Escape to Moominvalley: Reflecting Reality Through Tove Jansson’s Imaginary World

Escape to Moominvalley takes a fresh look at the connections between Jansson, the Moomins, architecture, and design. The journey begins with places and landscapes close to Jansson’s heart, before leading visitors into the imaginative spaces of Moominvalley.

The exhibition reveals how places central to Jansson’s life, such as her Helsinki Atelier home and the remote summer island Klovharun, shaped her creative world. Through archived materials, personal objects, and photographs, visitors can step into these spaces and experience Jansson’s persona.

At the heart of the exhibition lies a reimagined Moominvalley where the stories’ environments are viewed through the perspectives of their inhabitants. What does “shared space” encompass in the context of the Moomin family’s bath house, a building ultimately claimed by Too-Ticky and the invisible shrews during the winter?

Moominvalley as Refuge

Jansson’s stories often reflect the turbulent reality of their time. She began writing them during World War II, amidst the bombings of Helsinki. Her first Moomin story, The Moomins and the Great Flood (1945), tells the tale of a family scattered by disaster searching for shelter, eventually finding a home and safety in Moominvalley. For Jansson herself, Moominvalley became a personal refuge.

In the same spirit, Escape to Moominvalley offers visitors both shelter from autumn storms and a mirror to the upheavals of the real world. Themes drawn from the Moomin stories, such as home and homelessness, solitude and community, safety and insecurity, present timely questions about the potential significance of Moominvalley and Jansson’s relationship to spaces for our modern times. In addition, the exhibition showcases contemporary approaches by designers and architects who explore the themes of survival, shelter, community, and resilience.

Preview the Exhibition at Habitare Fair

The world of Tove Jansson and the architecture of Moominvalley will be introduced to the public already in September at Finland’s leading design event, Habitare. On Saturday, September 13^th, 2–3 pm, a panel discussion exploring the themes of Escape to Moominvalley will be held. The speakers include James Zambra, Creative Director at Moomin Characters Ltd, grandson of Tove Jansson’s brother Lars Jansson, and Jutta Tynkkynen, curator of the exhibition at the Architecture & Design Museum.