The judges were unanimous in their view that Satu Maaranen’s collection was superior. They were also unanimous in their decision of the winner.

-Satu Maaranen’s work with the material that she uses completely convinced us. Her use of colours is also strong, said Felipe Oliveira Baptista, the head of the panel of judges.      

-Aalto University has made it to the top tier of the most internationally interesting fashion schools! Aalto University is the first school whose students have won this competition in two consecutive years. Our success is the result of persevering and goal-oriented teaching and development of education. We give our students creative freedom, support, and encouragement, but much is also demanded of them, says Professor Pirjo Hirvonen, Head of the Department of Design.

One of the most prestigious competitions in the field

The event, which has been held at the famous Villa Noailles in Hyères on the French Riviera already since the early 1980s, is considered one of the world's most prestigious competitions in the field. The contest is organised by the same producers and casting directors who are behind shows put on by large fashion houses such as Chanel and Balenciaga at Paris Fashion Week.

Each year the panels of judges in the competition are composed of some of the most influential international figures in the fashion business. The works in the competition were showcased on three different days in three different shows to fashion professionals, experts, and the public at large.

The competition has served as a springboard for many international names in design, such as Viktor & Rolf, the main designer of Thierry Mulger Romain Kremer, Felipe Oliveira Baptista, and Henrik Vibskov.

Satu Maaranen was chosen as one of the ten finalists from among 355 entries. The 28e Festival International de Mode & de Photographie Hyères 2013 took place on 26-29 April 2013 in Villa Noilles, France.

First prize in 2012 to Finnish Aalto University as well

In 2012, three young clothing design students from the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture won the main prize at the Hyères Fashion Festival. At that time second-year students Siiri Raasakka, Tiia Sirén and Elina Laitinen won the Grand Prix for their men's fashion collection, whose fundamental idea was an imaginary urban tribe of nomads. Now the three had been invited to display a collection that they had been working on in the past year called “The Voice of Unheard”, which the head of the festival Jean-Pierre Blanc said was “full of creative energy” and ready for commercialisation. The collection will be displayed again at the Paris Men’s Fashion Week in the summer of 2013

Winning collection at Näytös13 show

Satu Maaranen's collection will be included in the Näytös13 show on 24 May 2013 at 18:00 in Suvilahti, Helsinki, Finland The show, which is organised each spring, showcases to the public the new collections designed by students who are graduating from the school's Degree Programme in Fashion and Clothing Design.

Further information
Aalto University
School of Arts, Design and Architecture
Tuomas Laitinen, Lecturer, tel. +358 40 952 6024
Anne Tapanainen, Communications Manager tel. +358 50 434 7911

Hyères Fashion Festival competition website
www.villanoailles-hyeres.com/hyeres2013

www.satumaaranen.com

In the synopsis of the film by Jussi Lehtomäki  there is a question 'When is the last time you've been to the woods'? It continues by quoting the famous Grimm fairy tale: 'Once upon a time a poor woodcutter lived with his wife and two children in a small cottage next to a great forest. The boy was called Hansel and the girl Gretel.'

Lehtomäki is a third-year documentary film directing student at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture in Helsinki, Finland. He both directered the film and wrote the script for it. Out into the woods is Jussi Lehtomäki's second film as a director. The film is subtitled in English.

Out into the woods: Jussi Lehtomäki (director & script), Mikko Peltonen (producer), Hannu Käki (cinematography), Tuukka Nikkilä (sound), Niina Vornanen (editing), and Juulia Jokinen (set design).

More information:

Jussi Lehtomäki, mobile +358 44 313 0666, jussi.lehtomaki@aalto.fi
Mikko Peltonen, mobile +358 40 720 7671, mikko.peltonen@aalto.fi

Tampere Film Festival website

Image: Peter Salovaara

At the gala, the Pallas Athene and the Ilmari Tapiovaara prizes were awarded, four new honorary members were welcomed and the Alumnus of the Year 2013 was named. Decorations awarded by the President of Finland were also presented.

