Miniprint Finland - From National to International
In 2005 it will be 110 years since the first graphics print was published in Finland. The Society of Finnish Graphic Artists will celebrate its 75th anniversary only a year later. The Miniprint Finland Triennial to be held in Lahti will mark the beginning of a countdown to these anniversaries. The triennial was first arranged in 1993 and has since then grown from a mainly national exhibition into a great international graphic arts exhibition both in size and significance. Since the beginning of the 20th century graphic arts have experienced strong growth into an independent form of pictorial arts and one that easily crosses national borders worldwide. Today local, national and international associations work independently and in cooperation to provide opportunities to make graphic arts better known.
Local printmakers came up with the idea to arrange the Miniprint Finland exhibition. The Graphic Artist Association of Lahti and the extensive graphics training available in Lahti played an important role in the development of the idea. Training was first arranged at Lito-Lemminkäinen's workshop, which was also one of the first workshops in Finland shared by a number of printmakers. Since then training and workshop activities have continued at Lahti Graphic Artists' workshop. Lahti Polytechnic's Institute of Fine Arts, where many of local printmakers and active members of Lahti Graphic Artists were trained, has also played an important role.
Graphic arts can easily be spread through exhibitions from one country and continent to another, in particular so when it is question of miniature prints. Maybe it is just small scale prints that best bring out some of the basic features of printmaking: duplicability, ease of distribution and low purchase and delivery costs. Perhaps at the era of modern electronic media the more touchable and personal message of real graphic prints has an ever more significant status. In large international exhibitions, like Miniprint Finland, local and international, shared and individual feelings and visions merge into one entity, one way to raise many current issues.
A special thanks to The Graphic Artist Association of Lahti and Lahti Arts Museum for successful exhibition arrangements! Good luck and success to those who were awarded as well as all the participating artists!
Antti Salokannel, printmaker
The Chairman of the Society of Finnish Graphic Artists
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