15 October 2021–3 April 2022

ARS FENNICA, Finland’s most prestigious art prize, is awarded by the Henna and Pertti Niemistö Art Foundation. To celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the prize in 2021, an exhibition at Hämeenlinna Art Museum will showcase a selection of the works by the nominees of ARS FENNICA 2021. The exhibition will run from 15 October 2021 until 3 April 2022.

ARS FENNICA 2021 Award nominees are Eija-Liisa Ahtila (Finland), Anne-Karin Furunes (Norway), Jesper Just (Denmark), Viggo Wallensköld (Finland), Magnus Wallin (Sweden).

ARS FENNICA is presented every two years. The prize was first awarded in 1991. To honour its 30th anniversary, the prize has been raised to €50,000. Over the past 30 years, 151 artists from the Nordic and Baltic countries and the St Petersburg region have been shortlisted for the prize. The latest shortlist, chosen by the foundation’s award panel, was announced in August 2021. An international expert will select the ARS FENNICA winner in spring 2022.

Henna and Pertti Niemistö donated their considerable art collection to Hämeenlinna Art Museum in 1995. The collection now continues to be expanded by Leena and Kari Niemistö. “With the 30^th anniversary exhibition, we wanted to return to our roots and bring the ARS FENNICA exhibition back to Hämeenlinna,” said Leena Niemistö, Chairman of the Award Panel.

The ARS FENNICA 2021 exhibition is a collaboration between the Henna and Pertti Niemistö Art Foundation and Hämeenlinna Art Museum. It is supported by Pro Av Saarikko.

Find out more at arsfennica.fi