Founded in Helsinki in 1935 by four young idealists: Alvar and Aino Aalto, Maire Gullichsen and Nils-Gustav Hahl, Artek was born with the aim of selling furniture and promoting a modern culture of living through exhibitions and other educational means. The name of the company is given by the union of the words "art" and "technology", fundamental concepts for the modernist movement of the 1920s which see the innovation of modern design in the link between these two spheres. Artek's collection consists of furniture, lighting and accessories designed by Finnish and international masters.