24.11.2010

Logomo café to become an all-inclusive experience

Logomo, the new grand cultural arena to be opened in Turku on 16 January 2011 will host café services worthy of the venue. Organised in cooperation with SIS. Deli, Artek and Turku 2011, the café will offer organic and local food in a unique setting that combines art with architecture, created by artist Tobias Rehberger.

German artist Tobias Rehberger will design the interior for the Logomo café, essentially turning the establishment into a comprehensive art installation. While the interior design is based on Artek furniture, the artist will create his own open-minded interpretation on how to utilise the pieces. This is not the first cooperation by Rehberger and Artek. In 2009, Tobias Rehberger was awarded with a Golden Lion for Best Artist at the Venice Biennale for the café installation he created in cooperation with Artek.

Tobias Rehberger is interested in the conflict between functionalism and aesthetics. His working methods break traditional boundaries with exceptional combinations of painting, sculpture, architecture and design.

”Tobias Rehberger’s visionary work and bold passion to experiment are extremely well suited for Logomo and the Capital of Culture Turku. The installation at the Logomo café will allow the public to practically step into an artwork,” says Laura Aalto, Marketing Manager for the Turku 2011 Foundation.

The cooperation with Artek is a natural continuum also for SIS. Deli that will run the café services. All SIS. Deli’s three establishments emphasise the use of domestic high-quality furniture and cooperation with talented designers.

Café culture is a pleasurable and positively mundane form of culture, something that people can engage in daily.

”Already the founders of Artek wanted to develop 'more beautiful and happier everyday life' with their actions. At SIS. Deli we want the café visit to be a small but special everyday experience. That is why we look for locations with character or places that tell a story. Logomo is one of these places,” says SIS. Deli founder, entrepreneur Anu Syrmä.

The SIS. Deli concept combines healthy, locally produced food with an elaborate aesthetic presentation. This is a perfect match for Turku, as the city wants to highlight the diverse positive effect culture has on well-being, both for people and also for the environment.

”We prefer organic and locally produced food that is rich in flavours. The Logomo café will provide delicacies from the Southwest Finland region, presenting the local food culture also to visitors from outside the region,” says Kaisa Leikola, the other of the entrepreneur sisters behind SIS. Deli.

Open throughout the week, the café will boost Logomo’s presence as a venue where people can spend time and enjoy life whenever they please. In addition to the art café, Logomo will also host five exhibitions, open daily from 11 am to 7 pm, between 16 January–18 December 2011. The Only a Game? exhibition on football is free and aimed at the entire family. On top of this, Logomo will also host a museum shop run by the Turku 2011 Foundation and the Museum Centre of Turku.

Additional information

• Turku 2011 Foundation: Marketing Manager Laura Aalto, tel. +358 (0)40 507 9660
• SIS. Deli + Café: entrepreneurs Anu Syrmä and Kaisa Leikola, tel. +358 (0)10 422 9300
• Artek: Marketing Manager Anna Vartiainen, tel. +358 (0)40 823 9039
• Museum Centre of Turku: Intendant Petteri Järvi, tel. +358 (0)50 467 2006

Capital of Culture images: www.turku2011.fi/materials

www.turku2011.fi

Turku is the European Capital of Culture 2011 at the same time with Tallinn, Estonia. The main objectives for the Capital of Culture year are increasing well-being, developing creative industries and cultural exports and strengthening internationality. All activities aim at creating long-term impacts.

The Capital of Culture year will include thousands of various events involving over 150 individual projects, thousands of organisers and 200 volunteers. The Turku 2011 Programme is expected to attract nearly two million visitors altogether. Most of the events are free of charge.

The Turku 2011 Foundation has been commissioned by the City of Turku to oversee the implementation of the Capital of Culture year. The purpose of the foundation is to coordinate and partly provide funding for the projects in the Capital of Culture year programme.

The total budget for the Capital of Culture year is 50 million euros.