Pallas Athene Prize awarded to journalist Pirkko Vekkeli

The School of Arts, Design and Architecture awards the Pallas Athene Prize every two years in acknowledgement of major work that has been undertaken to promote aesthetic values. This year’s award recipient was chosen by Professor Päikki Priha who justified her choice in the following words: ”Journalist Pirkko Vekkeli is a distinguished professional who has written about designers and artists, documented their life’s work in her books and taught writing skills to students of art and design in an encouraging, enthusiastic and dedicated manner.”

Ilmari Tapiovaara Prize awarded to CEO Håkan Långstedt

The Ilmari Tapiovaara Prize is awarded every two years in acknowledgement of particularly valuable creative work that has been undertaken to benefit people's local environments and the quality of industrial product culture. This year’s award recipient was chosen by Ville Kokkonen, Artek’s design director, who justified his choice in the following words: ’Håkan Långstedt works in an important field for designers: as a promoter of industrial product culture he creates new opportunities for design professionals. In the challenging and extremely competitive operating environment of design-oriented businesses, Långstedt has exhibited an understanding of the ‘spirit of the times’. Långstedt is an ambassador of design, a perfect example of how the culture sector should be represented in international style.’

Mikko Hartikainen is Alumnus of the Year 2013

Each year, the School of Arts, Design and Architecture selects an alumnus of the year in recognition of pioneering or outstanding work in the field of art, design or architecture. This year the award went to Mikko Hartikainen, a counsellor of education who has been a key contributor to the development of Finnish basic education in visual arts during the last 20 years. Last year, Hartikainen also had a significant role in including education in arts, design and architecture in the national design programme currently in the making.

Four new honorary members

Individuals who have actively supported the School of Arts, Design and Architecture or distinguished themselves in the fields it represents and other cultural activities are invited as honorary members of the School each year. At this year’s anniversary gala, four persons were bestowed with an honorary membership.

Director Reijo Kangas from Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, has supported the school and the culture it represents in a particularly valuable way through his activities at the funding agency. With his significant and substantial efforts, Kangas has furthered the launch of several technology programmes related to construction, architecture and spatial design. In his work, Kangas has encouraged schools and research institutions to develop new processes and techniques and facilitated the dissemination of new methods.

Tuula Mehtonen’s ambitious planning of film editing education and her role as a professional example to students have resulted in editing professionals who are aware of their important role in the Finnish film business. The education initiated and planned by Mehtonen supports Finnish film education and the entire film business. With the help of her extensive and varied experience, Mehtonen has laid the foundation of film editing education in Finland.

Michael Thomson has promoted the standing of design in a number of international design-related organisations. In spring 2012, the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture invited Thomson to participate in the editing work of the European Design Innovation Initiative report. Due to his experience, know-how and expertise in design policy, the material compiled by the EDII Secretariat became one of the cornerstones of the design innovation policy of the European Commission.

Kaisa Viljo worked as the amanuensis of the degree programme in industrial design at the University of Art and Design Helsinki Department of Design for approximately 20 years. Before being employed by the former University of Art and Design, Viljo was the secretary of the Finnish Association of Designers ORNAMO. During her years there, she became familiar with the art and design field and its actors.

The decorations awarded by the President of the Republic on 6 December 2012 (the Finnish Independence Day) were also presented during the event. The recipients were Tapio Vapaasalo (Knight, First Class, of the Order of the White Rose of Finland), Esa Vuorinen (Knight, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland) and Sari Tarvainen (Medal, First Class with golden cross, of the Order of the White Rose of Finland).

Jasmiine Julin-Aro founded her own design office, Studio Dimensio, in 1985 and since then she has worked as a freelance designer for several clothing companies in Finland. Her special field is functional outfits for motorcyclists, skiers and sailing enthusiasts, among other groups. In the design of these products, she has boldly applied the results of research in the field and innovations in materials. Many products by her have been awarded design prizes both in Finland and internationally.

