A Curated Exhibition during Designers Saturday

During Designers Saturday 2025, the intimate home of artist Paul Hellsegg was transformed into a curated exhibition with Norwegian design at its core. “The Spirit of the Times 2.0: At PAUL” brought together a selection of Norway’s most exciting designers and manufacturers, creating a sensory and thought-provoking experience for visitors.

The exhibition took shape as a holistic installation, where every room and detail was carefully composed to highlight the interplay between objects and their surroundings. Rather than presenting design as standalone products, the focus was on how form, function, and materiality can be woven into a larger narrative - a story about time, identity, and aesthetic presence. Visitors were invited into an atmosphere that encouraged slow observation, reflection, and dialogue, challenging conventional ways of experiencing design.

A Curated Reflection on Contemporary Times

The exhibition “The Spirit of the Times 2.0: At PAUL” was curated by Kirsten Visdal and Per Olav Sølvberg, and was rooted in the idea of capturing the spirit of the present through design. Rather than a traditional showcase, the public was invited into a home - a personal and vibrant space where the objects took center stage. Here, design, art, craftsmanship, and identity converged in a unified expression.

Norwegian Design in Focus

Among the exhibitors was Matre, presenting furniture deeply rooted in Norwegian design traditions, combined with a modern design language and sustainable material choices. In dialogue with other contributors, Matre’s pieces became part of a broader narrative - one that explores how Norwegian design evolves in step with the times, while preserving its distinct character.

Designers Saturday as a Framework

Designers Saturday 2025 brought together over 150 exhibitors from Norway and abroad, turning Oslo into a vibrant arena for design and architecture. “The Spirit of the Times 2.0: At PAUL” stood out as a conceptual and personal exhibition, where curatorial vision and context gave new life to the design objects. Visitors experienced how design can be both functional and narrative - reflecting the times we live in.

A Heartfelt Thank You

We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who visited the exhibition and helped make “The Spirit of the Times 2.0: At PAUL” an inspiring meeting place for Norwegian design. The exhibition demonstrated how collaboration, curatorship, and context can elevate the best of Norwegian design, and how design can be a living part of contemporary life.

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