Archive for the ‘Exhibitions’ Category
New designs on city life
AgriPuncture Greenhouse by Dylan Kwok. Photo by Dylan Kwok.
SUSAN FOURTANÉ
HELSINKI TIMES
The world is rapidly evolving. In an era of social networking, environmental changes, massive overflow of information, people are constantly challenged to use and adapt to their surroundings in myriad new ways.
The visions of the spatial design degree students of the University of Art and Design Helsinki clearly expose ideas which concern real innovations in the city space. Can they succeed in inspiring public interest in developing their own city?
The exhibition What if . . .?, supported by The University of Art and Design Helsinki, Laitilan Wirvoitusjuomatehdas Oy and the Korean Student Association showcases some responses to this challenge.
Dylan Kwon, for example, outlines a strategy for reinvigorating older areas of downtown Helsinki by introducing small green space into urban courtyards to support a new sustainable lifestyle. In Dong Uk Lee’s vision, Hakaniemi Market Square would evolve into a futuristic urban space promoting social life in innovative ways.
What if . . . ?
Narinkka 2, Helsinki
Until 24 October
www.laituri.hel.fi
First published in the Helsinki Times on October 22nd, 2009.
Painting Finland through Irish eyes
Dublin artist Alan Hogan draws inspiration from Finnish nature, its lush landscapes and the beauty of the different seasons to create colourful and memorable landscapes.
ALAN HOGAN has a permanent exhibition on display at The Art Garage in Karis/Karjaa, a mainly Swedish-speaking town one hour away from Helsinki. The gallery doors open to a world of vibrant colours and joyful scenes with a touch of sweet melancholy. Hogan warmly guides the visitors on a personal tour while explaining techniques and sources of inspiration, telling little stories about the paintings.
The art works are the result of an inner metamorphosis of emotions, transforming the negative that happens in the world into positive and beautiful as he explains: “I prefer to paint subjects that give people a little joy and hope”.
The acrylic and aquarelle on canvas are impressions of the artist’s life in Finland. Beautiful sunsets, dreamy summer nights, snowy landscapes and his beloved Finnish cat contrast with some abstract works representing themes like recession or his introspective synopsis of the future of his own art. “I will always aim to bring something positive to the world through my art”, admits the artist.
Hogan says that his style of paintings may change every now and then, simply because society and people change. “It is these changes that influence and inspire new ideas”, he concludes. The works have a positive effect in the viewer’s mood. It is a highly recommended open studio experience that allows a closer connection to the art through his creator.
The Art Garage
Open every Saturday
11:00 to 14:00
Åstorpsgatan 7, Karis
www.alanhogano.webs.com
Susan Fourtané – Helsinki Times
Image: Snow Tango by Alan Hogan
Art gems at EMMA’s summer exhibition
Jyrki Parantainen's 2001 work, The Mystery of Satisfaction no 7.
Emma’s own collection primarily comprises Finnish modern, post-war and contemporary art as well as a few international works, mainly by Nordic artists. The exhibition also features a history section, chronicling the collection’s development since the museum was founded.
The earliest work on view in the exhibition is Anna Sahlstein’s Mottagningstiden på sjukhuset ( ) from 1893. At the other end of the scale, Probe is a work created just this year by Mark Francis.
Ten sculptures from the Raimo Utriainen Collection on deposit with EMMA are on display. The sculptures, constructed from straight metal slats, are abstract works is created by combining straight and curved, transparent and solid surfaces.
The Osmo Valtonen Collection was donated to EMMA in 2008.Valtonen was a draughtsman and pioneer of kinetic light art. The exhibition features one sand-plotter and digger construction which ingenious structures create fascinating and constantly changing forms. Ten works from the collection of Kyösti Kakkonen, who owns one of Finland’s most important collections of glass and ceramics, represent the latest in international and Finnish contemporary art.
A Look at EMMA’s collections
until 6 September
EMMA-Espoo Museum
of Modern Art
Ahertajantie 5,
Tapiola, Espoo
Opens:
Tue-Sun 11:00-18:00
Admission: €10/€8
SUSAN FOURTANÉ – HT
Emma
Love is . . .
Love is blindness, mixed media by Hanna Korhonen.
The human heart is said to be the warm home of our feelings, emotions and love. A broken heart is pictured when feelings of pain result from love loss. But what is love? Do we become enamoured with the emotion, with the possibility of being loved and being with someone, rather than with the particular person involved?
Through a personal transition from anger to distance, Korhonen sought answers to these questions. The exhibition is illustrated by a series of mixed media photographs and writings. Handwritten poems, letters, and part of the artist’s personal diary are displayed on a light table and on the floor around it, inviting viewers to interact with them.
Korhonen’s objective is to provoke thoughts involving the personal experience of the viewer in relation to the social and biological pressure taught by society.
“The cultural idea of what love is, shows an urge to find content, sharing and the bases of a family. The way I look at love is very similar, but for me the relief is that we don’t have to find it at a certain age or even in the same sex,” she says.
