FINLAND. ‘It’s Truly a Country of the Thousand Lakes’. That was the apt title of a “mesmerising” calligraphy artwork created specially for Helsinki Airport by Chinese contemporary artist Pan Jianfeng yesterday (24 August).
As reported, the artist has also used calligraphy to create special posters in Chinese at the airport. Finavia said the aim was to explain Finland and Finnishness to Chinese travellers and make them feel more welcome.
The piece painted by Jianfeng yesterday is based on a poem of the same name by Chinese poet Guo Moruo, and references the fact that Finland is often referred to as ‘the land of the thousand lakes’ (inland lakes and rivers make up about 10% of the country’s total area). The artwork was painted on glass using calligraphy and can be found in gate area 34-35.
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. Finavia has invested in improving the service it offers to Chinese travellers – who are seen as an important market segment for retail sales.
Look out for a full report on the collaboration between Finavia and Pan Jianfeng, featuring additional images and videos, in The Moodie Davitt e-Zine next week.
