The organisers behind The Next Helsinki, a competition masterminded by architect and critic Michael Sorkin, have announced that they have received over 200 international entries. Launched as an alternative to the controversial Guggenheim Helsinki project, the competition called upon architects, urbanists, artists, and environmentalists to imagine how Helsinki and the South Harbour site allotted to the proposed museum could be transformed for the maximum benefit of the city’s residents and visitors.
Sorkin has stressed that it has not been just "a counter-competition" to the recent Guggenheim competition: "we’re trying to raise the question of whether a big foreign institution is the most logical way to prompt the arts to flourish at the community level." You can read Sorkin's comments about the Finns' attitude to their city and his thoughts on the shortlist of the recent Guggenheim competition in full here.
The esteemed jury, replete with distinguished artists and architects (many of whom are Finnish), include:
- Michael Sorkin (chair)
- gallerist Ilona Anhava
- architect Walter Hood
- artist Juha Huuskonen
- artist Heta Kuchka
- professor Juhani Pallasmaa
- urban ecologist Miguel Robles-Durán
- professor Neil Spiller
- professor Andrew Ross
- curator Joanna Warsza
- professor Mabel Wilson
- professor Sharon Zukin
Following an open seminar at Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki on the 19th April, the results will be announced on the 20th April.
Michael Sorkin On The Guggenheim, Museum Culture, and "The Next Helsinki" Competition
