A whale from Vienna has beached at Super Ö, transforming into a meeting place for exchange, events, and talks. Sugar-glass blowing, robotic dogs, and sound design are just a few of the things you’ll encounter when ten designers from the Vienna-based collective DING take over Super Ö.
Each week, the museum becomes their temporary studio — Valhelmland — where they explore how this new territory influences their design practice. How can the place inspire, shape, and spark new ideas?
The “Val” in Valhelmland refers both to the act of choosing (val in Swedish) and to the actual animal — the whale. A large whale pavillion becomes the central hub, serving as both scenography and a shared workspace — a poetic bridge between Vienna and Gothenburg. Both cities have embraced whales as a kind of city mascot connecting to gatherings and hospitality: In Vienna, “Poldi” was a large iron whale statue on the roof of the legendary bar Zum Walfisch in the Prater, now part of the Vienna Museum. In Gothenburg, “Malmska valen” at the Natural History Museum — the world’s only mounted blue whale — once hosted grand parties in its belly. Both have served as major attractions and inviting symbols of hospitality and gathering.
The Whale Pavilion at Super Ö becomes a space for focused creation, while also acting as a hub for exchange, events, and conversation. A Swedish tradition is revived: the Valbar — a whale café, now a nostalgic legend for many Gothenburgers.
DING – short for Design in Gesellschaft – is a design collective based in Vienna that works with social issues through design. Its members are active in critical object design, graphic design, food design, and sound art.
Super Ö is a space for creative exchange, regularly activated by international guests whose projects interact with the museum’s collections and visitors, while drawing on the broad range of tools that design offers.
On view June 19 – August 28, 2025.
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