Hirvitalo Center
HIRVITALO Center of Contemporary Art
Tampere-Finland
June-August 2015 A.I. Muhu Residency, Art Festival Future-Horizon
9 artists from Hirvitalo will be working in Muhu A.I. Residency in June-July 2015 and exhibiting their work in Festival and in EKA Gallery (3.08-15.8.2015)
Sami Maalas
Valpuri Talvitie
Elina Ojanperä
Teemu Takatalo
Sebastian Boulter
Jonne Kauko
Leena Pukki
Mikko Korte
Asko Suominen
Hirvitalo, the Center of Contemporary Art Pispala, has won the Vuoden taideteko (Art project of the year) award. Hirvitalo is operated by the Pispala Cultural Association. Hirvitalo organises exhibitions of contemporary art that are free of charge for visitors and artists, at a former residential wooden building in the Pispala district in the city of Tampere.
The aim of the Art project of the year award is to highlight practitioners that have promoted the status and appreciation of contemporary art and have contributed to the field of art in a comprehensive, imaginative and diverse manner. This year, the award sought to draw special attention to the diversity of contemporary art and its presence in people's everyday lives.
"Hirvitalo is a charming art centre that organises truly diverse art activities, happily mixing professional art, amateur art, and other forms of culture. Hirvitalo makes contemporary art accessible and not so serious, which lowers the threshold for visitors to explore other areas of art," says the chair of the jury, Hannele Nyman.
Hirvitalo, the Center of Contemporary Art Pispala, has operated from an old wooden building in Tampere since 2006. Hirvitalo houses monthly changing exhibitions of contemporary art, various workshops, and other cultural and civic activities. As an exhibition space, Hirvitalo is free for both visitors and artists. The activities at Hirvitalo are linked to the local community in a diverse way, and the centre functions as a district hub and as a public living room for the residents.
This year was the second time that the Art project of the year award was given. The award was presented by the Finnish Art Galleries Association and Messukeskus. The prize money was donated by the Finnish Fair Foundation. The jury consisted of: the chair Hannele Nyman (the Finnish Art Galleries Association/Galleria Katariina), Clarice Finell (Galleria Johan S), and the editor-in-chief Pessi Rautio (the Taide art magazine). In 2013, the award was given to the Street Galleries project, initiated and curated by the artist Magdalena Åberg.
More information:
Pispala Cultural Association: Sami Maalas, tel. +358 44 2615751, sami.maalas@gmail.com,www.hirvikatu10.net Secretary of the jury Johanna Suni, Messukeskus, tel. +358 40 515 4216,johanna.suni@messukeskus.com