As part of a proposal submitted to Helsinki City Council this year, a real-estate developer, NREP, offered Moomin Characters rental space for its offices and art collection as part of a bid to develop Lapinlahti, a neoclassical building that was once Finland’s first psychiatric hospital. Lapinlahti is now a center for promoting mental well-being, home to artist studios, arts organizations and mental-health charities. It presents an integrated program of cultural activities including concerts, exhibitions, movie screenings and art classes. A debate has been roiling in Helsinki over the proposal, and campaigners against it said that Moomin Characters was acting against Tove Jansson’s spirit by signing on. The dispute distressed fans and tarnished the reputation of a Finnish institution; this week, Moomin Characters said it had walked back from the deal.

Source: New York Times June 12, 2020 12:02 UTC