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18 THE CULTURAL FOUNDATION’S YEAR
Arcs of time
in the Kirpilä anniversary exhibition
The Kirpilä Art Collection has been celebrating its thirtieth anniversary this year.
The exhibition marking the occasion ended in October, having seen more than 4,000
art lovers visiting the museum.
T he Kirpilä Art Collection is was rooted in the location. “It was table. “According to many visitors, the
built upon a bequest from art clear to us that we didn’t want to make works merged into the environment so
collector Dr Juhani Kirpilä Kirpilä something it was not.” well that they almost went unnoticed
(1931–1988). It is located in at first sight,” Rebane says.
Helsinki, in the home that the collector The exhibition brought contemporary
shared with antiques dealer Karl art from Freja Bäckman, Shia Conlon, “As people searched for the works
Rosenqvist. The charming interior August Joensalo, Minjee Hwang Kim, in the exhibition, they ended up having
displays a portion of the extensive Iona Roisin, Emmi Venna and Bogna a different look at the older works in
collection of Finnish art amassed by Luiza Wiśniewska to the museum. the Kirpilä collection, as well. Viewers
Dr Kirpilä. The art collection was first Their works interacted dialogically had to ponder whether things belonged
opened to the public in 1992, so 2022 with the museum’s homelike space and to the collection or were a part of our
marked its thirtieth anniversary. collection. intervention. It led to some surprising
moments.”
The starting point for the exhibition “I am interested in spaces with a
Years that Repeat their Days was the idea powerful history,” says Mariliis Rebane. The Kirpilä Art Collection acquired
of queer time, which calls into question “Former private homes awaken poetic two works from the anniversary
linearity, challenges the drawing of strict images of the lives lived therein. Such exhibition: the woollen rug by Minjee
boundaries between past, present and imagery is a good starting point for Hwang Kim entitled In the Garden and
future, and defies the straightforward building an exhibition.” Bogna Luiza Wiśniewska’s ceramic
development of life cycles. candlestick New flame of mine.
Some of the works in the contem-
The exhibition’s curator, Mariliis porary art exhibition were disguised as
Rebane, explains that the exhibition ordinary objects, including a rug on the
floor and a candlestick on the coffee
TEXT REETA HOLMA PHOTO RIITTA SUPPERI Group photograph of the artists Kirpilä Art
in the anniversary exhibition Collection
and their curator Mariliis Rebane
(third from right). Pohjoinen Hesperiankatu 7
(6th floor), Helsinki
Open Wednesdays 2 pm–6 pm,
Sundays 12 pm–4 pm, and by
appointment for groups.
Guided tours on Wednesdays at
2:30 pm and Sundays at 12:30 pm.
TAI DEKOTI KI RP I LA .F I
