A kilometre of custom-designed tablecloth, originally created for Oulu’s spectacular Summer Night’s Dinner (Kesäillan kattaus) which brought together 20,000 people this past August, is set to receive a meaningful and lasting second life.
A piece of this unique textile will be gifted to each of the 40 participating municipalities and cities of the Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture region. The occasion will take place during the North Ostrobothnia Regional Assembly in Oulu on Tuesday, November 3rd.
The journey of these textiles will also continue gracefully in China. In a special ceremony held at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou on Wednesday, November 4th, Proto and CAA will officially donate the tablecloths to the Embassy of Finland in Beijing and the Consulate General of Finland in Shanghai. The donation will be accepted by Joonas Heiskanen, the Consul General of Finland in Shanghai.
This extraordinary thousand metre tablecloth represents the debut collaboration between Proto – Designers in Northern Finland, and the China Academy of Art (CAA), located in Oulu’s twin city of Hangzhou. The student designers—Mao Xiaoyan, Sun Ping, Xie Jiayi, Zheng Anqi, and Zheng Hanuye—each chose a distinct narrative to connect the twin cities, and to find expression to the overarching theme of peace and friendship: nature, people, technology, architecture, and culture.
“Both we at Proto and our colleagues at the China Academy of Art sincerely hope that these tablecloths will bring joy to as many people as possible, across diverse settings, for years to come,” says Päivi Tahkokallio. “In this way, we honour the beautiful motto chosen by the five CAA design students for this project: ‘Where people meet, hearts connect.’”
Exhibition in Oulu
The public will have a unique opportunity to view these remarkable tablecloths at the Proto Design Centre in Oulu. The exhibition will run for two weeks, from November 5th to November 14th, 2026.
Dates: November 5–14, 2026
Hours: Thu–Fri 12:00–18:00, Sat 10:00–16:00
Venue: Proto Design Centre, Pikisaarentie 17, 90100 Oulu, Finland
Admission: Free of charge
