This competition page presents the phases of the now completed art competition for artists with a connection to Tartu County, Estonia for a new permanent artwork to the Tapiola Park (Tapiolanpuisto) Tampere, Finland. The competition consisted of two phases, namely an open portfolio competition phase, followed by an invited competition.
ART COMPETITION
for artists with a connection to Tartu County, Estonia
New permanent artwork to the Tapiola Park (Tapiolanpuisto) Tampere, Finland
1st phase: OPEN CALL FOR PORTFOLIOS | 10.1.–10.2.2023
2nd phase: INVITATION-BASED COMPETITION | 1.3.–31.5.2023
Jass Kaselaan’s proposal Kindered Spirits Greet Each Other from Afar was selected as the winner of the Tapiolanpuisto art competition. Read more here.
OPEN CALL FOR PORTFOLIOS
The City of Tampere announces a two-phased public art competition for designing a new permanent artwork to the Tapiola Park (Tapiolanpuisto) in Tampere, Finland. The competition celebrates the friendship of the twin cities of Tartu and Tampere and is open to artists, who are connected to Tartu County (Tartumaa) through their studies, place of birth or residency. Artists in different phases of their career are encouraged to participate.
The first phase of the competition is an open call for portfolios, in which interested artists can send in their portfolios to the jury. The open call for portfolios is open from 10th of January to 10th of February 2023. Based on the portfolios the jury will invite 2-4 artists to participate in the second phase of the competition: to sketch a proposal of an artwork for Tapiola Park.
SITE
A bustling hub of business, culture and education with a storied industrial heritage, Tampere is the third-largest city in Finland and one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. Tartu and Tampere have been twin cities since 1992. To celebrate Tartu’s position as the European Capital of Culture in 2024, the City of Tampere has decided to commission a permanent public artwork.
The artwork will be placed in Tapiola Park (Tapiolanpuisto) in Eastern Tampere, an idyllic neighborhood park where it will carry on the legacy of the adjoining Tartu Park (2001) that will go through a major upheaval when the nearby Hakametsä ice hockey arena and its surroundings are redeveloped into a modern sports campus.
The artwork will be installed in the Eastern corner of the park, either on the slight inclination (A) or at the crossroads of pedestrian paths (B). A map and images of the park are attached (attachment 1).
The work should be ready and installed in summer 2024. The ready artwork will be attached to the collections of Tampere Art Museum.
TECHINIQUE AND MATERIALS
The technique and materials of the artwork are open, but the piece should endure changing weather conditions and be easily maintained. The work can be touched or interacted with. The artists are encouraged to approach the site through their own strengths and interests and think of unexpected and fresh approaches of what public art could be in the Tapiola Park.
BUDGET
A budget of 90 000 euros is reserved for the realization of the artwork including the artist’s fee, material costs, travel costs, execution costs and transportation. The Commissioner is responsible for the design and execution of possible groundwork, lightning and installation of the work.
The artists, who are invited to the second phase of the competition to create a sketch, are paid a fee of 3000 euros (VAT 0%). The artist needs to be able to invoice the fee from the City of Tampere.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
The competition is open to professional artists or artist groups who are connected to Tartu County (Tartumaa). The connection to Tartu County (Tartumaa) can be a place of birth, current place of residence or place of study. In the case of artist group, at least one of the members should have connection to Tartu County and be a professional artist. Students in the final stages of their studies can participate too.
Prior experience on public art is not necessary. The most important thing is that the artist can showcase that their way of working could be applied to public space. Artists in different phases of their career and with different backgrounds are encouraged to participate.
A public art coordinator will be available to assist the artist in the realization of the work and in all the practicalities around it.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE?
In the first phase interested artists send in their portfolios. The portfolio is an opportunity to showcase the artist’s previous experience, artistic interests, and adaptability of the way of working to public space.
The portfolio should include:
• 3-6 examples of previous works (can include images, short descriptions)
• CV
• Contact information + information on how the applicant is connected to Tartu County (Tartumaa)
• Motivation letter (max 1/2 A4)
In the motivation letter please explain briefly why you are interested in this project and how your ways of working could be applied in this site. If you don’t have previous experience in the realization of art in public space, you can describe what interests you in working with public space and how your possible previous experience in other kind of wider art projects or collaborations with professionals from other fields could assist you in working in public space.
The competition language is English.
NOTE: The portfolio should not include ready artwork proposals to this site. It is rather an opportunity to tell the jury what interests you in the project and how your artistic practice could suit the site. If you work with multiple mediums or are thinking of a certain approach / use of medium, you can share your preliminary ideas on how you would approach this particular site.
Send your portfolio as a one pdf-file (max. size 10 Mb) via Wetransfer (www.wetransfer.com) to the competition contact person Miina Pohjolainen miina.pohjolainen (at)paaf.fi Please send your portfolio well before the deadline to avoid any technical problems.
SCHEDULE
PHASE 1 - 10.1.2023-10.2.2023 Open call for portfolios
20.1.2023 Deadline for sending questions
31.1.2023 All the questions and answers are published in the competition webpage
10.2.2023 Deadline for sending the portfolios at 23:59 (UTC +2)
1.3.2023 The invited artists / artist groups for the next phase are announced
PHASE 2
1.3.-31.5.23 Sketch phase – the selected artists create the proposals
31.5.2023 Deadline for handing in the sketch
06/2023 The results of the competition are published
The artists invited in the second phase will get a more detailed information of the site and area.
AFTER THE COMPETITION
07-08 / 2023 Agreement of the realization between the commissioner and the artist
09 / 23 – 05/ 24 Realization of the artwork
06 -07 / 2024 Artwork ready and installed
THE SELECTION JURY
Based on the portfolios the jury will invite 2-4 artists to sketch an artwork proposal for Tapiola Park. The selected artists are paid a fee of 3000 euros (VAT 0%).
Jury members:
Markus Joonas, Development Manager, City of Tampere
Timo Koski, City Gardener, City of Tampere
Janne Kauppinen, Curator, Tampere Art Museum
Ilona Kyykoski, Project Manager, Operation Pirkanmaa, City of Tampere
Joanna Hoffmann, Director, Tartu Art Museum
Erge Jõgela, Urban Designer, City of Tartu
Kati Torp, Artistic Director, Tartu2024 Foundation
Rauno Nummi, Tampere Tartu Association (Tampere-Tartto-seura)
Maija Kovari, CEO, Public Art Agency Finland
Miina Pohjolainen, Art coordinator, Public Art Agency Finland (secretary, without a vote)
The jury is entitled to consult experts or user group representatives as part of the decision-making process.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
The portfolios will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
• Professionality in the contemporary art field
• Skills within the artist’s chosen mediums and techniques
• The richness and freshness of the artistic practice and approach
• The adaptability of the artistic practice to public space
COPYRIGHTS AND OTHER TERMS
The copyright of the portfolio belongs to the artist. The competition organizer does not have a right to publish any of the materials presented in the portfolio unless agreed otherwise. The copyright of the artwork proposals, created in the second phase of the competition belong to the artist. The competition organizer has the right to publish images of the proposals in their communication.
The City of Tampere reserves the right not to proceed with any of the proposal of the competition.
QUESTIONS?
Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions related to the open call or the site. You can contact the competition’s contact person, public art coordinator Miina Pohjolainen via email miina.pohjolainen(at)paaf.fi by January 20, 2023.
All the questions and their answers will be published in the competition site www.paaf.fi/tartu by the end of January 2023.