Tschabalala Self’s first solo exhibition in Finland to open at EMMA as part of InCollection series co-produced with Saastamoinen Foundation
Tschabalala Self is the seventh artist to join InCollection series of exhibitions co-produced by the museum and the foundation. The centerpiece of the exhibition Around the Way is Anthurium, a newly commissioned painting by Self which will join the Saastamoinen Foundation Art Collection. Around the Way transforms EMMA’s exhibition spaces with colourful displays to evoke the metropolitan landscapes of Harlem and the atmosphere of its domestic interiors. The expansive year-long exhibition is on view from 8 May 2024 until 4 May 2025.
Born and raised in Harlem, New York, Tschabalala Self (b. 1990) pushes the traditional boundaries of painting with her innovative use of pigments, textiles and printmaking methods, creating works that blend painting with collage. She infuses her work with her experiences as a Black American woman, deconstructing and reimagining Western portrayals of the Black body. Creating new archetypes, Self constructs immersive environments that invite viewers to engage with themes of identity and representation. Around the Way includes nearly 20 works, including recent paintings, life-size sculptures and three new paintings created for the exhibition.
“I am excited to share my work for the first time with audiences in Finland at the EMMA. This project in particular is very important to me as it is an ode to my hometown; Harlem, USA. All of the characters in my painting have in some shape or form been inspired by the loved ones, friends, neighbors and strangers I encountered growing up in Harlem. Around the Way hopes to show the beauty and complexity of the Black American character”, Tschabalala Self says.
The title of the exhibition, Around the Way, is Black-American vernacular for the local neighbourhood, implying a sense of familiarity and belonging, or describing someone who embodies the neighborhood's essence. The exhibition presents a multidimensional portrait of people from around the way, claiming space in their streets and homes, determining how they are seen and understood.
The exhibition also features scheduled screenings of Sounding Board, Self’s only performance work to date, commissioned for the Performa 2021 Biennial in New York, and captured in a video recording. Alongside Anthurium, Saastamoinen Foundation has acquired a furniture sculpture by Self, created for the Sounding Board set. This piece will be exhibited together with Self’s paintings of domestic scenes. The Sounding Board screenings will take place during the autumn of 2024 and the spring of 2025 and will also be accessible online via the museum’s digital platform, EMMA Zone.
Around the Way has been produced in collaboration with Pilar Corrias Gallery and Galerie Eva Presenhuber.
About InCollection
Launched in 2018, the InCollection series of exhibitions presents contemporary works that provide audiences with diverse perspectives on today's sociopolitical landscape and our collective futures. Each year, a new work is commissioned by a leading contemporary artist for Saastamoinen Foundation Art Collection, and this commission forms the focal point of the artist’s solo exhibition at EMMA. The initiative allows artists to craft an exhibition tailored for EMMA's unique architecture: designed by renowned Finnish architect Aarno Ruusuvuori, the former printworks is a classic example of 1960s concrete brutalism. Through site visits, artists become acquainted with the museum’s architecture and its forest surroundings. The collaboration allows EMMA and Saastamoinen Foundation to foster a more profound dialogue with artists, facilitating the best presentations of their work. Self is the seventh artist to participate in the series, which has also featured: Pierre Huyghe, Pilvi Takala, Chiharu Shiota, Eeva-Leena Eklund, Tatsuo Miyajima and Alicja Kwade.
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Iris SuomiChief Marketing Communications SpecialistEMMA – Espoon modernin taiteen museo
Tel:+358447601930iris.suomi@emmamuseum.fiImages
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Med EMMAs och Saastamoinen stiftelsens utställningsserie InCollection visas amerikanska Tschabalala Selfs produktion för första gången i Finland7.5.2024 09:30:00 EEST | Tiedote
Tschabalala Self är den sjunde konstnären i InCollection-serien av beställningsutställningar som EMMA och Saastamoinen stiftelsen producerar i samarbete. Utgångspunkten för utställningen Från samma kvarter har varit målningen Anthurium (Flamingoblomma) som beställts till stiftelsens samling. Konstnärens målningar och skulpturer i flera olika material skapar i EMMAs utställningslokaler narrativa presentationer som gestaltar livet i gatukvarteren i Harlem i New York. Utställningen visas på EMMA i ett år, från den 8 maj 2024 till den 4 maj 2025.
EMMAn ja Saastamoisen säätiön InCollection-näyttelysarja esittelee yhdysvaltalaisen Tschabalala Selfin tuotantoa ensi kertaa Suomessa7.5.2024 09:30:00 EEST | Tiedote
Tschabalala Self on seitsemäs taiteilija EMMAn ja Saastamoisen säätiön yhteistyössä tuottamassa InCollection -komissionäyttelyiden sarjassa. Samasta korttelista -nimisen näyttelyn lähtökohtana on toiminut säätiön kokoelmaan tilattu maalaus Anthurium (Flamingonkukka). Taiteilijan monimateriaaliset maalaukset ja veistokset muodostavat EMMAn näyttelytiloihin tarinallisia esillepanoja, jotka ilmentävät New Yorkin Harlemin katukortteleiden elämää. Näyttely on esillä EMMAssa vuoden, 8. toukokuuta 2024–4. toukokuuta 2025.
INBJUDAN till media: Presskonferens för utställning Tschabalala Self: Från samma kvarter, tisdagen den 7 maj kl. 10 på EMMA23.4.2024 13:30:00 EEST | Kutsu
EMMA i samarbete med Saastamoinen Stiftelsen är stolta att kunna presentera Från samma kvarter, den amerikanska konstnären Tschabalala Selfs första utställning i Finland. Varmt välkommen på presskonferens för att höra konstnären berätta om utställningen.
INVITATION for media: Press event for Tschabalala Self: Around the Way on Tuesday 7 May at 10 am in EMMA23.4.2024 13:30:00 EEST | Press Invitation
EMMA, in collaboration with the Saastamoinen Foundation, is delighted to present Around the Way the first solo exhibition in Finland by the US artist Tschabalala Self. Warmly welcome to the press preview at EMMA to hear about the exhibition from the artist.
KUTSU medialle: Tschabalala Self: Samasta korttelista -näyttelyn tiedotustilaisuus ti 7.5. klo 10.00 EMMAssa23.4.2024 13:30:00 EEST | Kutsu
EMMA ja Saastamoisen säätiö ylpeinä esittelevät yhdysvaltalaisen taiteilija Tschabalala Selfin ensimmäisen näyttelyn Suomessa, nimeltä Samasta korttelista. Lämpimästi tervetuloa tiedotustilaisuuteen kuulemaan näyttelystä taiteilijalta.
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