The first operating year of Amos Rex saw over half a million visitors. In addition to the opening exhibition teamLab, that opened on August 30th 2018, Amos Rex’s exhibitions have featured René Magritte, Studio Drift and the Ars Fennica candidates. Overall 503 700 people have visited the museum during the first year.
Petri Ala-Maunus was voted visitors’ choice of the Ars Fennica exhibition
Amos Rex’s first year concludes with the announcement of the Ars Fennica exhibition’s visitors’ choice. A total of 77 300 people visited Amos Rex’s first summer exhibition. Visitors had the opportunity to vote for their favourite work by using glass marbles on a humouristic marble track.
The visitors’ choice of Ars Fennica 2019 exhibition is Petri Ala-Maunus. Amos Rex will reward the favourite by acquiring an artwork by the artist into its collection.
“I’m really happy that the public has liked my work. It is a huge recognition to be chosen as the visitors’ choice from amongst a group of such great artists. I’m particularly delighted that it was awarded to paintings, when the death of painting has long been discussed in connection to contemporary art,” Ala-Maunus comments.
By the decision of Roland Wetzel, Director of Museum in Tinguely in Basel, the Ars Fennica Award was granted to artist Ragnar Kjartansson in August.
Amos Rex is closed from September 9th due to a change of exhibition and will open again October 11th with the exhibition “Birger Carlstedt: Le Chat Doré”. In the large retrospective exhibition, visitors can step into a prohibition-era café designed by Birger Carlstedt. The café called Le Chat Doré, which operated on Unioninkatu, has been reconstructed for the exhibition.