Jasmiine Julin-Aro is a prominent and experienced designer in clothing design, an interesting and promising sector of design. The prize jury especially commended her role as an advocate of the Finnish clothing industry and its strengths. Through her work, Jasmiine Julin-Aro has significantly contributed to the success of her client companies at a time when the industry has encountered serious challenges.

The Kaj Franck Design Prize of Design Forum Finland is now awarded for the 21st time. The purpose of this prize, established in 1992 and named after the esteemed Finnish designer Kaj Franck (1911–89), is to support a designer or team innovatively designing industrially made products of high quality, operating actively in the field of applied art and also creating unique works. The winners of the prize represent many areas of top Finnish design. The prize sum of €10,000 is donated by the Finnish Fair Foundation. The prize also includes a medal designed by Tapio Junno and an exhibition, with accompanying publications, presenting the prizewinner’s oeuvre.

The members of the prize jury of 2012 were Pentti Kivinen / Finnish Fair Foundation; designer, Professor Heikki Orvola; designer, Artist Professor Hannu Kähönen; designer Terhi Tuominen, and CEO Mikko Kalhama / Design Forum Finland.

Eight honorary doctorates will be awarded at the ceremony to the following persons: Laurie Anderson, multimedia artist from the United States; Rachel Cooper, Professor of Design Management from the United Kingdom; Arunas Gelunas, Minister of Culture from Lithuania; Pirjo Honkasalo, a director, screenwriter and cinematographer; author and artist Mauri Kunnas; Olavi Linden, Director, R&D, and Chief Designer at Fiskars; Ezio Manzini, Professor of Design from Italy, and Professor Emeritus Yrjö Sotamaa.

Laurie Anderson (b. 1947) is one of the world’s leading multimedia artists and a pioneer in the use of technology in art. She is known for imposing work that combines different media. Anderson’s accomplishments are pioneering also in the area of experimental music. Her work has been displayed at the Guggenheim Museum SoHo and at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, among other places. Anderson has received several different types of recognition and awards, including the 2007 Gish Prize as well as grants from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2002, Anderson was appointed the first artist-in-residence of NASA. She has also published six books.

Rachel Cooper (b. 1953) has been among the central actors and proponents of European research and education in the field of design for a number of decades. Much of her work has been conducted in collaboration with the European Academy of Design founded by her and through her position as the editor of The Design Journal. She has had a close relationship with the School of Arts, Design and Architecture for many years. Rachel Cooper is Professor of Design Management at the University of Lancaster, where she is Chair of Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts, co-Director of ImaginationLancaster and co-Director of HighWire. She has produced a large number of publications, with The Handbook of Design Management (Berg 2011) as the most recent one.

Arūnas Gelūnas (b.1968) has been a central actor in developing cooperation between Baltic and Nordic art schools. He has acted as professor at the Vilnius Academy of Arts and as visiting professor at a number of different universities in both Lithuania and abroad and authored several scientific publications. He has been involved in the BaltArt network organised by the School of Arts, Design and Architecture (Art Education) since its inception. Arūnas Gelūnas is also a graphic designer and an artist who has received several awards and held numerous exhibitions. In July 2010 Arūnas Gelūnas was appointed Minister of Culture of Lithuania. His recent activities have included promoting an initiative to establish the Arts Council of Lithuania according to the Finnish and Scandinavian model.

Pirjo Honkasalo (b. 1947) has been a director, screenwriter and cinematographer of documentary and fictional films for more than 30 years. In 2004, Pirjo Honkasalo was granted the Aho & Soldan Lifetime Achievement Award. Pirjo Honkasalo acted as Artist Professor, a form of grant awarded by the National Council for Cinema, between 2001 and 2006. In 2006, Honkasalo was given the Pro Finlandia medal. Her films have received several awards both in Finland and in international film festivals. Honkasalo graduated from the Department of Cinematography at the University of Art and Design in 1969 and she has been honorary member of the School of Arts, Design and Architecture since 2006.

