A joint exhibition of works by Bo Haglund and Kim Simonsson opens the Helsinki Airport Art Gallery
Inspired by the Helsinki World Design Capital, and following requests from passengers, Finavia has introduced a number of gallery facilities at Helsinki Airport this year. They constitute the Art Port concept, which presents Finnish art, design and creative thinking to international and domestic passengers. The exhibitions will culminate with an art gallery that will open on 11 July.
Ville Haapasaari, the new Airport Director of Helsinki Airport, says that Finavia wants to develop the passenger experience according to modern times and changing customer needs. Passengers are listened to and the goal is to cater to their requests as comprehensively as possible when developing services.
The Art Port concept is a brilliant example of this. The first impulse for the art galleries was provided by the requests of an online community created via the Quality Hunters project, implemented last year.
"The galleries have been warmly received. They clearly contribute to a pleasant atmosphere and offer sensations and a chance to relax for a while. The Art Port concept also strengthens the identity of Helsinki Airport, and enables us to stand out from other European airports. No other airport in the world is dedicated to art and design to the same extent as Helsinki Airport”, says Haapasaari.
The art airport's fourth exhibition space, Art Gallery, will open on 11 July. It introduces Finnish modern art by well-known, established artists and new, younger artists.
“It is good for adults to sometimes plunge into a fantasy world”
The opening exhibitions of the new art gallery will be the Random Album series by visual artist Bo Haglund, and ceramic fantasy sculptures by sculptor Kim Simonsson. The exhibition connects family album photos, online discussions, the fantasy world and the universe with the present moment around us, where "everything is all right on Facebook".
"In this exhibition, I'm looking for an easy way for people to let go of the busy, serious daily life and the hurry they are in. It is good for adults to sometimes plunge into a fantasy world and remember their "child's soul" and the importance of their existence", says Anna Forsman at Huippu Concept. She designed the Art Port concept.
The works by Haglund provide an endless journey into art. You always find something new in them. In addition, they are large, and combined with the sculptures by Simonsson, are very impressive in the wide open spaces of the airport.
All Art Port exhibitions are built so that passengers can participate in them. This promotes passenger activity and gives travellers the opportunity to divest some of their travel-related stress. Attentive visitors will find Facebook messages in Haglund's works. Visitors can post their thoughts, ideas and feelings on the airport's Facebook and Twitter pages.
The art gallery is located at Gate 37. It is open for all passengers whose flight destination is outside the Schengen area. The facility is open 24/7. Entry is free.
Three other exhibition spaces have been opened previously at Helsinki Airport. The design gallery at Gate 11 currently has the ”Sit down and seize the moment” exhibition, focusing on Finnish chair design. The Photo Gallery exhibition "A moment in Helsinki" introduces Katja Hagelstam's fabulous art photography at Gate 26. Paola Suhonen, a leading designer of the Fenno-Slavic style and original patterns is introduced in the Fashion Gallery at Gate 31.
The Art Port concept is a World Design Capital 2012 conceptual project and part of the World Design Capital 2012 programme.