Until 7 June at
00130 gallery
Korkeavuorenkatu 27,
Helsinki
Tue-Sun 12:00 to 17:00
www.00130gallery.net
Susan Fourtané – HT
Why boys don’t play with dolls?
From the series Playing Belfast by Harri Pälviranta
Kiasma’s exhibition (Un)naturally explores and illustrates the diversity of gender.
Since an early age, boys and girls learn to have gender roles. Games and toys are differentiated in the scene on the playground; girls playing with girls while boys are romping with boys.
In the adult world, suddenly rules change when preferring the same gender partner to share life is considered unnatural, therefore discriminated by society. Despite the fact that in some job markets the gender differences may appear as natural on a basis of evolution or genes, the curators agree that something is still wrong if genders are continuously juxtaposed even in the third millennium.
When is it natural to prefer the same gender and when is it not? Who sets the rules? What determines the scent of a man? Thoughts on these questions, on what is natural and what is unnatural come to the viewer through the works of nine artists including ink on paper, watercolor, pencil on paper, chromogenic colour print, digital colour print, silisec mounting and oil on canvas.
An interesting series of drawings (ink on paper) entitled Fall of Man, includes male personalities in history telling stories of men defending gay rights, men stubbed to death for being gay, or showing the countries where homosexuality is a reason for death penalty.
(Un)naturally
on display
until 30 August.
www.kiasma.fi
Susan Fourtané – HT
Harri Pälviranta – Image
Playful Finnish design in New York
Kivikko seating, colour and creative functionality for everyday life.
In 1884 New York City established a bustling outdoor food market called the Gansevoort Market. In 1949, the Gansevoort Meat Center opened. Today, the Meatpacking District on the West Side of Manhattan is a destination for fashion and graphic designers, writers, architects, artists and photographers.
Playful New Finnish Design exhibits new creative solutions to everyday challenges. Emphasising quality of life, green solutions and life-long learning, the aim of the forward-thinking designers is to offer insightful solutions under the themes of environment & innovation and creativity & education, themes highlighted by a series of events, a seminar and workshops for both adults and children.
From 15 to 18 May, the exhibition presented design items and concepts from furniture to fashion and video as well as new concepts of architecture and urban planning in building innovative learning environments for children and a Residential Neighbourhood project which points at the role of art in creating socially vibrant urban environments. The event was organised by Design Forum Finland, the Consulate General of Finland in New York and the Finnish Cultural Institute in NY.
At the same time, the Finnish Embassy in Washington D.C. opened the exhibition My Helsinki; based on the stories, impressions and experiences of the Invitation to Helsinki programme participants. The project is a co-operation of the City of Helsinki and the Finnish Embassy in Washington D.C., accomplished by the students of the University of Art and Design in Helsinki. My Helsinki exhibition in Washington runs until 31 May.
Susan Fourtané – Helsinki Times
Designer Ilkka Suppanen for Marimekko
Sameli Rantanen – Image
www.designforum.fi
www.myhelsinki.fi
Young Designer of the Year Prize
Terhi Tuominen (left) and Mikko Laakkonen
The Young Designer of the Year prize was established in 2000 by Design Forum Finland in honour of the 125th anniversary of the Finnish Society of Crafts and Design. The prize encourages young designers to develop original, high-standard skills and ability in the fields of crafts, applied art, industrial design, graphic design or interior architecture.
Made in Finland
The aura of Finnish design got its start in the 1950s, sparked by the National Romantic movement at the turn of the century, which made the industrial arts part of the creative culture, along with architecture and the fine arts. The late 19th century marked the beginning of systematic action to promote industrial arts and craft and as a result the Finnish Society of Crafts and Design was founded in 1875 to maintain its Sunday School to encourage manual skills within the industry. Gradually the school grew to become the leading institution of teaching in its field and educating a number of talented designers, particularly in post-war Finland. Internationally recognised names emerged, giving birth to the stylish, minimalist Finnish design.
Designers 2009
Terhi Tuominen works in spatial and furniture design. Her simple but functional shapes achieve discreet, bold forms in predominately wood and metal.
Mikko Laakkonen’s pro- jects are mainly in the field of furniture and product design.
Focusing on solutions, his stylish design objects are for everyday life.
Both designers are fresh and sensitive in their style, giving their products a playful, light spark while having a clear-cut functionality in a sensible manner. They have boldly set out to market their skills to businesses in Finland and the international market.
Design students from Kuopio’s Academy of Design and Hämeenlinna’s Wetterhoff also present their works made of glass, ceramic and textile, including clothing and footwear design in their exhibitions Genesis and Watterhoff Blanco.
The three exhibitions until 31 May 2009 on Erottajankatu 7, Helsinki.
www.designforum.fi
Susan Fourtané – Helsinki Times
Lehtikuva – Martti Kainulainen
The taste of Italy
The unique contrast between the ancient Roman Empire and the fast paced modern life gives a certain magic to the Eternal city.
Il Duetto is the only Italian restaurant in Helsinki offering the real taste of Italian cuisine. The Italian owners show their appreciation for art and culture by offering free space to artists.
