The Fifth Triennale of Finnish Art To Open in Helsinki

The Fifth Triennale of Finnish Art To Open in Helsinki artlover10286878988

Mari Rantanen, Move Over, 2002. akryyli ja pigmentti kankaalle, 200 × 270 cm. Kuva/Photo: Steven Dixon.

HELSINKI.- The Fifth Triennale of Finnish Art, In Search of the Miraculous, will take place at Kunsthalle Helsinki from may 12 to June 10, 2007. For the Fifth Triennale of Finnish Art, the curator Luigi Fassi has gathered work by 13 artists which epitomise many of the key characteristics of Finnish contemporary art. A humanistic concern about the place of mankind in the world is a palpable presence in the work of all artists featured in the show. Mankind's relationship to nature and culture, encounters between people or between man and nature, the mediation and construction of experiences, empathy and the search for contact with other people, these are among the themes which unite the works in the show. According to Fassi, this indicates an art that has a powerful commitment to life and the present moment. "An acute awareness of the transience of life and a fascination and wonderment at the profusion of detail in everyday life, these are among the key themes in the works. Another central aspect is the ability and courage to put one's privacy on display directly," Luigi Fassi describes. The title of the exhibition is borrowed from Bas Jan Ader's unfinished work In Search of the Miraculous (1973), where the artist sought for "miracles" of human existence and experience. The work would have consisted of three parts: a walk from dawn to sunset in Los Angeles, a travel diary of an ocean crossing, and a night-time walk through Amsterdam. The last two of these were never completed when the artist was lost at sea crossing the Atlantic in 1975. The Fifth Triennale of Finnish Art focuses on photography, media art and video art. Many of the works are new and have never been exhibited before. Among the artists and works in the show are: Pasi Autio (b. 1974), video work J&S, 2006-2007; Lauri Astala (b. 1958), As Though Time Was All Around, 2002; Petri Eskelinen (b. 1975), installation Maalla ja merellä (On Land and Sea), 2006; Maarit Hohteri (b. 1976), photographs; Antti Laitinen (b. 1975), Yritys halkaista meri (An Attempt to Cleave the Sea), 2006; Anni Leppälä (b. 1981), Garden, 2007; Petra Lindholm (b. 1973), No End, 2005; Sini Pelkki (b. 1978), photographs; Aurora Reinhard (b. 1975), Tiger Tom Singing, 2002-2006; Jani Ruscica (b. 1978), Batbox, 2007; Jari Silomäki (b. 1975), Sivustakatsojan henkilökohtaisia sotakertomuksia (Personal War Stories of an Outsider), 2007; Pilvi Takala (b. 1981), Seinäruusu (Wall Flower), 2006; Antti Tanttu (b. 1963), Mortui vivos docent, 2002. Triennales of Finnish art are reviews of Finnish contemporary art produced by the Artists' Association of Finland. They have been organised in Finland and abroad since 1994. The Artists' Association of Finland organises the Young Artists' Exhibition, the Finnish Artists' Exhibition and the Triennale of Finnish Art in alternate years. Curator Luigi Fassi has been involved with Finnish art since 2006. Among his work this year is the exhibition of contemporary art from the Baltic region for the Prague Biennale opening in May. The exhibition in the Kunsthalle is opened by Ms Paula Tuomikoski, Head of Cultural Export Division at the Ministry of Education.