New Narrative and Reader – Finland

Group exhibition of 15 young Finnish artists comes to Finland and can be seen in Salo Art Museum.

 The artists participating in New Narrative and Reader were: APT painter Camilla Vuorenmaa, visual artist Erno Enkenberg, painter Sami Havia, visual artist Pauliina Kaasalainen, photographer Laura Konttinen, painter Teemu Korpela, sculptor Sampo Malin, textile artist Niina Mantsinen, photographer Karoliina Paappa, photographer Sami Parkkinen, painter Tiina Pyykkinen, visual artist duo Maria Teeri & Janne Nabb, sculptor Taneli Rautiainen, video artist Bita Razavi, and.

"New Narrative and Reader" features contemporary art in many different forms: photographs, paintings, sculptures and installations. Its concept was inspired by the museum building´s history. Köönikkä aimed to curate an exhibition in which both the artworks as well as their origin stories form a narrative for the audience to compare with their own experiences. Sited within a former library, New Narrative and Reader contributes to the ongoing act of collecting stories within the space. "When the premises still functioned as a library, the world of books and stories was reached only by a limited audience. Now as a museum, visual artworks can ideally achieve even wider audience, including illiterate people and those outside the language barriers" states Köönikkä. "Unlike it´s generally thought, accessibility of contemporary art isn´t dependent on orthodox understanding of the artwork but the sensations and thoughts that are raised when experiencing the artwork. True challenge for museums isn´t art itself, but how to guide the audience to see art with an open mind."

Curator MA Laura Köönikkä, exhibition partners The Finnish Institute in London and Embassy of Finland in London. The exhibition was supported by the Arts Promotion Centre in Finland and Frame Visual Art Finland. The exhibition was open in Bury Art Museum and Sculptuire Centre 6.6.-29.8.2015 and in Finland at the Salo Art Museum from October 17, 2015 to January 17, 2016