The Loom of Reality by llmo Kapanen and Aarni Kapanen won the first prize of the Finnish National Gallery generative art competition Combine24

In early 2024, The Digital Finnish National Gallery announced an open international generative art competition, that asked participants to create a new generative artwork that innovatively uses the copyright-free, CC0-licensed collection data of the Finnish National Gallery.

The two main prize winners were selected by the international jury, consisting of Martin Grasser, generative artist and designer; Leevi Haapala, Dean of the Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts; Luka Piskorec, computational architect and co-founder of {protocell}; Diana Velasco, founder and director of MoNDA Museum of Nordic Digital Art; and Melissa Wiederrecht, algorithmic artist.

The jury received extensive information on the shortlisted artworks to evaluate prior to convening for deliberations and final winner selection in person in Helsinki on 3 October 2024. As a general assessment of all ten shortlisted artworks the jury stated the following: ”The assignment was difficult, but all shortlisted artists were able to interpret and create new generative artworks that are inspirational and both conceptually and technically of high quality. The artworks portrayed a wide variety of generative genres, and it was noted that each of them was able to interact with the collection in a way that can vividly imprint on the viewer.”

First prize

Loom Of Reality by Ilmo Kapanen and Aarni Kapanen

The jury considered the artwork to be a beautiful and emotional dialogue that spoke to Finnish cultural heritage creating a link between the old and the new. The artists were able to create a well-defined dataset by selecting only the landscape paintings by Eero Järnefelt. This allowed for a strong conceptual connection to build between the collection and the generative artwork that feels anthropological in its inquiry. The jury also noted that the reference to the loom and its connection as a technical starting point for how the first computers were created was elegant. The artwork is an exploration of cultural memory, identity, and the passage of time. The work draws inspiration from the ryijy, a traditional Nordic wall-mounted rug known for its mosaic-like patterns, reimagining this craft in a digital format that deconstructs and reconstructs the landscapes of Finnish painter Eero Järnefelt.

Second prize

Inventory Numbers by Andreas Rau

The jury considered the artwork to be a masterful example of technical and conceptual craftsmanship with the use of generative sound as well as visual elements. The artwork is an exploration into the interconnectedness of human existence across physical and digital realms, merging historical art with contemporary technology to uncover new narratives that bind our collective human culture. The use of personal photographic works interconnected with figures from the Finnish National Gallery’s collection adds to the emotional dimension of the work creating an emotive and personal journey. Aesthetically the work has links to constructivism and a “retro” feel that is representative of the time we live in now. The aspect ratio used also recalls religious artworks that strengthens its link with art history. Through Inventory Numbers, the artist invites viewers to reflect on the ways our lives are catalogued and remembered, both through traditional museum practices and modern digital technologies.

A new kind of call for artworks

Launched in March 2024, the open, international competition for generative art invited participants to create a generative artwork that innovatively utilizes copyright-free, CC0-licensed collection data from the Finnish National Gallery’s collection. The principle of generative art is that an autonomous system creates the outcome. The artist’s code or algorithm creates a process that repeatedly produces new variations from the data selected by the artist. The competition task also required establishing a conceptual connection between the collection and the generated artwork.

“The competition's finalist works are a fine demonstration of the diversity of the National Gallery's collections, which inspire new creation through digital means as well. I am grateful for the deep engagement with the material that the artists have shown. They have created ten very different dives into our art collection through generative art, each showing us a new perspective into our collection,” says Director of the Digital Finnish National Gallery programme Johanna Eiramo.

The artworks shown at Remix the Archive exhibition in Vallila, Helsinki

The ten finalist artworks are shown at the Remix the Archive in Helsinki's Vallila district (Teollisuuskatu 9D) from 20 September to 26 October 2024, (Tuesday-Saturday 12 noon to 18hrs00). 

The ten finalists are:

Title of Artwork: A Dance with History
Newyellow / Taiwan

Title of Artwork: BodyArtLab
Nahuel Gerth / Germany 

Title of Artwork: Inventory Numbers
Andreas Rau / Germany 

Title of Artwork: Loom Of Reality
Ilmo Kapanen, Aarni Kapanen / Finland 

Title of Artwork: Perseverance
Blas.v /Argentina 

Title of Artwork: Portrait Robot
Roni Kaufman / Sweden 

Title of Artwork: re-frame
Agoston Nagy / Hungary 

Title of Artwork: Repetition and Noise
Jeremy Schoenherr (Jeres) / U.S.A.

Title of Artwork: The Artist Code 
Arttu Koskela (Shaderism) / Finland 

Title of Artwork: Wunderblock
Tuomo Rainio / Finland 

The shortlisted artworks can also be viewed on the competition website. 

Contact

Anna Puhakka, producer
Tel. +358 50 328 8565
Email: anna.puhakka@kansallisgalleria.fi

Johanna Eiramo, director, Digital Finnish National Gallery programme
Tel. +358 400 99 56 99
Email: johanna.eiramo@kansallisgalleria.fi

Competition partners include Highlight, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, and the construction company and urban developer YIT.

Combine24 is part of the Digital Finnish National Gallery programme's Web3 project. The project is funded through the Next Generation EU Recovery Fund via the Ministry of Education and Culture.