Graffiti | The Central Criminal Police and the Itä-Uusimaa Police Department have launched a visual art competition in which a small group is looking for graffiti for the police premises.
Central Criminal Police (krp) and the Itä-Uudenmaa police department are looking for young graffiti artists to create a work of art in Jokiniemi, Vantaa. As a reward, the police promise “fame, food and spray paint”.
Graffiti creators are being sought through a competition intended for people aged 15–20 living in the area of the East Uusimaa Police Department. Krp and the Itä-Uudenmaa Police Department will announce the competition on their social media accounts.
Graffiti is planned to be painted in the autumn on the wall of the police department’s gymnasium, which is eleven meters wide and two meters high.
According to the release, creativity can be unleashed, but the picture must include a police vehicle, something sports-themed, and the names of the organizations, i.e. IU and krp.
Posts have collected a lot of comments, which on the one hand praise the idea as good, on the other hand question the fact that young people are supposed to make a work of art for the police for free.
“Even a young artist can have to support himself and pay his living expenses. Art is a profession and the underestimation of professionalism often leads to the fact that the work of artists is not appreciated and they are not properly compensated,” says one commenter.
“Great idea, I hope suitable artists can be found,” commented another.
Eastern Uusimaa deputy police chief of the police department Seppo Kujala tells HS that the graffiti competition is organized based on the principles of youth work.
“We know that many young people are into graffiti painting, and we happen to have an empty wall, so we decided to offer such an opportunity to paint a big picture,” says Kujala.
The schedule required of the winners is strict, i.e. 2–3 days. According to Kujala, it is because someone’s work at the police department has to be monitored all the time.
The finished piece will delight the police officers who are snoring in the gym. For others, it will be visible at least in the picture published on social media.
Deputy Chief of Police Kujala does not comment on whether it is reasonable to paint a large-scale wall painting on food wages.
“It’s not about business or ordering a work of art. There are few licensed graffiti-making places, so we also want to cooperate with young people in this way,” he says.
“If there are applicants under these conditions, that’s great, but yes, we can manage without a mural.”
Graffiti are one of the subgenres of street art. In Helsinki this summer, for example, the title of Finland’s most famous graffiti artist is on display Eg exhibition at the Didrichsen Art Museum.
It is illegal to make graffiti anywhere other than on an authorized graffiti wall. For example, last year the deputy mayor of Helsinki Paavo Arhinmäki (left) paid to wash off the illegal graffiti According to the Finnish Railways Agency, 3,500 euros.