PRESS RELEASE 3 Oct 2017 Free for publication Treasures from the National Gallery of Duckburg at the Ateneum The Ateneum Art Museum, which is part of the Finnish National Gallery, has the privilege to present masterpieces from the National Gallery of Duckburg, for the first time outside Duckburg. Gems of Duckburgian art will be shown alongside works from the Ateneum collection at the Stories of Finnish Art exhibition, from 3 October 2017 to 25 February 2018. The National Gallery of Duckburg has lent the works on display to the Ateneum in honour of Finland's centenary year celebrations. "The classics of Finnish art live and influence our visual culture every single day. Memorable works of art such as the Mona Lisa or, say, The Fighting Capercaillies, have always inspired other artists and lent themselves to new interpretations. The works from the National Gallery of Duckburg are a delightful example of this", says the museum director, Susanna Pettersson. "The Aku Ankka (Finnish for Donald Duck) magazine has been published in Finland since 1951, and has during this time quacked its way deep into Finnish culture. In the past, we have focused on playing with language; this has been a fun opportunity to play with the national imagery that all Finns are familiar with", says the editor-in-chief of the Aku Ankka magazine, Aki Hyyppä. The National Gallery is Duckburg's leading art museum and the cradle and home of Duckburgian art. The exhibition visiting the Ateneum offers a representative sample of pieces from the Golden Age of Duckburgian art, when works like these helped build the city's avian identity. The subject matter touchingly reflects the ducks’ relationship with one another and the surrounding nature. Art experts have always been fascinated by the connection between Duckburgian and Finnish art. The National Gallery of Duckburg boasts artists such as Albert Eiderfelt, Antti Pheasant, Audubon Gander-Kallela, Arvid Le Loon, Anser Watervale, Hookbill Simberg and Ferdy von Wren. The gallery's most famous works include Duckling with a Crow; Gladstone Gander, an Idler; Towards Evening and Poverty; Ducklings Playing on the Shore; and The Fighting Waterfowl. A total of 12 works will be on display. The works of the National Gallery of Duckburg have been realised as a collaborative effort by Finnish cartoonists at the Aku Ankka magazine and artists with the international editions of Donald Duck: Daan Jippes, Kari Korhonen, Kati Kovács, Don Rosa and Ulrich Schröder. In the archive hall of the Stories of Finnish Art exhibition, visitors can explore the original sketches of the works of the National Gallery of Duckburg. Throughout the exhibition, Donald Duck's car will also be on show in the Ateneum atrium, and free for anyone to sit in. Guided tours and workshops will be held in conjunction with the National Gallery of Duckburg exhibition. More information will be available later. The weekend of 20 and 21 January 2018 will feature a programme for the whole family. 1 More information: Communications officer Anna Kari, tel. +358 40 717 8185, anna.kari at ateneum.fi Press images: press.ateneum.fi | username: ateneum | password: mediat Opening hours: Tue, Fri 10–18 | Wed, Thu 10–20 | Sat, Sun 10–17 | Mon closed Admission fees: Normal admission fee €15 | Concessions €13 | Under 18-year-olds free of charge | S-Etukortti loyalty card holders €14 The Ateneum's main corporate partners are Helsingin Sanomat, HOK-Elanto and KPMG. The Ateneum is sponsored by Veikkaus. The Ateneum Art Museum is part of the Finnish National Gallery, together with the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, and the Sinebrychoff Art Museum. www.kansallisgalleria.fi 2 .