Mauri Kunnas’s (b. 1950) children’s books have been published in 28 languages in 32 countries. Kunnas’s vast production of artistically uncompromising books that are immensely rich in content can be said to constitute true popular enlightenment and have, among other things, brought Finnish folklore and history within the reach of children. He has received several awards, including the Puupäähattu prize of the Finnish Comics Society, the State Award for Children's Culture, the Rudolf Koivu prize and the Pro Finlandia medal.  Kunnas was granted an award for his work to benefit children and most recently the Cultural prize of the City of Espoo in 2011. Kunnas graduated as graphic designer from the University of Art and Design in 1975.

Olavi Lindén (b. 1946) is best-known for his long and successful career as chief designer and director of research and development at the consumer products company Fiskars. Through his work in the area of design and product development, carried out at the Fiskars corporation throughout several decades, Lindén has impacted the development of both the usability and the aesthetic qualities of garden tools in particular. In addition to Fiskars tools, Olavi Lindén has also designed musical instruments. He has received several awards for his work, most recently the Muoto 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award by Aller Media.  He is also honorary member of the Finnish Association of Designers Ornamo since 2011. Lindén graduated as engineer from Tekniska Läroverket.

Ezio Manzini (b 1945) has been working for more than two decades in the field of design for sustainability, with a special focus on social innovation. On this topic he started, and currently coordinates, DESIS: an international network promoting, worldwide, design schools as agents of social change towards sustainability. Throughout his professional life Ezio Manzini has been professor of design at the Politecnico di Milano. Parallel to this, he collaborated with several international universities. Currently, he is Honorary Guest Professor at the Tongji University, in Shanghai and at the Jiangnan University, in Wuxi, China as well as at the COPPE-UFRJ, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The most recent award granted to Manzini is the Sir Misha Black Medal in 2012.

Yrjö Sotamaa (b. 1942) is Professor Emeritus at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Currently, Sotamaa is Executive Vice Director of the Sino-Finnish Centre at Tongji University, one of Aalto University’s partner universities, and Professor and Advisory Dean at the same university. When acting as Rector of the University of Art and Design from 1968 to 2008, he was a strong supporter of research and doctoral education that was being launched at the university. It is clear that without his persistent support and encouragement at the level of university management, the school’s current leadership position in research in the field of art and design would not be possible. Sotamaa has been honorary member of the Finnish Association of Designers Ornamo since 1992, and he was granted the Magnolia Silver Award by the City of Shanghai in 2011.

An honorary doctorate is the highest honour that a university can award. The decision concerning the recipients of the honorary doctorates to be awarded at the 2013 Ceremonial Conferment of Degrees at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture was made by the school's Academic Affairs Committee. According to the Aalto University’s administrative guidelines, a school may, in connection with a Ceremonial Conferment of Doctoral Degrees but also at other times, award an honorary doctorate and related academic insignia to a person who through his or her scientific or artistic activities or through merits obtained in the promotion of science or arts or other cultural activities is considered worthy of such recognition.

Further information:

Ada Schwanck, Project Coordinator tel. +358 (0)50 5697 449, ada.schwanck@aalto.fi

Saara Koskinen, Communications Officer, tel. +358 (0)50 5943 422, saara.koskinen@aalto.fi

Two other prizes were awarded to Erkko Aarti and the designer duo of Hanna Jahkonen and Tomas Nordström. Boris Berlin, the head judge of the competition, announced the winners at the Habitare fair on 12 September.

The theme of the 2012 competition, organised by the Finnish Fair Corporation and the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, was ‘private space’. The five shortlisted designs will be on show at Habitare, from 12 to 16 September 2012.

The contestants in the Habitare Design Competition, now held for the 11th time, were required to design and implement their ideas for a private space intended for personal retreat, break, rest and relaxation. The grand prize of €10,000 was donated by the Finnish Fair Foundation. This year, the head judge, the Danish designer Boris Berlin, decided to give an award to three designs.

- Leo Lindroos' design 'Sunset Camera' conceals light under two different structures. An incredible moving image of changing light brings the beauty of a sunset to urban people to experience, creating a meditative state and sensation, says the head judge Boris Berlin on the winning entry.

