How about some tolerance and understanding? News material from Helsinki: Calming down a young demonstrators In fact, the demand for neutral non-aligned research around Anti-Smudge Campaign was even headlined in the main national daily newspaper. Not everybody are convinced about the efficiency of zero tolerance policy (neither that Anti-Smudge has proved anything else that cleaning is done effectively). Not to mention that possible contradictory voices such as Youth Department was not invited neither. According to Helsingin Sanomat, a national daily, even two Helsinki city councilors Paavo Arhinmäki (left party) and Kimmo Helistö (green), were evicted to enter the event. The ‘invitation only’ event meant also effective gatekeeping. According to their statistics: in 1998 there were in excess of 67.000 smudges or graffiti in Helsinki, while last year the figure was a mere 5771. On Tuesday the ‘invitation only’ event in Finlandia Hall gathered Clean Image supporters for celebrating 10 years success of Anti-Smudge campaign. The project has been going on for 10 years, but effective cleaning hasn’t stopped the dream of more open discussion around what is allowed in public space as this weeks demonstration showed. The zero tolerance means that there are no legal graffiti painting places and even ordered paintings have been eventually removed. The definition of ‘SMUDGE’ includes graffiti paintings, posters, stickers and basically anything added in the urban public space. Unfortunately, tolerance towards more diversified street communication is zero.įor those who are not aware, an Anti-Smudge Campaign has been in charge of Helsinki’s effective cleaning process towards all kinds of unauthorized street communication in the public spaces. In the end, a discussion about what visual elements are allowed in the urban public space should be an ongoing dialogue following the changing needs of the citizens and done in a manner which respects diversity and freedom of expression. There is a need to break stereotypes between ‘East’ and its scrawling subcultures and ‘West’ the Public Work Department of Helsinki city. The words tumble and meanings become interchangeable, just like in the current Graffiti/War discourse in Helsinki. In Stomajers’ art work, the hierarchical division between the East and West changes once you try to read the sentences. 'Foreign' was exhibited by Visual Corresdondents Foreign was displaying current verdicts about the different countries and was especially emphasizing the stereotypical division between East and West Europe. It is presenting Slovenian artist Igor Stomajers project called ‘Foreign’. Yesterday I found from my unloaded moving box following post card. To be honest, I don’t care who is right and who is wrong (I guess nobody is perfect), but I want to spread a dream of more open discussion around what is allowed in the streets of Helsinki. The battle was ready, several participants of the demonstration got arrested, newspapers were filled with discourse of war. Last week in Helsinki, a celebration of the Anti-Smudge project gathered as a counterpart, a public demonstration demanding legal graffiti painting places. Zero tolerance towards graffiti includes a strong resistance against an open discussion around what is allowed in the public space. Marja Salaspuro, Amsterdam - No discussion, No tolerance, No Smudge in the Clean Image of Helsinki.
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