Minister Hautala to open the Gallen-Kallela exhibition and to meet Minister Raincourt in Paris
Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala will open an exhibition presenting Akseli Gallen-Kallela’s extensive production in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris on Monday 6 February. During her visit to France, Hautala will also meet with Minister Henri de Raincourt, who is responsible for international cooperation.
Gallen-Kallela studied in two Parisian art colleges in the late 19th and several of his paintings illustrate life in Paris at the turn of the century. Minister Hautala considers that Gallen-Kallela was a liberal European well before the European integration.
”In addition, Gallen-Kallela considered himself a Finn before Finland was an independent state. Thus he resembles today’s modern Europeans: he had a strong sense of nationality linked with a European and international dimension”, said Hautala.
Gallen-Kallela’s work will be presented in Paris for three months (from 7 February to 6 May). The Musée d’Orsay is one of the most popular museums in France with about three million visitors in 2011. A great number of side events will be arranged, including a concert by Finnish soprano Soile Isokoski and Finnish films. While planning the Finnish lunch menu in the Museum restaurant, Chef Matti Jämsen has been inspired by Gallen-Kallela’s art. Prior to Paris, the exhibition has been presented in the Helsinki Art Museum and in the spring it will tour from Paris to Düsseldorf, Germany.
The topics of discussion with Minister Raincourt will include the EU’s development policy and the preparations for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20 (June 2012), and the outcome of and action after the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, South Korea (December 2011). Minister Hautala also has an opportunity to tell about the priorities and preparation of the Finnish Government’s future development policy programme.
Further information: Milma Kettunen, Press Attaché to Minister Hautala, tel. +358 40 522 9869, Pia Setälä, Official responsible for communications, Embassy of Finland in Paris, tel. +33 6 22 12 84 67