organically shaped Dough Chair Silver and Lamp Tattooed Shining Creature by David Čáp from the Czech Republic and France-based Lukas Saint-Joigny’s Ore chair, both of whose otherworldly profiles inspired Ko and Puk to decorate this section with cosmic bodies.  Other works include ORGUS by Humberto Da Mata from Brazil and the set of Giraffa Alta, Giraffa Lamp and Zampa Chair by Jonathan Bocca from Italy. 

The succeeding sections celebrate the refinement and practice of artistry in the creative journey. Van Ejik’s White on White Collage wall art flaunts a backyard garden scenery as one of her largest Jacquard weaves made specially for the exhibition; Sweden’s Caroline Harrius brings her embroidered hand-shaped vessels, Broderat Objekt, Blå XIX and Blå XXI and other objects in the Playing Doll section, explores, as per the curators, the femininity of the creative spirit. Elsewhere, inside Doodling Design, Thorunn Arnadottir from Iceland brings Blush: A Radiator, a bright tinted temperature regulation device finished in thermochromic paint; Children’s Clock by the Netherlands’ Maarten Baas, who ‘draws’ every minute by hand, while Jean Jullien offers his happy crockery set from France; all infused with the whimsical ambiguity of doodling. The curation concludes with the Innate Artist section, a relishment of the pure creative spirit imbibed in all humanity. This portion is studded with Boris Ostrervov and Alex Proba’s wall art from the US; Nina Lanner’s sculptural flowers from Germany; Chunky Plate’s chunky plates and Bleiswijk’s carpets from the Netherlands; and ceramic works by Pottery & Poetry from Bulgaria.

While the themes revolve around play and quirk in design, the exhibition strives to harness the ideas to address some of the most ‘serious’ concerns of the contemporary world. “There is growing consensus in science, archaeology and anthropology that play and creative actions are intrinsic to our development, well-being and survival; important because they rewire the brain’s pathways and our motor skills to absorb the anxieties, numbness and stress of our digital lives,” the curators share with STIR. “We explore these themes further, looking at how the curious child is needed in adulthood more than ever if we are to overcome morosity, inequality and injustice before recolouring the world with fresh energy.”

‘INNER CHILD: Playing with Design’ is on view from October 10, 2026 – April 11, 2027, at Artipelag, Stockholm.