This document outlines plans for an international stone sculpture symposium to take place in Finland in 2009. Sculptors will work with local black granite and boulders to create monumental sculptures along the 62nd latitude, stretching between Haukivuori and Kangasniemi. The sculptures will be placed on islands in Lake Kyyvesi and at the Art Centre Saksala ArtRadius to mark the landscape. Detailed schedules, budgets, locations, and participating artists are provided to organize the 8-week symposium and display the resulting works as a sign of 21st century art.
2. the idea
monument of the 21st century
a line of monumental sculptures on the 62º latitude will be
a sign of the 21st century and can stay for hundreds of years
• human beings always leave signs and symbols
• monuments of past civilizations, like Stonehenge,
were made by a community, without an
individual signature
• in our time we live in a society of individuals,
every artist shows his own vision and relation to
reality
• a monument of the 21st century will show this
individual approach, and by organizing the
sculptures on a grid will give a unique view of our
civilization
5. stone and area
• In art centre Saksala ArtRadius a stone symposium in spring 2009 has to be prepared.
The Finnish landscapes appeals to the imagination especially in spring.
The landscape is grand with spectacular light in small hours that brings a lot of energy.
Finnish landscape is famous and Finnish granite is world-famous by sculptors, they like the fine crystal and its easy
work.
For the stone symposium ‘Finnish black granite from the stone quarry will be available together with boulders dating
back to out of the glacial period. Both materials are typical for the Finnish landscape. The granite forms the
landscape and the boulders ‘grow’ in the fields during springtime.
A characteristic noise in spring is the machine which is digging these boulders from the fields. Farmers bury them in a
hole in the field or make walls from then; sometimes they mark their land with it. What water is in Dutch landscape
these stones are in Finland.
Both stones can be combined and shall be interwoven with the Finnish lakes, islands and silence of the landscape as
a contemporary monument for the future.
The primeval landscape is made in the glacial period. The ice cap covered the land and after moving to the north it
left stones of all sizes. Deep holes in the rocks-bed were filled up with water and thousands of lakes appeared.
The map of Finland shows the way the ice moved. The ice was strong and big rocks were replaced by the ice. The
biggest one (of Europe, maybe even of the world) is the monolith on which Saksala is situated. One big rock on
which already in prehistoric time people started to live.
Workspaces are planned in the Saksala area and on islands in the lake.
A group of minimal 6 international sculptors will be invited to work during 8 weeks in inspiring surroundings with these
magnificent Finnish materials and visualize their own image of this primeval landscape.
This symposium will be the beginning of a marked line between Haukivuori and Kangasniemi on
the H-K 62º latitude.
- in the summer over the water and in the winter via the ice.-
The islands in lake Kyyvesi with the sculptures are places where one find an interesting document of contemporary
art and see the landscape from a different viewpoint.
Because of the budget and the complicated organization a long term planning is necessary.
8. location for the first period:
• 1. Art Centre Saksala ArtRadius in Haukivuori
• 2. islands in lake Kyyvesi in Haukivuori
• 3. harbor and beach of lake Kyyvesi
• 4. FOAM ArtRadius Sculpture Park in Haukivuori
period: ?
21. time schedule
• April 200?-June 200?
• 25 April 15 start symposium
• preparation
• 26 visiting granite quarry to look after the material
• until September 200?
• 27 transport from the granite to the locations
• 1 making the plan
• 28 symposium program
• 2 visiting granite quarries
• 29 special sponsor meetings
• 3 calculating the budget
• 30 special visitor meetings
• 31 excursions
• October 2008 – March 200?
• 32 June 10 ending symposium
• 4 contact with selected artists to made the group
• 33 exhibition and presentation
• 5 making appointments and contracts
• 6 visiting the locations in the lake (during winter time)
• conclusion
• 7 press release about the project
• July 200?-September 200?
• 8 applying for stipendiums for the first par of the budget:
• 34 preparation of the catalogue
• Suomen Kulttuurirahasto October 31 200?
• 35 financial statement
• Nordic Culture Fund January 31 200?
• 36 website
• 9 sponsor program private persons and companies
• 37 publishing of the catalogue
• 10 contact with embassies of participating artists
• 38 presentation of the catalogue
• 39 making a guide tour along the sculptures
• April 2009 – September 200?
• 40 special sponsor meeting
• 11 visiting locations for big boulders, selecting and transport
appointments •
• 12 meeting with sponsors • realization
• 13 preparing the locations on the islands • explanation of the budget and time schedule
• 14 reservation from machineries and equipments
• 15 press release about the symposium • Because of the long term preparation and planning of this stone symposium
we will apply for a period of two years so we can start with the preparations
• 16 applying for stipendiums for the second part of the budget: already in 200?
• Arts Council Finland September 30 200?
• Nordic Culture Fund September 30 200? • The first year 2008 shall be needed to prepare the organization, the
materials and make all appointments necessary to continue.
• October 200?-March 200? • The second year 2009 the symposium will taken place.
• 17 applying for stipendiums for the second part of the budget: • Most of the payments will be done in 200?
• Suomen Kulttuurirahasto October 31 2008?
• 18 preparing the places on the islands • To be sure the funds are stretching to finance the whole budget we are
• 19 preparing the places on Saksala ArtRadius applying now and when the amount is full by promises we can start to
• 20 order the black granite confirm the appointments and start to pay the costs.
• 21 arranging transport and logistics • In 2006 only the part for preparing the stone symposium had to be paid.
• 22 work of the participating sculptors on the website
www.foam.ws • As a rough estimate the costs in 200? will be:
• 23 definitive program of the symposium • travel cost, lodging costs, fee coordinator, meeting costs
• 24 press release start symposium and participating artists