One of the most engaging activities organized during the Nomad Spirit International Program held in Deren Soum of Dundgovi Province from September 21 to October 2, 2024, was a series of workshops led by Finnish artist Laura Merz. Involving over 200 school children, Laura taught them playful methods of ink painting with experimental tools to create animal images, while exploring their surrounding environment and listening to their feelings. Around 220 works created by children and Laura were in display on the floor of sports complex of the school.
Laura Merz is a visual artist and designer from Finland, specializing in public art, illustration, and children’s cultural projects. Her illustrations have been exhibited internationally, and her public artworks are featured in several prestigious buildings in Finland. She also organizes art workshops for both children and adults and frequently gives talks at various events around the world. Passionate about traditional craft techniques and working with natural materials, Laura uses a variety of media including painting, collage, textiles, and woodwork. Drawing inspiration from the natural world, she often depicts wildlife in an intuitive and expressive style. Laura’s approach is experimental, frequently collaborating with other artists and incorporating interactive, participatory elements into her works. Empathy, optimism, and intuition are core values in her practice, allowing her to share meaningful experiences with others.
Laura Merz has been exhibiting her works in Finland, Slovenia, Sweden, USA, Arab Emirates, UK, South Korea, Italy, France, China, Estonia and Germany, received over 20 international prestigious awards such as ADC*E Art Directors Club Europe Awards gold prize 2023, USBBY Outstanding International Books List (USA) 2021, Seymour Chwast Prize, Museum of Avant-garde Awards (CH) 2021, Japan Illustration Awards bronze prize (JP) 2019, 2018, Ibby Honours List (INTL) 2018.
Funded by EUNIC, the Nomad Spirit – International Program was initiated by EUNIC Mongolia and its implementing members, the Alliance Française Oulan-Bator, the Austrian Embassy in Beijing, the Finnish Embassy in Beijing, and the Goethe-Institut Mongolia with the support of the EU Delegation to Mongolia with aim to raise public awareness of climate change through contemporary artistic practices, the program brought together over 260 participants, including 8 artists from 5 different countries, as well as local schoolchildren, residents, administrators, and visitors from Ulaanbaatar. The program was implemented by the Mongolian Contemporary Art Support Association and its affiliate Nomadic Red Corner International Residency and Deren Soum administration and secondary school.
*EUNIC — European Union National Institutes for Culture — is Europe’s network of national cultural institutes and organisations, with 39 members from all EU member states and associated countries. EUNIC Mongolia aims to develop strong and sustainable ties between cultural stakeholders in the European Union and Mongolia by engaging in activities that are driven by the global challenges we have to respond to together.
