ARTWORK, TEXT, CONTEXT
ARTWORK, TEXT, CONTEXT – Posing New Questions to the Collection of the Maire Gullichsen Art Foundation
Curated by Mirja Ramstedt-Salonen & Anni Venäläinen
The exhibition examines how discourses on art create meanings as well as what is museum´s role in the process.
In collaboration with: The Maire Gullichsen Art Foundation
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Work, Text, Context exhibition explores the discourse of art and the production of meaning in art-related dialogue.
Who speaks, from what position, and what art-related conversations does this speech engage in? How does the same work acquire different meanings depending on the modes of discourse and the speakers? The exhibition features works from the Maire Gullichsen Art Foundation collection, Pori Art Museum’s documentation collection, and Joensuu Art Museum. The collection pieces are complemented by Raami (2013), a video work by Jenni Markkanen (b. 1986).
Perspectives on art discourse are opened through the exhibition texts. The spring lecture series Art and Speech delves deeper into the exhibition’s themes through expert presentations. Contributors include art critic Marja-Terttu Kivirinta, researchers Riitta Ojanperä and Mia Muurimäki, and visual artist Jenni Markkanen. Visitors are also invited to share their own perspectives on art discourse.
The exhibition emphasizes that the meanings of art are not inherent in the works themselves but are created through the discourse surrounding them. Such discourse arises in various contexts and is shaped by different actors—in museums, around artists and exhibitions, in art schools, the press, online, in critiques, art historical research, art philosophy, pamphlets, and statements by artists and curators. The public’s art-related discourse is as diverse and individual as the audience itself. Like expert discourse, public discourse reflects contemporary perceptions of art, values, and what is considered acceptable.
At the heart of the exhibition lies the debate over the “true” modernism that took place in Finland during the late 1950s and early 1960s between supporters of concrete art (e.g., Lars-Gunnar Nordström) and informalism (e.g., Mauri Favén). Notably, Maire Gullichsen aligned with the concrete art camp, considering informalism akin to “a cold on canvas.” Riitta Ojanperä has pointed out that there is no single modernism but multiple interpretations, and the influence of this debate is evident in the collections of museums.
Among the artists in Maire Gullichsen’s collection is Sigrid Schauman, who worked as a teacher and a sharp art critic for many years. In the 1960s, Kain Tapper faced criticism for his sculptures, sparking debates in contemporary critiques about whether “a stump” could be considered art. The 1980s witnessed the rise of women to the forefront of Finnish painting, represented in the exhibition by Leena Luostarinen. Critics, such as Marja-Terttu Kivirinta of Helsingin Sanomat, played a role in shaping this phenomenon.
Representing the current generation of young artists, Jenni Markkanen positions herself in front of the camera, addressing the audience directly. Raami is a video-based artist statement, focusing on the artist’s personality and identity.
Mia Muurimäki, who has studied public discourse on art, notes that the museum experience is linked to questions about the social impact of museums. Alongside narrating the stories of objects, museums should allow objects to “speak” through people by collecting audience comments in their archives. Museums are spaces where speakers of art discourse and various modes of expression meet—but are they understood?
Translated with ChatGPT