The second prize went to Erkko Aarti for his design 'Lyhty' (Lantern) and to the duo of Hanna Jahkonen and Tomas Nordström for their design 'Musta Aukko' (Black Hole). Both designs were awarded a €2,000 prize.

The Habitare Design Competition is intended for design or architecture students or teams of students based in Finland. All the 2012 finalists study at the Aalto University. The chair of the jury for the first stage of the two-stage competition was Professor Helena Hyvönen. Out of a total of 64 entries, the jury chose five designs for the final.

The theme and head judge of the Habitare Design Competition change every year. The most recent themes have included "Outhouse" (2011, winner Yoshimasa Yamada), "Recycled seat" (2010, winners Arttu Kuisma and Janne Melajoki) and "Sauna" (2009, winners Ville Hara and Anu Puustinen). Previous head judges include Mikko Heikkinen, Alfredo Häberli and Sami Rintala.

The 2012 finalists were: 'Kuuro' (Shower) by Mirka Uski and Heidi Siitonen; 'Musta Aukko' (Black Hole) by Hanna Jahkonen and Tomas Nordström; 'Lyhty' (Lantern) by Erkko Aarti; ‘Sunset Camera’ by Leo Lindroos; and ‘PopUp WrapUp’ by Mari Sollman and Kairit Sõlg.

More information:

Competition secretary Timo Sairi, the Aalto University, tel. +358 40 582 6505, timo.sairi@aalto.fi.

The main prize in the Over 30 Minutes series was won by Burden of My Heart (2011). The documentary, which tells about people who survived the Ruanda civil war, was directed by Iris Olsson and Yves Niyongabo.

- This film takes us into the heart of darkness and shows a side of us that we would not want to see. It is a powerful documentary about survival, hate and forgiveness, said the jury when announcing their selection.

The Under 30 Minutes section of the National competition was won by Hypermarket Nation (2011), a documentary about a shopkeeper in a Vantaa village shop directed by Paula Korva. According to the jury, “the documentary describes friendship, family values and old-style business traditions touchingly and warmly”. The documentary Äidit (2011), directed by Elina Hyvärinen was awarded a Diploma of Merit and Mikko Myllylahti’s Pyramidi (2012) took the Student Prize.

Korsoteoria attracted the attention of the public and the jury 

Antti Heikki Pesonen’s fiction film Korsoteoria (2012) won a special prize in the Under 30 Minutes section of the National competition.  The film is about Elli and her dreams of a better life. Elli is played by Armi Toivanen, known for her part in the television sketch series “Putous”. Screenings of Korsoteoria were sold out, and it was also awarded the Youth Jury's Diploma of Merit.

Pesonen’s film also took the Risto Jarva prize. The members of the jury were Jan Ijäs, Maria Leskinen and Liisa Penttilä.

- This film makes you laugh, but it also hurts. As the old saying goes: ‘You have to laugh even while your heart is breaking.’ Or to borrow freely from the film: The prize-winning film hits like a train hitting a cow, as the judges put it.

Finnish film is enjoying a period of strength

The success of the cinema students is the result of long-term developments in teaching, which all teachers in the Department have been committed to and motivated by.

- The fiction section, for its part, gives testament to the firm commitment of Professor Jarmo Lampela to teaching and the development of teaching. The success of the documentary films is also the product of long-term, persistent and determined efforts which are now being continued by Professor Susanna Helke, commented Mika Ritalahti, Head of the Department of Motion Picture, Television and Production Design.

The success of the Department’s students gives hope for the future of Finnish film. The films attracted excellent audience figures in Finnish cinemas as well as critical acclaim. However, concern about the position of documentary and short films is a major part of the everyday life of film-makers

- As the result of the state of the market, the Department has had to finance the students’ work itself, whereas commercial markets have provided funding in the past. The actions of an important source of funding, YLE, the public service broadcasting company, will be extremely significant if we want to safeguard the vitality of documentary and short fiction films, said the Head of the Department, Mika Ritalahti.

The winner of the main prize in the Under 30 Minutes series in the National competition of the Tampere Film Festival  will also compete for the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar® Short Fiction award.

