BELOW ZERO SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED

The Finnish Institute in London and Beaconsfield Gallery Vauxhall have published the shortlist for the Below Zero art prize. The winner will be announced in late November.

The shortlisted artist are Jonna Kina, Sini Pelkki, Eeva-Liisa Puhakka, Anssi Pulkkinen and Minna Pöllänen.

The prize was established by the Finnish Institute in London, Beaconsfield Gallery Vauxhall and an anonymous benefactor. The prize offers a platform for a residency at Beaconsfield Gallery Vauxhall and a new commission mentored by Beaconsfield. The aim of the prize is to support new talents and create opportunities for collaborations between Finland and the UK. The prize will be awarded for the first time.

The jury received 95 applications in total. The high amount of applicants indicates that the project has been interesting, and that there is a need for developing international art collaboration in the future as well.

"This is a unique opportunity for a Finnish artist to internationalise their career and get support from a well known British art organisation", says Pauliina Ståhlberg, the director of the Finnish Institute in London.

The jury consisted of critic Mika Hannula, curator Hannele Tilles, the director of the Finnish Institute in London Pauliina Ståhlberg and Beaconfield's Artist Directors and curators David Crawforth and Naomi Siderfin. The jury focused on artists, who have not been awarded prizes before and who would significantly benefit from a remarkable commission in the UK.