Suomen’s ugliest vase contest organized in Lepaa also attracted attention abroad.
Resting Finland’s ugliest vase was chosen on Monday for the first time. The winner among 40 vases was a gold-colored vase decorated with roses, which received 21 percent of the votes.
Finland’s ugliest vase contest was organized at the annual Lepaa garden exhibition from 17 to 19. August.
The ugliest the vase competition has received a lot of attention in the Swedish media down to. Exhibition manager Elina Vuori was surprised by the attention the playful race received.
“We usually come up with something nice along with the presentation of heavy machinery and new technology. But I never would have guessed that this race would take off like this,” says Vuori.
He thinks that people have longed for such light-hearted topics among the hard news. Ugly vases also touch many people, because according to Vuori, everyone has slightly suspicious vases at home. For example, they are often given as a gift, and tastes change over time.
Various self-made “lumps” were in their own category of ugliness.
The worst you could vote for the vase on the spot at the exhibition, and a total of 1,168 votes were cast. On Saturday, the competition situation was still tight between the two ugliest vases. In the end, however, the purple-colored vase, decorated with golden ornaments and attractive plastic crystals, came in second in terms of ugliness.
The third place in the competition was a copper tube vase, which is surrounded by stiffened black metal chains.
Vuori’s own winning favorite was this copper chain tuning, which came in third, but the winning duo clearly stood out from the crowd already in the early rumbles of the race.
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“Do you promise to stick with this thing through thick and thin?”
But how is ugliness defined?
“Well, it’s a bit like beauty, it’s in the eye of the beholder.”
The organizers of the exhibition prepared separate “ugliness categories” with reasons for this definition of ugliness. There were old-fashioned vases that time has passed, modern impractical design blocks, clumsy self-made arrangements, seasonal motifs and humorous vases.
Kitsch-themed vases did well in the top three of the competition. This group includes artificial crystals, rose-patterned and in every way glittering krumeluri objects.
The vases were chosen for the competition from the exhibition organizers’ own caches, and the list was supplemented with flea market finds. However, there was a rule in the Kirppi Islands that they had to pay no more than ten euros, says Vuori.
“Often flowers beautify a vase, no matter how ugly it is,” says exhibition manager Elina Vuori.
Vase competition helps to understand how people’s interior design taste has changed over time. The competition also brought out generational differences related to taste. For example, 1970s kitsch could appeal to a younger generation.
According to Vuori, the competition also wanted to draw attention to the relationship between people and goods.
“The amount of goods in the world is terrible. Someone designed, made and bought these vases too. We have to completely rethink our relationship with goods.”
According to Vuori, the item must be chosen like a marriage: “Do you promise to be with this item until the end, through ups and downs?”
The organizers of the exhibition have not yet decided whether the competition will continue next year. Perhaps next time a competition will be held between famous design vases, which could be voted for in order of beauty or ugliness, Vuori thinks.
The main organizer of the Lepaa 2023 exhibition is the Kauppapuutarhaliitto ry. Other organizers are Häme University of Applied Sciences, Lepaa, Häme Vocational Institute, Lepaa and Lepaan Oppilaskunta ry. The event has been organized annually since 1964.
The ugliness of vases is in the eye of the beholder. According to Vuori, the vase that was brought to the competition as ugly could also arouse admiration in the spectators.
The harvest of Finland’s ugliest vase competition.
A glass fish-themed vase was also included in the competition.
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