October 7th, 2010 – On the November 9th, 2011, one hundred years have passed since the birth of designer Kaj Franck. In celebration of this anniversary, a 10 euro silver collector coin will be issued in January 2011.
The Collector Coin committee arranged an open competition for the designing of the collector coin, to which 18 proposals arrived within the set deadline. Sculptor Reijo Paavilainen’s work “Depicted in form” was selected as the winner. The jury considered Paavilainens’s proposal to be a breathable work, where the tridimensionality was well achieved.
According to Paavilainen, it was easy to start working on the design, as the theme was familiar and interesting. “The simplified profiles on the reverse side portray the most famous forms of Kaj Franck’s production. I wanted to depict the signature on the obverse side in the same simple spirit”, says Paavilainen as he describes the phases of his design work.
Second prize in the competition went to architect Petri Neuvonen for his entry “Muodonantaja” (“The Creator of Form”), and third prize was awarded to sculptor Pekka Rytkönen for his proposal “Luonnollista jälkikasvua” (“Natural aftergrowth”). In addition, awards were also given to sculptor Auli Korhonen for his work “Kaj” and AD Olavi Haapala for his work “Continuum”.
The following persons were members of the jury for the collector coin Kaj Franck and industrial art: as chairman Professor Yrjö Sotamaa from the Aalto University, Senior Budget Secretary from the Ministry of Finance Ms Marja Kirppu, Curator of the Ateneum Art Museum Heikki Halme and CEO of the Mint of Finland Ltd Paul Gustafsson. Expert members were sculptor Hannele Kylänpää, architect Jussi Palva, interior design architect Tauno Tarna, and professor Oiva Toikka. Export and marketing assistant Sinikka Ravander from the Mint of Finland Ltd functioned as secretary.
The competition proposals are at display at the Aalto University of Art and Design 13.-17.9.2010. (Hämeentie 135 C, Helsinki).
If you want to know more about Kaj Franck, click here.