The prize-winning films from the Tampere Film Festival will be shown in Helsinki in the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art on 17^th March at 14.00.

The award ceremony took place at the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 gala in Lahti on 2 February 2012. The gala was one of the WDC year’s signature events.

The Estlander Prize and Medal are a distinction instituted by the Finnish Society of Crafts and Design / Design Forum Finland in recognition of significant achievement on behalf of Finnish design. They are named after the Society’s founder, Professor Carl Gustaf Estlander (1834–1910), and are awarded in the spirit of his life’s work and Finnish design.

Reasons for the Silver Medals were:
“Operating in an open-minded manner that stands out from academic traditions, the recipients of the Silver Medal have implemented a cross-disciplinary program for the encounters of discourses of various disciplines to provide opportunities for a new kind of creativity. Over the course of a dec­ade, modes of operation and realization have been shaped and continue to be, thus establishing new conditions for learning in this field. The awardees have been actively involved in creating a system combining expertise across disciplinary boundaries and significantly influencing the creation of Aalto University.

Professor Kalevi Ekman is director of the Design Factory of Aalto University. He has been successfully involved in developing several cross-disciplinary programmes aimed at bringing studies closer to the business community. Ekman was also one of the main architects of Aalto University.

Professor Raimo Nikkanen has taught for many years at the Aalto University School of Art and Design and its predecessor, training and inspiring students of industrial design to become professionals in their field. Nikkanen has a broad international network, within which he has also promoted the inter­nationalization of the School. He is an internationally popular lecturer who has supervised students in Europe, Asia and North America.

Professor Markku Salimäki is head of the International Design Business Management programme of the Aalto University School of Economics. Since the mid-1990s he has constructed a multidiscipli­nary research and learning environment intensifying cooperation between design, technology and the economy, while training skilled actors for key positions in international business.”

More information from Design Forum Finland.

The anniversary gala continues the festive traditions of the former School of Art and Design as part of which distinguished and successful professionals are honoured for their work and new professors give their opening lectures. 

Mika Ripatti is 2012 Alumnus of the Year

Each year, the School of Arts, Design and Architecture selects an alumnus of the year in recognition of pioneering or outstanding work in the field of design and architecture.

This year the award went to animator Mika Ripatti, a graduate of the Degree Programme in Graphic Design. Already during his student days, Ripatti was a pioneer in computer animation and later taught the subject in the Media Laboratory. He also worked on the development of the brand of the Nelonen Media television company in which he was able to make use of advanced and extremely sophisticated animation graphics. In the year 2000, Mika Ripatti managed to get a job at Blue Sky Studios in New York where the production of the film “Ice Age” was about to start.

Since then Mika Ripatti has become one of Hollywood’s top animators and millions of viewers around the world have been able to enjoy his graphics in a large number of successful films and other programmes. Mika Ripatti’s career is a fine example of an international success story and the School hopes that its students will emulate him, using their talent and the skills that they have developed in a creative academic environment.

Five new honorary members

Personalities who have actively supported the School of Arts, Design and Architecture or distinguished themselves in the fields it represents and other cultural activities are invited as honorary members of the School each year. At this year’s anniversary gala, five persons were bestowed with an honorary membership.

Elena Kolovskaya, director of the Pro Arte foundation based in St. Petersburg, has been actively working in a number of fields to strengthen cooperation between education and research in arts and design in Russia and to make them more internationally oriented. She has been instrumental in developing cooperation between the School of Arts, Design and Architecture and the Saint Petersburg State University, one of the top universities of Russia. At the same time, she has established a successful partnership with Cumulus International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media, in which the School of Arts, Design and Architecture acts as a coordinator.

Industrial designer Jussi Ahola worked as a professor of industrial design at the School of Art and Design in 1987-1993 and has also taught in a number of other design institutions in Finland and other countries. Jussi Ahola’s career as a teacher of an analytical and research-based design approach and his pioneering efforts to make design research a reality formed a basis for design research that is now, two decades later, recognised by Aalto University. Ahola wrote the first Finnish-language textbook on industrial design, which was published in 1980, and he has also received wide recognition for the functional design that his design office has produced since 1986.

