Opening remarks by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at the exhibition of sculptor Tony Cragg, Galleria Sculptor, the Association of Finnish Sculptors, 13 September 2007

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Constructing an exhibition and opening it for the public is always a cause for celebration. Having your exhibition, Mr Cragg, here at Galleria Sculptor has been a long-awaited event for your fellow art colleagues in Finland and a great joy for all us art lovers.

The Association of Finnish Sculptors was founded nearly one hundred years ago to improve the status and public recognition of sculpture and also to strengthen international links in the art world. This exhibition fulfils both of these aims extremely well. It is sure to bring exposure to sculpture, attract new friends and, at the same time, increase our knowledge about what is happening elsewhere. But most of all, we get to enjoy an excellent exhibition. Tony Cragg is one of the best-known and most highly regarded sculptors of his generation. I believe that his work is an important source of inspiration for many Finnish sculptors.

Tony Cragg’s art is characterized by an experimental and ground-breaking approach to the materials and forms used in sculpture. He has worked in stone, wood, bronze, fibreglass and steel. The different materials in themselves prompt a wide range of experiences for both the artist and the viewer. Tony Cragg describes sculpture ‘as a way of comprehending and explaining the surrounding world and exploring new ways of seeing and feeling things; for him, art is a process and a journey where everything is built on what has gone before’.

I have often said that art, in its various forms, is a psychological home for us human beings in this rapidly changing world. Creativity is an important property and a tool for learning new things. With a view to the future, it is particularly important to understand creativity in a wider sense: as the capacity for seeing, hearing or experiencing things in a new way - to see the world like you have never seen it before. Tony Cragg’s sculptures embody this capacity and the ability to adapt to change and to the future. His works are also often filled with surprises.

I would like to thank the Association of Finnish Sculptors and the Ministry of Education, which has contributed an exhibition grant to enable this cultural exchange project to go forward.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I hereby declare this exhibition open.