25 November 2019 – Food will be the central theme of Kuopio’s ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival 2020, who for its upcoming edition partnered with Kuopio, European Region of Gastronomy awarded 2020, a collaboration that clearly strengthens cross-sectoral dialogue within the region.
Since 2002, ANTI Festival ‘works with innovative artists on projects that explore and explode urban space.’ Organised as an annual event in Kuopio, the festival hosts ‘projects by artists from around the world’ that ‘inhabit the spaces of public life – homes, shops, city squares, business, forests, lakes – and directly engage communities and audiences in the making and showing of their work.’
An open call has been published for 2020 edition, that will take place on 8-13 September 2020. Both local and international artists working in any field are invited to participate and propose projects that directly engage with the theme of food.
The City of Kuopio awarded ANTI with an honorary diploma for Promoting Internationalisation in the City of Kuopio highlighting that it is ‘Finland’s most international and largest festival of contemporary and performing art.’ Furthermore, ANTI provides the world’s only International Prize for Live Art.
Kuopio’s European Region of Gastronomy title year is coordinated by ProAgria Eastern Finland and Savonia University of Applied Sciences.
About the Regions of Gastronomy Platform
Candidate and awarded Regions of Gastronomy, guided by IGCAT, are working together to raise awareness about the importance of their cultural and food uniqueness; stimulate creativity and gastronomic innovation; educate for better nutrition; improve sustainable tourism standards; highlight distinctive food cultures; and strengthen community well-being.
About IGCAT
IGCAT aims to empower local communities by raising awareness of the importance to safeguard and promote distinct food, culture, arts and sustainable tourism assets. This is essential to balance against globalised food trends that are impacting on our planet, health and local economies.
IGCAT is a non-profit institute established in 2012, working with regional stakeholder consortiums in the fields of gastronomy, culture, arts and tourism. It counts on the expertise of a worldwide network of experts and works in partnership with specialised intergovernmental organisations.
IGCAT provides the Region of Gastronomy Award and is the official secretariat for the European and World Regions of Gastronomy Platform. Furthermore, the Institute has developed the European Young Chef Award, the European Food Gift Challenge, the Top Visitor Experience and the Food Film Menu.