Artek was founded In 1935 by four young idealists, Alvar Aalto and his wife Aino, Maire Gullichsen and Nils-Gustav Hahl. The idea of the company was "to sell furniture and promote a modern culture of habitation by exhibitions and other educational means". The founders of Artek advocated a new kind of environment for everyday life. Today Artek is renowned as being one of the most innovative contributors to modern design, building on the heritage of Alvar Aalto.