Forthcoming at the Ateneum in winter 2018: Urban Encounters and Not Vital

19 Oct 2018–20 Jan 2019
Urban Encounters – Finnish Art from the 20th Century 

The multi-layered exhibition will offer an in-depth exploration of the interesting changes in Finnish society and daily life from the 1910s to the 1980s. The exhibited works feature, for example, fashion, cafes and restaurants, nightlife, films, and performing arts – and plain everyday life in the city. The works include recognisable cityscapes, mainly of Helsinki, but also of Turku and Tampere.

The exhibition will feature more than 300 works from the Ateneum’s collection – paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings – from more than80artists. The artists featured at the exhibition include Marcus Collin, Antti Favén, Marjatta Hanhijoki, Reino Harsti, Tove Jansson, Juho Karjalainen, Viktor Kuusela, Helmi Kuusi, Marjo Lahtinen, Olli Lyytikäinen, Aune Mikkonen, Helena Pylkkänen, Tuulikki Pietilä, Silja Rantanen, Helene Schjerfbeck, Elga Sesemann, Sigrid Schauman, Ellen Thesleff and Esko Tirronen. 

“The exhibition is an excellent illustration of how our collection offers a variety of views of the history of art, but also of society and societal phenomena. The various works selected for display at the exhibition retell the story of Finnish art in the 20th century”, says the museum director, Susanna Pettersson. 

“Urbanisation enabled the emergence of new types of lifestyles. Women were also able to work independently in various professions and make careers for themselves as artists. Ordinary people began to enjoy more leisure time and have more hobbies. Life in the city was freer: people were able to play with roles, which were not so heavily based on gender and status as in the rural areas”, says Anu Utriainen, the curator in charge of the exhibition project.

The exhibition will be curated by the museum director, Susanna Pettersson; the chief curator, Anna-Maria von Bonsdorff;and the curator, Anu Utriainen. The exhibition design will be by Iines Karkulahti and Meri Wiikinkoski.

The exhibition will coincide with the launch of a book written by the director of collections management at the Finnish National Gallery, Riitta Ojanperä; the writer Agneta Rahikainen PhD; the museum director, Susanna Pettersson; the chief curator, Anna-Maria von Bonsdorff; and the curator, Anu Utriainen. The bookwill be available in Finnish, Swedish and English.

19 Oct 2018–20 Jan 2019
Not Vital

The Swiss-born Not Vital (born 1948), who started his career in the 1960s, is known as a versatile artist who boldly expresses his ideas through sculptures, large-scale installations and collages. The exhibition at the Ateneum will present a series of Vital’s recent paintings. In his paintings, Vital delves into the deepest layers of humanity, by wiping off all the excess on the surface. The artist’s works feature his mother, assistants, and artist friends, as well as powerful figures familiar from literature. Vital’s uncompromising and enigmatic self-portraits complement the exhibition. The presentation of works follows the same idea as in the artist’s own painting studio, which is located high in the Swiss Alps.

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

Admission
Adults €15 | Concessions €13 | Under 18s free admission | with S-Etukortti card €14

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