The exhibition Urban Encounters to present urban life in 20th-century Finland

Surprising encounters and edgy juxtapositions from different eras

The Ateneum Art Museum celebrates its 130th anniversary in October 2018. Urban Encounters is a celebration of the Ateneum collection: the exhibition features some 300 works by more than 80 artists from the Finnish National Gallery’s collection. In addition, the exhibition will present seven works by Elga Sesemann from Tuomo Seppo’s private collection. Helene Schjerfbeck’s work will be represented by 14 paintings. The exhibition will also include new works donated to the Ateneum, including urban-themed prints and drawings by Simo Hannula.

Artists featured in the exhibition include Marcus Collin, Antti Favén, Aarre Heinonen, Tove Jansson, Olli Lyytikäinen, Åke Mattas, Ulla Rantanen, Sigrid Schauman and Esko Tirronen. About half of the works are prints by artists such as Marjatta Hanhijoki, Reino Harsti, Juho Karjalainen, Viktor Kuusela, Helmi Kuusi, Aune Mikkonen and Tuulikki Pietilä. Sculptures in the exhibition will be by, for example, Wäinö Aaltonen, Marjo Lahtinen, Essi Renvall and Helena Pylkkänen. The exhibition galleries will show surprising encounters and edgy juxtapositions, with works on view from different eras, ranging from the 1910s to the 1980s.

Urbanisation enabled the emergence of new lifestyles

Urban Encounters arose from the exhibition The Modern Woman, which presented works by Helene Schjerfbeck, Elga Sesemann, Sigrid Schauman and Ellen Thesleff. Produced by the Ateneum, the exhibition was shown in New York, Stockholm and Oulu. Urban Encounters broadens our perspective on changes to the Finnish way of life in cities, and how these changes are shown in Finnish visual art. The topics of the works range from urbanity to domesticity, from war to the circus, and from body to identity. The works include a great many recognisable cityscapes from Helsinki.

“Urbanisation enabled the emergence of new lifestyles. Women were 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 special researcher in charge of the exhibition project.

In addition to Anu Utriainen, the exhibition has been curated by the chief curator Anna-Maria von Bonsdorff, and director general, adjunct professor Susanna Pettersson (Nationalmuseum, Sweden). The exhibition architecture is designed by Iines Karkulahti and Meri Wiikinkoski.

The exhibition coincides with the launch of a comprehensive publication, written by the special researcher Erkki Anttonen; the director of collections management at the Finnish National Gallery, Riitta Ojanperä; the writer Agneta Rahikainen; the Keeper of Prints and Drawings Anu Utriainen; the chief curator Anna-Maria von Bonsdorff; and the adjunct professor Susanna Pettersson. The publication is available in Finnish, Swedish and English.

Some events related to the exhibition

Check out all the events

On even-numbered weeks on Saturdays at 12:00, starting from Sat 20 October
Introduction to the exhibition Urban Encounters in English
Ateneum Hall. Admission is included in the museum entrance fee or with a Museum Card.

Thursdays 25 Oct, 8 Nov, 22 Nov and 13 Dec, 17:00
Urban encounters lecture series
Ateneum Hall. The lecturers are Anna-Maria von Bonsdorff, Riitta Ojanperä and Anu Utriainen (in Finnish) as well as Agneta Rahikainen (in Swedish). Admission is included in the museum entrance fee or with a Museum Card.

Sat 27 Oct, Wed 7 Nov and Fri 30 Nov
A moment of luxury: an encounter with a modern woman
How did urbanity and urban culture affect the life of an independent woman? What kind of freedom did women experience in the city? Each of these moments of luxury can be attended by up to ten people at a time. In Finnish. The ticket price is €48 or €38 (including admission to the museum, an expert lecture, and coffee and cake).

Thu 10 Jan, 17:00
Night of the sciences
Discussing the themes of the Urban Encounters exhibition will be the keeper of prints and drawings Anu Utriainen; the chief curator, Anna-Maria von Bonsdorff; and the director of collections management, Riitta Ojanperä. Admission is included in the museum entrance fee or with a Museum Card.

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

Admission fees in 2018
Normal admission fee €15 | S-Etukortti loyalty card holders €14 | Concessions €13 | Under 18-year-olds free of charge

Admission fees in 2019
Normal admission fee €17 | S-Etukortti loyalty card holders €16 | Concessions €15 | Under 18-year-olds free of charge

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