FINLAND. Helsinki Airport operator Finavia is writing a new chapter in the airport experience for Chinese travellers.
The company has enlisted Chinese contemporary artist Pan Jianfeng to design posters that illustrate Finland and Finnishness. The posters use the Chinese language and particularly target travellers from the artist’s homeland.
Jianfeng has drawn on modern calligraphy techniques for the posters, and the artist will be at the airport tomorrow (24 August) to demonstrate his working methods in what Finavia is calling “a fast-paced graphic design performance”.
“In my art, I try to describe Finland to Chinese passengers,” commented Jianfeng. “Finnishness is one of those things that you cannot buy, like a cleanness, sisu, Finnish heroism, the design of your own life, and nature’s miracles such as the Northern Lights. They can be witnessed when you least expect to see them.”
The collaboration with Pan Jianfeng comes as part of Finavia’s strategy to strengthen Helsinki Airport’s position as a transit airport between Europe and Asia.
“We have invested heavily in improving our service for Chinese passengers,” said Helsinki Airport Director at Finavia Ville Haapasaari. “With Pan’s calligraphy, we can address our Chinese visitors through art. In addition, these magnificent posters are a delight to everyone’s eyes, even if you do not understand the language.”
The number of Chinese passengers at Helsinki Airport increased by approximately +50% between 2014 and 2015, according to Finavia. Last year, about 300,000 Chinese passengers visited the airport.
Another recent service improvement was to introduce Chinese-speaking guides. They not only help Chinese travellers who might struggle with the language barrier in navigating the airport, but also encourage them to use commercial services and assist with airport shopping, helping to drive retail sales.
Pan Jianfeng is the founder of design company SHTYPE and an independent visual artist, who has worked both as a chief design officer and a professional in the fields of typography and graphic design. He has worked with brands such as Coca-Cola, Nike and WWF and recently moved from Shanghai to Porvoo, in Finland.
Passengers travelling from the non-Schengen area on 24 August will be able to see the artist paint a piece called ‘It’s Truly a Country of the Thousand Lakes’ on glass using calligraphy. The piece is inspired by a poem by Chinese poet Guo Moruo.
