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Finland's student and professional sections have won the gold medal in the world's biggest scenography event, the Prague Quadrennial, which was held from June 18-28 in Prague.

The students' entry The Other Side won the prize for Best Exposition in the Student Section, and the professional entry Weather Station got the medal for the Best Use of Media in Scenography. The Finnish professional section was also one of three nominees for the Golden Triga main prize.

Weather Station, which comprises four works, showcases high-quality Finnish sound design and art in search of new forms. The exhibition comprises the media works Water Tower and Sound Forest, which are based on project documents, as well as the sound installations The Sound of Music (in a box) and Melting Point. The judges of the Prague Quadrennial praised the section for achievements including the creative combination of different media, and the multi-level sharing of ideas.

Serving as curators of the professional section were scenographer, researcher Maiju Loukola and dramaturge and sound artist Timo Heinonen. The producer of the exhibition is light designer Mia Kivinen, and Ada Halonen is responsible for the technical production. The artists in the exhibition work in many fields, as sound planners, composers, musicians, teachers, researchers, and performers in various interdisciplinary projects. 

The student section The Other Side was a collaborative effort of Aalto University and the Theatre Academy Helsinki. The work is formed by an elastic wall which divides the space in two. When the wall is touched, the sound landscape and lighting change and a physical, unexpected and amusing interaction takes place among viewers on different sides. The work was praised by the judges for qualities such as the ability to create a dynamic between the parts of the divided space, as well as its attraction, playfulness, and use of materials.

Taking part in The Other Side were students of fields such as staging, lighting design, architecture, media, and costume design from several different countries. Teachers in charge were Professor of Costume Design Sofia Pantouvaki, Sampo Pyhälä, a lecturer in staging, and Kimmo Karjunen, a lecturer in lighting design.  

The Prague Quadrennial, which is held every four years, is the world's largest international showcase of scenography, which covers set design, costume design, lighting design, sound design, picture design, and theatre architecture. The exhibition brings artists and researchers from nearly 80 countries to Prague. The previous quadrennial, in 2011, had more than 20,000 visitors. The Finnish Oistat Centre has been responsible for the Finnish professional section since the 1970s.

Artists:

The Sound of Music (in a box): Heidi Soidinsalo, Kasperi Laine, Ville Seppänen and Jani-Matti Salo

Melting Point: Antti Mäkelä

Water Tower: Elina Lifländer, Kristian Ekholm, Nanni Vapaavuori and Leila Kourki

Sound Forest: Antti Nykyri

The Other Side: Anders Karls (Finland), Dan Palarie (Moldova), Eero Erkamo (Finland), Guy Dowsett (Australia), Heli Salomaa (Finland), Ina Saarinen (Suomi), Joanna Wojciechowicz (Poland), Lauren Sever (USA), Mimosa Norja (Finland), Niklas Pöllönen (Finland), Oscar Eriksson Furunes (Norway), Paola Guzman Figueroa (Colombia), Susanna Suurla (Finland) and Teo Paaer (Finland)

Further information:

Prague Quadrennial:

Weather Station:

Sound of Music (in a Box):

Curator Maiju Loukola
+358 50 433 5668
maiju.loukola@aalto.fi