Finland’s Minister of Science and Culture Hanna Kosonen has awarded the Finland Prize to nine artists and communities on 11 December 2019. The annual Finland Prize recipients were circus artist and choreographer Ilona Jäntti; photographic and video artist and director Marja Helander; conductor Klaus Mäkelä; designer and professor of practice Pirjo Kääriäinen; stage poetry collective Helsinki Poetry Connection; theatre festival Lainsuojattomat; media Ruskeat tytöt; dance company Raekallio Corp.; and Amos Rex as a phenomenon.
“This year’s Finland Prizes are meant to revere arts and culture professionals with remarkable careers, but also artists at the forefront of the younger generation. The individuals, groups and organizations that received the prize this year represent a very rich sampling of Finnish arts and culture”, said minister Hanna Kosonen.
The reasoning for circus artist, choreographer Ilona Jäntti’s prize: “Jäntti is a long-term influencer in the Finnish circus field and internationally one of its most well-known names. She has founded the contemporary circus company Ilmatila, which combines contemporary circus and aerial acrobatics with different art forms from music to modern dance in fascinating and creative ways. In many of Jäntti’s works the place where they are performed holds special meaning and they open the viewers’ eyes to a novel experience of the surrounding world.
As a choreographer and aerial acrobat Jäntti is an original artist who is constantly looking for new ways of collaboration. Her strong presence and identifiable language of motion take contemporary circus as an art form towards new directions, new places and new audiences.”
Ministry of Culture and Education’s press release 11 December 2019 “Ministeri Kosonen jakoi Suomi-palkinnot” (in Finnish)
More information about Ilona Jäntti: Ilmatila.com
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