Ornamo Foundation grants encourage experimentation
To mark its 30-year anniversary, the Ornamo Foundation has awarded €30 000 in grants. The grants of €3 000 to ten Ornamo members give the recipients an opportunity to focus on the development of new ideas.
The Ornamo Foundation wants to stir up discussion about the possibilities for new ideas to develop into design products, service concepts, or art. Designers’ busy work life or self-employment don’t always leave time for demanding development work. Grants offer time to concentrate on creative work.
“With government grant cuts, private foundation support is becoming increasingly important for designers and artists. This year there was a 5% cut, and the austerity cuts look set to continue next year. Grants often have a catalytic effect on careers, as even a small amount of support can make a big difference to design work. Grants also bring out meaningful projects,” says Petra Ilonen of the Ornamo Foundation.
The Ornamo Foundation’s grants are made up of funds donated to the Foundation, manny of them in the form of bequests. The General Fund consists of a wide range of donations from designers such as Hannu Kähönen, Marja Suna, Ilmari Tapiovaara, and cultural influencers Gerda and Salomo Wuorio. In addition, grants are awarded from Kaarina Aho’s Fund, Mirja Tissari’s Fund, and Eva and Maija Taimi’s Fund.
The Ornamo Foundation aims to support and promote the work of Ornamo members in the fields of design, interior architecture, industrial and service design, contemporary crafts, ceramics, fashion design, and textiles. Ornamo is the largest professional association of designers in Finland.
This year’s receivers of the €3 000 grant from the General Fund are designers Alex Baer, Henri Judin, Hanna Kölhi, and Laura Merz, glass artist Sini Majuri, and jewelry artist Inni Pärnänen. The Kaarina Aho Fund awarded a €3 000 grant to ceramic artist Miia Kallio. The Eva and Maija Taimi Fund awarded a €3 000 grant to interior architect Marjut Alitalo and textile artist Raija Jokinen. The Mirja Tissari Fund awarded a €3 000 grant to textile artist Niina Hiltunen.
About the projects
Marjut Alitalo, together with Kiira Keski-Hakuni, has designed climbing furniture for cats that looks completely different from the usual cat trees. The grant will help to promote the commercialization of the concept.
Alex Baer is researching and developing the use of cellulose-based materials in art objects. The project focuses on the sustainability and life-cycle assessment of products, and the interfaces and future of contemporary design and art.
Niina Hiltunen‘s work combines textile art, sound, and material research. She creates experimental textile works that reuse, among other things, the strings of musical instruments.
Henri Judin‘s upcoming design exhibition promotes diversity and inclusivity, drawing creative inspiration from LGBTQ+ communities in Finland and New York. The grant will support Judin’s future work in New York in the summer of 2025.
Raija Jokinen‘s work explores new ways of using linen pulp in art and small series production. Recycled linen from a laundry company will take on a new form in the hands of a textile artist. The work takes place in a paper workshop in Helsinki.
Miia Kallio‘s project promotes the use of domestic red clay in art education. Kallio will provide guidance and training for teachers to deepen and increase their knowledge and skills in using the material.
Hanna Kölhi‘s work focuses on the change in organizational culture in the post-pandemic transformation of working life. The project brings new insights into the implementation of organizational culture change through design, especially in the public sector.
Laura Merz develops interactive and multi-sensory artworks for children’s audiences. The grant will support the organization of workshops to take ideas forward through play and experimentation, promoting inclusivity and participation.
Sini Majuri will use her grant to experiment with materials for an artwork that combines traditional glass techniques with artificial intelligence. The project brings together artists, engineers and glassmaking professionals.
Inni Pärnänen will use the grant to learn more about woodworking techniques. For example, she will explore new uses for surplus material from a plywood factory, experimentally creating new works of art from it.
Who decided on the grants
The Ornamo Foundation grants were decided by various committees. The Scholarship Committee, appointed by the Foundation’s Board of Directors, selected the recipients of the General Fund grants. This year, it included textile artist Synnöve Dickhoff, service designer and interior architect Tiina Hirvanen, ceramic artist Katja Kotikoski and industrial designer Hannu Kähönen. The Kaarina Aho Fund was also supported by ceramic artists Catharina Kajander and Nathalie Lautenbacher. The Eva and Maija Taimi Fund grants were decided by the Board of Interior Architects SIO and the Board of Textile Artists TEXO. The grants for the Mirja Tissari Fund were also decided by the Board of Textile Artists TEXO.
The Ornamo Foundation accepts donations to increase its funds.