Alvar Aalto around 1930 – Between Modernism and the Avant-Garde
In: A Cultural History of the Avant-Garde in the Nordic Countries 1925-1950Search for other papers by Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen in
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Abstract
This essay focuses on Alvar Aalto’s intellectual and artistic transformation following his exposure to key figures in the Finnish, Swedish and Danish avant-garde, such as the Finnish-Swedish playwright Hagar Olsen, the Swedish architect Sven Markelius and the Danish architect and critic Poul Henningsen. The essay points out that, while Aalto never used the term “avant-garde” to describe his own position, both his works and his words from around 1930 demonstrate his exposure to avant-garde theatre, film and painting, which led to the application of various pioneering techniques, such as the use of formal fragmentation and the integration of different media – photography, sound, light and film – into architectural projects. His emphasis on their transformative psychological and social impact on the users is also discussed. The essay argues that Aalto’s engagement with various strands of modernism and the avant-garde were conditioned by, and must be understood in the context of, his personal and national background, as well as large-scale historical events and geopolitical realities.