Contemporary Finnish art in Germany
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An exhibition of modern Finnish art entitled Breaking the Ice has been received with interest by both the public as well as the critics at Kunstmuseum Bonn in the German city of Bonn. So far as is known, this exhibition by ten contemporary Finnish artists and one team of artists is the most extensive joint display of Finnish art in Germany.
Over 13,800 visitors have seen the exhibition since March 16th when it was opened, and the figure of 20,000 visitors is expected to be surpassed around mid-May. Breaking the Ice will be open until May 28th.
The local media have shown interest in the exhibition. For example critic Thomas Kliemann of the daily newspaper Bonner General-Anzeiger wrote a comprehensive review on all artists' works. In his view, the exhibition will change the image of Finland, a country which until now has been best known as the home of Nokia mobile phones and Aki Kaurismäki's art-house films.
The artists of the exhibition represent young and middle-aged contemporary artists, including Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Veli Granö, Marja Kanervo, Pertti Kekarainen, Tea Mäkipää, Esko Männikkö, Jaakko Niemelä, Jorma Puranen, Seppo Renvall, and Charles Sandison, as well as the team of artists Tommi Grönlund and Petteri Nisunen.
The works of these artists include also video films, photos, and installations, which are all impressively displayed in the museum's roomy exhibition space.
Eija-Liisa Ahtila - named as "an international star" by Kliemann - introduced her film installation entitled Lahja ("Gift") which is based on the interviews of some psychotic women. Lahja is a part of an experimental film and video composition called Rakkaus on aarre ("Love is a Treasure").
The photographer of Nordic men Esko Männikkö was praised by Kliemann for being "world famous". Männikkö displays photos of abandoned farms.
The installation entitled Orbita by Tommi Grönlund and Petteri Nisunen reminded Kliemann of the fact that "Finland is a high-tech country".
Kliemann found also the other artists' works either "cool and ascetic" or "nothing short of perfect".
The exhibition is curated by Finnish-German Ritva Röminger-Czako, and Kunstmuseum Bonn has published a catalogue on the exhibition with an article by Finland's Minister of Culture Tanja Karpela.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 3.5.2006 - TODAY |
 Contemporary Finnish art in Germany
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