Understanding the co-dependency of industry and the arts gives results beyond structural and economic growth, and this has been evident in Proventus timeline since its inception in 1969.  The merger between the two seemingly opposite worlds is fundamental for innovation in production and is the formula to – if not predict – then at least allow us to glimpse into the future. This belief was for example practiced when Proventus acquired the Upsala Ekeby group in 1982 which included the companies Kosta Boda (art glass), Rörstrand (porcelain) and Gense (cutlery) – as well as the acquisition of the computer and software company Datatronic in 1984. In both of these cases, respect for the artistic process in production of utility goods and in industrial design, paired with knowledge about the realities of the financial market, resulted in prosperous companies with an inventive output.

The idea to create an international industrial platform for architects, artists and engineers to interact, had been brewing for some time. But with lessons learned from previous acquisitions, this was to be made from scratch rather than through an existing portfolio. There was also the aspect of opportunity, to recognize which area that was in need of revitalization. Product and furniture brands were nowhere near as internationally successful or technically progressive as the brands in the fashion industry. In Sweden, this was a conundrum since the interest in Scandinavian design was more intense than it had been since the term was coined in the 1950s. A new generation of consumers had also emerged who did not want to furnish their homes with inherited furniture from their parents, and instead craved new design that reflected their time. Perhaps the most defining driver was the increasing speed of technological development and introduction of the internet, which not only created the need for new furniture typologies, but also opened up exciting alternatives for manufacturing and distribution.

In 1992 Proventus had acquired the Swedish textile company Kinnasand (founded in1873) and in 1996 taken full ownership over the Finnish furniture company Artek (founded in1935). Artek was the embodiment and the enabler of the philosophy and designs of Aino and Alvar Aalto. These two companies became the cornerstones in a new design group founded in August 1997, named Proventus Design. With the same optimism for the future as the pioneers of modernism and with an openness to embracing new technology and materials, Proventus Design would strive to evolve a dormant industry. As Robert Weil commented on this enterprise for an article in the magazine Stockholm New in 1999 “We need to go back to the original philosophy of Artek, which was being on the cutting edge”.

The commercial potential of the Aalto furniture was far from fulfilled and forgotten original designs were reintroduced. However, introducing new designs into the existing collection proved difficult, so the focus would remain on cultivating the heritage and spreading awareness about the importance of Artek’s legacy to new generations of architects and designers. An early effort in this work was to support the exhibition “Between Humanism and Materialism”, the first major retrospective of Alvar Aalto’s work shown outside of Finland, which opened in the spring of 1998 at MoMA in New York, and later traveled to Italy and Japan.

The following year, Proventus Design officially launched at Stockholm Furniture Fair, presenting its portfolio consisting of Artek, Kinnasand and Snowcrash – a newly formed company with furniture made by a group of young Finnish architects. Snowcrash had been unanimously hailed in the world media for their avant-garde designs that addressed a nomadic work- and lifestyle. And just like a modern day Artek, Snowcrash over the coming years became a catalyst for ideas that embraced new technology, resulting in a collection that appealed to Generation X and met the demand for new typologies in public and office environments, with innovations such as a portable meeting room, sound absorbing wall panels and interactive LED lamps. Proventus Design continuously put resources into growing this platform and in 2000, changed name into Art & Technology by Proventus – to better reflect the legacy it carried and believed in. The companies in the portfolio were featured in international design media, and Proventus strong position in the world of finance made them appear just as frequently in the financial papers – an evidently small but significant fact, since design was a subject that rarely entered these pages at the time.

Refining a natural and conventional material like wood to make furniture was realized through Artek. And using unconventional synthetic materials for products was manifested in the Snowcrash collection. But there was also a will to develop new materials that could push the envelope for sustainability and benefit the industry as a whole. This aspect was particularly explored within Kinnasand. The small factory in the community in Kinna in Sweden functioned as a laboratory where experiments with natural and synthetic fibres resulted in textile products that enhanced properties like water repelling and fire resistance. To further investigate combinations of fibres and weaving techniques to make new fabrics, an entity called Strategic Textiles was established under Art & Technology by Proventus in 2002. One of its research projects resulted in a collection of sound absorbing drapes, manufactured by Kinnasand and conceptualized within Snowcrash, introducing a completely new product segment.

Despite years of providing support for its subsidiaries, Art & Technology by Proventus eventually had to dissolve. The platform had accumulated an immense amount of knowledge and attracted international talents who had materialized concepts that were clearly on the edge. But the times in which it operated were just as exceptional. The unpredictable market during the early internet-era and the unbelievable speed at which technology evolved, made it difficult to establish a foot hold. So in 2003, a restructuring decision was made whereby Art and Technology by Proventus was terminated along with Strategic Textiles and Snowcrash. The holding in Kinnasand AB was sold in 2004 but Proventus’ ownership in Artek remained, and it continued to evolve until 2013, at which point it had become one the worlds most renowned heritage furniture brands. In 2021 Snowcrash became the subject of an exhibition at Nationalmuseum, Sweden’s museum of art and design, and was recognised in reviews by Swedish and international critics as being two decades ahead of its time.