Kunsthalle Helsinki is a non-profit space founded by a group of Finnish artists in 1928. Its activity is spread over an average of five to seven annual appointments that can touch on the themes of art, design and architecture (among which we point out notable exhibitions dedicated to Ano Tuominen, Ugo Rondinone, Susanne Gottberg). This non-profit space represents a node of cohesion and exchange and promotion of local authors and does not have a permanent collection. The building, designed by Hilding Ekelund and Jarl Eklund, according to a severe style that is defined as Nordic Classicism (ie a mixture of functionalism and Jugendstil), was subsequently remodeled several times and the last intervention dates back to 2009.

While “Woven Beauty” continues until May 23, the Kunsthalle has scheduled, from March 6 to April 18, 2021, the exhibition “Speed ​​Records” by Anssi Kasitonni, with which the author intends to bring us closer to the breathtaking world of fast cars, endurance races and motorsports. Kasitonni’s solo show presents a series of new sculptures (which in terms of artisanal design would be defined as “self-produced objects”) that intend to comment and pay homage to pop culture; these sculptures are the background of some video works from the years 2009-2020. From our point of view, the theme recalls from the depths of memory the poetics of Salvatore Scarpitta (famous for his definition of “art of movement”), the world of Gianni Piacentino (known for his sculptures and paintings inspired by motorcycles, cars and planes), the bolidism of the Eighties (poised between design and comics, one name among all, Massimo Iosa Ghini) as well as the ironic, scenographic and vitalistic energy of Pino Pascali. We can rightly include all this miscellany of elements in the world of Kasitonni to which we must also add details of a dark world or a neo-pop reinterpretation in a sci-fi key. A complex, fun and irreverent world.

In addition, the Kunsthalle collaborates with the Finnish Art Society (founded in 1846 to support Finnish visual art) by organizing an annual exhibition by a Finnish artist with the support and patronage of this institution.

The next appointment is set for January 2022 when the organization of an exhibition dedicated to Tarja Pitkänen-Walter (1960), teacher of painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki is planned. In the work of this author, the multisensory aspects, the materiality (linked to the touch and the visual aspect of the surfaces) and the exploded spatiality of the painting play a central role, given that her path is recognizable precisely by the site-specific paintings, created using a wealth of techniques with great attention to the use of space and architecture. The exhibition at the Kunsthalle in Helsinki will include different experiential environments, each with its own theme and its own typicality. The various rooms will house works by Pitkänen-Walter from the 1960s to the present day, including completely new works specifically created for the spaces of the Kunsthalle.

The event will be accompanied by a publication with testimonials from Hanna Johansson and Anu Tuominen. The book can be purchased at the Kiosk shop of the Kunsthalle (kioski@taidehalli.fi) where you can also find the nice museum bag produced with used tablecloths from restaurants and hotels, thus combining the idea of ​​recycling with that of artisanal skills.

Luigi Sabadin

Info:

Kunsthalle Helsinki
Nervanderinkatu 3
00100 Helsinki
+358 40450 7211