Kari Moilanen, Architect SAFA, has played a central role in Finnish architecture and urban planning as the Head of Espoo City Planning. During his tenure, Espoo City Planning has developed into an ambitious and dynamic institution. Kari Moilanen has played a central role as an organiser and jury member in a number of important and groundbreaking architectural competitions. Under his guidance, the area around Otaniemi is in the process of developing into an amazing combination of technology, gardens and services. Kari Moilanen is a visionary in a post where one is expected to take creative risks so that the world can be changed in the spirit of Aalto University.

Workshop master Jussi Laasasenaho started at the School of Art and Design as a caretaker in 1966 and then moved on to take up the post of workshop master. Throughout his long career, Laasasenaho worked in customer service duties. He was known as a helpful and active staff member who enjoyed the trust of all those working with him. He made an exemplary contribution to the smooth running of the day-to-day affairs of the School. Possessing a great amount of expertise and an excellent sense of humour, Laasasenaho worked as a contact person for different events and helped both students and other staff members in practical problems.

Meri-Helga Mantere, Licentiate of Arts, worked as a lecturer in art education for many years. She initiated art-based environmental education, an area of specialisation that was unique in the world and many years ahead of its time. For Mantere, an art-based approach means active embracing of nature, observations by artistic means and the attitude of non-interference: the aim is to understand nature as an entity of its own and art as an activity that does not impose its will on nature. Methods developed by Mantere are used in many countries.

Three new professors, Alastair Fuad-Luke (Emerging Design Practices), Sampsa Hyysalo (Design and Design Cooperation) and Eero Miettinen (Design and International Product Development) gave their opening lectures at the anniversary event. The decorations awarded by the President of the Republic on 6 December 2011 (the Finnish Independence Day) were also presented during the event. The recipients were: Development Manager Pekka Saarela (Knight, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland), Mikko Tuori, Workshop Master at the Department of Motion Picture, Television and Production Design (First Class Medal of the White Rose of Finland with golden cross) and Timothy Persons, who has made the photography of Helsinki School known around the world (Knight of the White Rose of Finland).

Opening lecture: Alastair Fuad-Luke
Design as Consensus Dissensus Openness.pdf

- Golaz’s collection impresses with its conceptual brilliance and clever storytelling. The images support each other to form an almost magical narrative, clearly arising from strong personal emotions, says the head judge, curator Jens Erdman Rasmussen from the Danish National Museum of Photography.

Students from twelve influential educational establishments specializing in visual arts were invited to participate in the contest, representing the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Finland, Germany, Portugal and Spain. Invited candidates were encouraged to familiarize themselves with the properties and values of the LUMI Collection and the Stora Enso range of Lumi graphic papers: light, illumination, vitality and brilliance.

Stora Enso launched a contest in July 2011 in order to discover and promote new photographic talent. The contest was named LUMI Photographic Art Awards 2011, after Stora Enso’s prestigious LUMI Collection that comprises works from classic and modern masters of photography.

The First Prize winner (EUR 5,000) and the winners of the three Honorary Awards were flown to Helsinki, Finland, on December 15th to attend the Award Ceremony and reveal their works.

Read more www.lumiawards2011.com

The Magnolia Award is conferred to foreign citizens who have contributed to Shanghai’s cooperation with other countries as well as to its economic and social development

Professor Sotamaa worked as President of the University of Art and Design Helsinki in 1986-2008. He serves on the Board of the Sino-Finnish Centre established together by Aalto University and Tongji University in Shanghai.

While the Magnolia Award is a personal honorary award to Professor Sotamaa, it also gives stature to Finnish design and collaboration between institutions of higher education that he has commendably promoted in China. The award will help to increase the visibility of the Helsinki World Design Capital 2012 project in China in 2012 and to expand the cooperation between the countries in developing innovative design that creates better life.

Further information
Professor Yrjö Sotamaa
puh. 0500 503 868
yrjo.sotamaa@taik.fi