Contemporary ceramics exhibition finds a romantic setting in Hvitträsk

For the upcoming four months, you will be able to see Hvitträsk in a new light. Hvitträsk is an atelier home in the National Romantic style, built by the architect trio Gesellius, Lindgren and Saarinen. This summer, it will be filled with the works of art by ten artists from the Arabia Art Department Society.

The works on display are by Jasmin Anoschkin, Marianne Huotari, Sakari Kannosto, Pekka Paikkari, Heini Riitahuhta, Kristina Riska, Kim Simonsson, Caroline Slotte, Kati Tuominen-Niittylä and Professor Heikki Orvola.

Dialogue with the setting

Instead of a conventional white-walled gallery, the works of art get to have a dialogue with their historical and decorative surroundings at Hvitträsk.

The combination of the setting and the works on display will create a fascinating contrast between the architecture and the contemporary ceramics. “The building and the works have completely different aesthetics. While Hvitträsk is full of ornamental beauty, it will now house works by the Art Department Society that represent rougher, organic beauty,” says Emma Eskola, Exhibition Producer from the National Museum of Finland.

The idea was to give the Arabia Art Department Society free rein over the exhibition. Some artists found inspiration in Hvitträsk. “The overall visual dimension of Hvitträsk was enchanting; there’s beauty you can see everywhere, even on the backs of chairs,” Marianne Huotari says.

Huotari’s work of art, Perintöpellava (‘Legacy Linen’), consists of thousands of ceramic pieces. It was inspired by the flower solarium of Hvitträsk’s past resident, Loja Saarinen. “I like to think the ceramic pieces are flower petals. The result is a type of legacy textile for a family,” Huotari says.

The installation weighs dozens of kilos. It was created in several steps, which took hundreds of hours of manual work. “Every single piece passes through my hands several times before it is sewn in the installation,” Huotari describes the process.

Goodbye to tradition

Finnish ceramics have always been in flux, including the methods and types of glaze applied. Artists have always pushed the boundaries of tradition. For example, the techniques used by Birger Kaipiainen were not approved of in his time.

In addition to conventional techniques, the artists of the Arabia Art Department Society have used clay and ceramics in various ways. The malleability and three-dimensionality of clay give artists the freedom of creation. On the one hand, the material drying and cracking may restrict the artist. On the other hand, it may also offer the opportunity to create something new. This is what Pekka Paikkari has done, for example. “Paikkari’s art is specifically based on the clay cracking, which is something that has traditionally been avoided in ceramics,” Eskola states.

The exhibition’s contrast between the National Romantic style and contemporary clay-working is refreshing. “The imagination and diversity of the works are amazing. In the exhibition, you can really see that there are many different ways of approaching clay and ceramics,” Eskola says.

Open through September

You can learn more about the exhibition on the guided tours at Hvitträsk. The public guided tours are offered from Wednesday to Sunday: in Finnish at 12.30 and in English at 15.00. The tour is included in the price of admission to the museum.

The exhibition is open from 9 June to 30 September 2023. Hvitträsk is open 11.00–17.00 from Wednesday to Sunday.