Italians are well known for enjoying good food, following recipes that have been passed on from generation to generation. The secret that gives the right mix of flavours is in the carefully selected, high quality Italian ingredients.
Authenticity is a top ingredient of Il Duetto’s success, the only Italian restaurant and pizzeria in Helsinki offering the real taste of Italian cuisine. Located in the heart of the city, Il Duetto is an Italian pearl in the north of Europe. All the ingredients are bought from family farms in Italy and transported to Finland, where an Italian cook masters delicate dishes.
“Here, customers can taste a real piece of Italy guaranteed by Italian owners and chef. We are all committed to give the best of our Italian tradition and culture,” says co-owner Dario Alessi. Both owners, Alessi and Fabrizio Velardi, show their appreciation for art and culture by offering free exhibition space to artists. Until 14 May, Il Duetto hosts Swiss phographer Saša Tkalčan with his exhibition Vedute Romane, a glimpse from the Eternal City where the high speed of modern times contrasts with the magnificent Roman architecture.
| Malminrinne 6, Helsinki Open from Mon-Sun www.ilduetto.fi www. kurkista.fi |
Born to a Finnish mother and a Croatian father, having studied photography in Rome, Tkalčan’s works are often influenced by his multicultural background. Usually his work has a darker cultural and social reference. “I’d like people to be aware of things I see, some social realities I’m not comfortable with,” the artist says. “I’d normally look for the ugly and nasty, the so called disgusting realism.” By contrast, this exhibition is comprised of beautiful architectural photographs.
Il Duetto offers more than a trip to the exquisite land of Italian flavours. It shows that art and culture are found anywhere where the wish of spreading culture is alive.
Susan Fourtané – Helsinki Times
Image – Saša Tkalčan
Portraits of the soul
The Legacy of Beige
Annika von hausswolff has been on the forefront in making photography one of the most influential forms of media in contemporary art. She attracted attention in the 1990s with her staged works that bordered on documentary photography. Already in the series Back to Nature (1993) she employed the stylistic and contextual elements that would later define her signature style of production.
The motifs of loneliness, frustration and melancholy link her art to the tradition of surrealism. von Hausswolff has long delved into the unconscious and her works are a continued exploration transforming fleeting psychological states into uncanny photographs and sculptures.
In von Hausswolff’s works the viewer finds herself in a dreamlike setting where common situations and events transform into something irrational and unreal.
Her works touch on questions of corporeality, gender and domination. Hiding and revealing are also frequently recurring themes, which are manifested in the often used harsh flashlight and richly draped curtains.
Another dominant feature in her oeuvre is the human body. The characters we encounter do not seek contact; quite the opposite. Their backs are turned as if in deep thought and their eyes closed like a veil – physically present but constantly unattainable.
Showing through 17 May at the Turku Art Museum, Aurakatu 26, Turku, Finland. The exhibition is supported by the Swedish Finnish Cultural Foundation.
| Opening Hours: Tue-Fri 11:00-19:00 Sat-Sun 11:00-17:00 Tickets: Adults: €7, students, Free entrance on |
|
Susan Fourtane – Helsinki Times
Image – Annika von Hausswolff
The Kalevala as seen by today’s artists
Ateneum Art Museum curator Riitta Ojanperä instructing tour guides about Robert W. Ekman’s Väinämöisen soitto (1866).
To celebrate 160 years of the Kalevala the Finnish National Gallery (also called the Ateneum Art Museum) launches an extensive exhibition of over 200 works from almost sixty artists, all inspired by the national epic.
The exhibition introduces the many faces of the Kalevala. The national epic has appealed to visual artists for generations since it was first published. Organised by Ateneum Art Museum’s chief curator Riitta Ojanperä, the exhibition shows paintings, sculptures, prints and photographs from the 1850s to the late 20th century. Featured artists include R.W. Ekman, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Heikki W. Virolainen and Wäinö Aaltonen.
The historical part of the exhibition has a variety of themes, with rooms displaying the artists’ views of Väinämöinen, Kullervo and Aino as well as the birth of the world and the river of Tuonela. The characters and subject matter of the epic represent themes and myths that have a strong universal appeal.
The Kalevala Society commissioned ten visual artists and ten contemporary composers to interpret the Kalevala from a twenty-first century perspective. These works make up a separate part of the exhibition.
| Kalevala exhibition in the Finnish National Gallery: 27 Feb-9 Aug 2009. www.ateneum.fi ANT Gallery exhibition |
Visitors can also see handmade wooden boats designed and built for the occasion in Paanajärvi, a small village in Russian Karelia (Vienan Karjala).
Elsewhere in the city, the ANT Gallery presents a modern view of Kalevala imagery with the exhibition Fist Full of Ash. Paintings, graphics and iron sculptures by six Finnish contemporary artists and Russian Kalevala expert Igor Baranov provide a fresh take on the 160-year-old epic. Baranov’s talents came to public notice in Finland last year through his etching and gouache works.
Susan Fourtane – HT
Martti Kainulainen – Image
