‘Kartta’ wins Koivisto´s memorial design competition

Visual artist and photographer Perttu Saksa has won the design competition for the late president Mauno Koivisto’s grave memorial.

The winning design is named ‘Kartta’, said an official press release on Tuesday.

A sculpture named ‘Tarttistehräjotain’ by Matti Nurminen has won the second place, followed by sculptor Bjarne Lönnroos’s entry ‘Jääsulaa’.

The winning design receives a prize of EUR 10,000, the first runner up EUR 5,000, and the second runner up EUR 3,000. The committee of judges also decided to award EUR 1,000 as a commendation to sculptor Pertti Mäkinen’s design ‘Heijastus’.

The former president’s grave memorial committee is headed by Permanent Under-Secretary of State Timo Lankinen.

Lankinen said, “The contestants’ entries reflect former president Koivisto’s career as a state leader, but many of the works also made reference to his pastimes and to his home town. The evaluated design entries illustrate great diversity in the proposals for a grave memorial.”

The Prime Minister’s Office announced the design competition in early January.

A total of 138 proposals were received by the closing date. The aim is to have the grave memorial ready and in place at the Hietaniemi Cemetery by November 25, the birth anniversary of Koivisto.

Finland’s ninth president, Mauno Koivisto died on May 12, 2017. He was the president of the Republic of Finland for 12 years – from 1982 to 1994. Koivosto’s state funeral was held on May 25, 2017.