Summer Days / Pleasure / Esther Shalev-Gerz: Factory is Outside

Summer Days
Summer Days introduces eight Nordic artists who represent different generations and different approaches to making art. They are united, however, not only by Northern colour and light, but also by landscape, presented either directly or referentially.

Alongside the displayed paintings and sculptures are seen many other materials, works specially realised for the space, and conceptual perspectives. Common to the artists is that their works draw on encounters and observations with the landscape or, more broadly, nature itself. The works of the exhibition are recognisably and intentionally intertwined with motifs of the Northern summer.

“Memories and experiences, for example, of the light of the setting sun, the heat of a bright summer’s day or the humidity of a shaded garden are filtered into their works as reductions of memory or permeations of cultural awareness,” says the exhibition’s curator, art critic Timo Valjakka.

The artists of the exhibition: Päivikki Alaräihä (b. 1981, Finland), Tor Arne (b. 1934, Finland), Einar Garibaldi Eiríksson (b. 1964, Iceland), Andreas Eriksson (b. 1975, Sweden), Peter Frie (b. 1947, Sweden), Olav Christopher Jenssen (b. 1954, Norway), Anna Retulainen (b. 1969, Finland) and Troels Wörsel (b. 1950, Denmark).

May 20–October 1, 2017 Serlachius Museum Gösta

Pleasure
Pleasure presents new works of three well-known Finnish contemporary artists, Jukka Korkeila (b. 1968), Elina Merenmies (b. 1967) and Anna Retulainen (b. 1969), in interaction with artworks from the Golden Age of Finnish art and old European masters. The artists intuitively selected the works from the Gösta Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation’s collection and created alongside them new works that approach the theme of pleasure from different perspectives.

For the artist, pleasure can come from the painting process itself and immersion in the work. The viewers, on the other hand, may position themselves in the continuum of history when examining old and contemporary art side by side. In this way, the theme of the exhibition expands to include unhurried enjoyment of art and interaction with the painting.

The Gösta Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation’s collection includes many art works from the Golden Age of Finnish art from the 19th and 20th centuries as well as European art, mainly from the 17th century, rarely seen in Finland. Many themes of the old works refer to worldly pleasures that often bear the stamp of sin. Many of the works stimulate sensory experiences, so the theme of the pleasure can also be approached through this. The exhibition is curated by Serlachius Museums’ Head Curator, Laura Kuurne.

May 10, 2017–November 4, 2018 Serlachius Museum Gösta

Factory is Outside
Esther Shalev-Gerz’s (b. 1948) exhibition Factory is Outside comprises interweaving series of works that investigate how cultural identities are constructed and examine the role and status of traditional professions in a world that is global and undergoing a rapid digital transformation.

Esther Shalev-Gerz is known for her consistent investigations into memory, history, nature, democracy and the construction of cultural identities. Her art takes the form of an active dialogue with others; it is a process of consultation and negotiation that ensures that the individual and collective memories, stories, opinions and experiences of her participants are visible and indeed highlighted in her works.

The themes of Shalev-Gerz’s exhibition are also relevant to the history of Mänttä, the small industrial town in Finland, where the exhibition is held. For generations, the local mill has determined the structure and rhythm of everyday life. Consequently, the dramatic decline of the traditional manufacturing industries has had a significant impact on the community.

The exhibition is curated by independent writer and art critic Timo Valjakka.

April 1, 2017–April 1, 2018 Serlachius Museum Gustaf

Serlachius Museums are open:
Tuesday–Sunday 11am–6pm during the winter season (September 1–May 31)
Monday–Sunday 10am–6pm during the summer season (June 1–August 31)

Press contact: 
Information Officer Susanna Yläjärvi, T +358 (0)50 560 0156 / susanna.ylajarvi [​at​] serlachius.fi.