PRESS RELEASE: Stories of Finnish Art to be complemented with modern art from the post-war years

The works in the Stories of Finnish Art exhibition, on display in the new halls, highlight the post-Second World War reconstruction period and the emergent media society. The exhibition will feature paintings, sculptures and prints by Finnish and foreign artists such as Anitra Lucander, Unto Pusa, Ulla Rantanen, Anita Snellman, Sam Vanni and Andy Warhol. Prints by foreign artists will be exhibited on a regularly changing basis: the first in the series is David Hockney. The exhibition will also include Eino Ruutsalo's experimental films and advertisements. 

"The post-Second World War art history reflects the change that had taken place in society. It also reflects the artists' desire to find new ways of expression, even if this meant taking risks. Breaking the mould of convention was not easy, but it was necessary", says the museum director Susanna Pettersson.

In Finland, the period from 1950 to 1970 was a time of people migrating from the countryside to the industrialising cities. The breakthrough of modernism meant a major transformation in art. The makers of concrete art focused on form and colour, while others explored the off-shoots of surrealism or painted the world as it appeared to them.

The importance of international art increased. In 1961, the Ateneum Art Museum organised the first ARS exhibition, which introduced Finland to Italian, French and Spanish informalism. The influence of informalism also showed in the work of many Finnish artists.

Newspapers, radio and television provided snapshots of political crises and wars, but they also covered underground culture, the hippie movement, and phenomena in pop culture. Art was used to make statements, and the artists' media ranged from pop art to performance art, environmental art, and conceptual art.
 

The Finns' most beloved classic works of art exhibited in a new light

The Stories of Finnish Art exhibition, in its full form, recounts the development of Finnish art from 1809 until the 1970s. The exhibition is a celebration of the Ateneum collections: it draws new parallels and highlights works that have not been shown for a long time. At the same time, the story of Finnish art is linked with international developments in art and with social events. The exhibition includes almost 400 works. The exhibition will be on display until 2020. 

The exhibition team included the museum director Susanna Pettersson, the chief curator Timo Huusko, the curator Anu Utriainen, the special researcher Erkki Anttonen, the archive and library manager Hanna-Leena Paloposki, and the director of collections management Riitta Ojanperä. The experiential exhibition design is by Marcel Schmalgemeijer, and the graphic design of the exhibition space is by Mariëlle Tolenaar, both from the Netherlands.

The 16 expert articles in theStories of Finnish Art book introduce readers to the themes of the exhibition. The book also contains five short stories that were inspired by the museum collection and that were written by Riikka Ala-Harja, Juha Itkonen, Heidi Köngäs, Sirpa Kähkönen, and Matti Rönkä. A second edition of the popular book will be published soon.

Events related to the exhibition (admission included in the museum entrance fee)

ON THURSDAYS 8 SEPT, 22 SEPT, 6 OCT AND 20 OCT AT 17:00
Stories of Finnish Art lecture series, Ateneum Hall
This lecture series will explore the themes of the exhibition and present some of the most beloved Finnish works of art of all time. The topics of this autumn's lectures include the expansion of the field of art, and the pop and politics of the 1960s. In Finnish.

SAT 10 SEPT FROM 12:00 TO 14:00
Writers on stage! The Stories of Finnish Art event, Ateneum Hall
This discussion will feature writers who contributed texts to a book accompanying the Stories of Finnish Art exhibition: Riikka Ala-Harja, Juha Itkonen, Heidi Köngäs, Sirpa Kähkönen and Matti Rönkä. In Finnish.

Other exhibitions at the Ateneum Art Museum

From 5 Feb 2016 sculptor Kaarina Kaikkonen's work Falling Light in the atrium of the museum
From 10 Jun to 2 Oct 2016 Alice Neel – Painter of Modern Life
From 10 June to 2 October 2016 The Great Rider – Italian prints and Finnish female sculptors

Opening hours

Tue, Fri 10am–6pm | Wed, Thu 10am–8pm | Sat, Sun 10am–5pm | Mon closed

Admission

Until 27 Oct 2016: Adults €13 | Concessions €11 | Under 18s free admission | with S-Etukortti card €12

From 28 Oct 2016 to 5 Feb 2017: Normal admission fee €15 | Concessions €13 | Under 18-year-olds free of charge | S-Etukortti loyalty card holders €14

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