Horisontti (the horizon), a work of art designed by Hannu Kähönen, reminds us of the uniqueness of the Baltic Sea during The Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2013

Today, in association with the Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2013, the John Nurminen Foundation and the Baltic Sea Challenge of the cities of Helsinki and Turku establish a joint campaign to promote the Baltic Sea. As the campaign moves ahead, Horisontti, a work of art built of steel name plates or ‘gleams’, will be created on the Jätkäsaari pier, where it will be handed over to the City of Helsinki during The Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2013 event. The net profit of the campaign will be used by the Foundation’s Clean Baltic Sea projects, which work for the reduction of eutrophication-inducing phosphorus in the Baltic Sea. The campaign aims to raise roughly €210,000 before expenses.

For private individuals, the campaign sets the challenge of donating €50 in support of the John Nurminen Foundation’s work for the Baltic Sea. After making a donation, all campaign participants will have a plate, i.e. a ‘gleam’, with their name on it; the gleams will be used in the artwork created in Jätkäsaari, Helsinki. Designated ‘gleams’ can also be given as presents. The work of art will be built piece by piece, as donations accrue. The design of the work is donated by the designer and professor Hannu Kähönen from the Creadesign design agency.

With the work of art, placed in the immediate vicinity of the sea, Hannu Kähönen wishes to underline the importance of the protection of the Baltic Sea. ‘While creating the work, familiar images of the sunny, open Baltic Sea and its gleaming horizon were often on my mind. Unfortunately, the status of the beautiful Baltic Sea has deteriorated year after year. The clarity of the water has decreased dramatically, and, as everyone who has been in the archipelago knows, continuously increasing blooms of blue-green algae are an all-too-familiar sight. The length of the piece corresponds to the average depth of the Baltic Sea, which is no more than 54 metres. I wanted this to illustrate the vulnerability of the Baltic Sea. I hope the work will be a gleaming symbol of a cleaner Baltic Sea.’

Other companies involved in building the work also contribute to its costs. High Metal Production Oy will donate the assembly of the piece, and the company has also participated in implementation design. Suomen Vesileikkaus Oy donates the cutting of the plates.

The City of Helsinki participates in the campaign via the Baltic Sea Challenge and The Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2013 event. The ownership of the work of art will be handed over to the Baltic Sea Challenge and received during The Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2013 by one of the two initiators of the challenge, Mayor Jussi Pajunen. ‘The Baltic Sea is the living room and landscape of the people of Helsinki. In addition to constituting a competitive advantage for the city, its wellbeing is in the interest of all the inhabitants of Helsinki. The Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2013, which also carries the important theme of youth work, reminds us not only of the glorious history of sailing, but of the future of the Baltic Sea. For the City of Helsinki, it is important and natural to be a visible part of the protection of the Baltic Sea.

All things new are currently being created in Jätkäsaari, Helsinki, and with the Horisontti work of art, the area will receive a wonderful reminder of the fact that the people of Helsinki want to ensure future generations can live by a sea that is healthy. I hope the people of the city will become enthusiastic participants in the campaign’, says Jussi Pajunen, Mayor of Helsinki.

The ‘Gleam’ plates are available in a limited edition of 4,225 pcs. Donations can be made from 15 May 2013 onwards using the donation platform at www.tallshipsraceshelsinki.fi. The campaign will continue until all ‘gleams’ have been added to the work or until the end of 2013.

Further information:
Tuula Putkinen
Communications Manager
John Nurminen Foundation
Tel: +358 400 907 809
e-mail: firstname.lastname@jnfoundation.fi

The Clean Baltic Sea projects of the John Nurminen Foundation improve the status of the Baltic Sea. Eutrophication is the most serious environmental problem faced by the Baltic Sea. Signs of eutrophication include the blooms of blue-green algae encountered every summer. The most efficient way to prevent eutrophication is to cut the phosphorus loads discharged to the sea. The target of the Foundation’s phosphorus removal projects is to reduce the annual phosphorus discharges entering the sea by 2,500 tonnes by 2015: this equals one sixth of the total target of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission HELCOM. The Tanker Safety project aims at reducing the risk of oil spills with the introduction, to be implemented in 2013, of the new, enhanced navigation support information system ENSI for all tankers sailing the Baltic Sea. The Foundation finances its environmental operations with private donations and public funding. www.cleanbalticsea.fi

In the Baltic Sea Challenge, initiated in 2007, the cities of Helsinki and Turku commit to new, voluntary and concrete measures that improve the status of their coastal waters and the entire Baltic Sea. Such measures include reducing the load originating the cities’ own point and non-point sources, and the load generated by marine traffic and boating. Moreover, the cities commit to improving their oil-spill readiness, and to increasing research, awareness and cooperation involving the protection of the Baltic Sea. The objective of the Baltic Sea Challenge is to activate as many stakeholders as possible so that they join the work to improve the status of the Baltic Sea.

The Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2013

The Tall Ships Races sailing contest is organised by Sail Training International (STI), an international non-profit organisation. These races are designed to promote international friendship and training for young people in the art of sailing, regardless of their nationality, skin colour, religion or social background. The City of Helsinki Event Office is responsible for event organisation in Helsinki. The Helsinki event has three primary themes: youth work, protection of the Baltic Sea and the organisation of responsible events. The Tall Ships Races is held in the Baltic Sea region every fourth year. In 2013, the event will be hosted by Aarhus in Denmark, Riga in Latvia and Szczecin in Poland, in addition to Helsinki. Around 100 ships carrying some 3,000 young sailors will participate in The Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2013 contest during 17-20 July, 2013. Helsinki last hosted the event in 2000.