Partner country Finland
On 20 September 2011, the EUNIQUE team – with the help of its Finnish representatives in Helsinki – presented the EUNIQUE event to members of design associations, craftspeople and the trade press. A cooperation agreement was signed in the Finnish capital with design association Taito ry and a working relationship cemented with two other associations, Design Forum Finland and Ornamo.
With the aid of the local associations and representatives, we will select – for the forthcoming EUNIQUE – a wide cross-section of outstanding Finnish artists whose work reflects the creative diversity of partner country Finland. One of the reasons for choosing Finland as the partner country for EUNIQUE 2012 is the recent appointment of Helsinki as the 2012 World Design Capital.
Britta Wirtz (Management Spokesperson for Messe Karlsruhe) and Marketta Luutonen (Managing Director of the Taito association) in Helsinki
Helsinki: World Design Capital 2012
Helsinki has been selected as the design capital of the world in 2012. This decision was taken by Icsid, the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design, and announced at the International Design Congress in Singapore on 25 November. Helsinki’s application was based on the theme “Open Helsinki – Embedding Design in Life”, which also serves as the basis for an ambitious programme of events prepared for 2012.
Out of the 46 cities from 27 countries that had applied for the title of design capital, the international panel of judges selected Helsinki and the Dutch city of Eindhoven for the final round. After an extensive evaluation, the balance was finally tipped in favour of Helsinki. The Finnish capital will be the third city to be named international design capital after Turin (2008) and Seoul (2010).
Helsinki’s mayor, Jussi Pajunen, who accepted the title of Design Capital 2012 on behalf of his city at the International Design Congress in Singapore, commented: “This is a wonderful result for us and an important recognition of Helsinki and our cooperation partners – the cities of Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen and Lahti – and the many organisations and people who have also been involved. We have been given a unique opportunity that we are delighted about and intend to make full use of”.
