COLOR, FORM, STRUCTURE – FINNISH AND INTERNATIONAL ART FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF MAIRE GULLICHSEN
Pori Art Museum 6.6.-26.7.1992
Nordjyllands Kunstmuseum, Aalborg, 6.12.-31.1.1993
Museum Modernes Kunst, Wien, 15.2.-15.4.1993
In connection with the celebrations of Finland’s 75th independence anniversary, the Pori Art Museum is organizing an exhibition showcasing Finnish and international art from the collections of Professor Maire Gullichsen. This exhibition will be displayed at the Nordjyllands Kunstmuseum in Aalborg, Denmark, at the turn of the year, and at the Museum Moderner Kunst in Vienna, Austria, in early 1993. The Pori Art Museum’s summer exhibition this year focuses on the Finnish portion of this collection, spanning from the turn of the 20th century to the 1980s.
Professor Maire Gullichsen (1907–1990) built her collections through a lifetime of active engagement in art and culture, both in Finland and abroad. Her work, starting in the 1930s and continuing until her death, included founding institutions such as the Free Art School, Artek, and the Association for Contemporary Art between 1934 and 1939. These initiatives formed the structural foundation for her diverse activities in art and her commitment to artistic freedom.
Her inspirations trace back to her studies in 1920s France and, in part, Italy. The modernism of Artek, co-founded with Alvar Aalto, was rooted in international functionalism. Galerie Artek’s first foreign artists included Fernand Léger and Alexander Calder. Shortly before World War II, Artek organized a major exhibition of French modern art at the Kunsthalle Helsinki, featuring the most significant classics of French modernism.
This background facilitated the creation of connections between Finnish and international art. A clear line can be drawn from Léger to the 1950s Klar Form exhibition in Helsinki and, especially through the Free Art School, to Finnish concretism and abstract art, which emphasize the exploration of color, form, and structure. These styles dominate The Collection of Maire Gullichsen Art Foundation housed at the Pori Art Museum.
The international portion of Maire Gullichsen’s collection is primarily located at Villa Mairea in Noormarkku, designed by Alvar Aalto. Together, these collections provide a rare insight into an essential aspect of international modernism and its influence on Finnish art.
Translated with ChatGPT