Welcome to the Land of Snow! Organized together with The Association of the Finnish Fine Art Foundations this exhibition reaches from late 1900th century’s snow-covered winter idyll to the depiction of modern winter.
Ever since the early history, the Finnish winter has defined the Finnish nature and the Finnish way of living. In those days winter was often seen frightening. Also our national epic Kalevala transmitted an image of a cold and dreary Pohjola. As late as in the end of 19th century, people began to see symbolism referring to survival and toughness in winter. The Finnish artists who had studied in Paris utilized what they had learned there. They were not afraid of the cold but wanted to paint the Finnish winter outdoors; sometimes the gleaming snowy landscape in crispy clear sunshine, sometimes trees covered with snow in the remotest corner of an untouched wood.
The exhibition challenges the viewer to consider: what does winter signify to Finnish people? Has its significance changed over the years? How has man influenced the being of winter? How do tourists experience the wintry nature and has the exoticism of the Finnish winter retained its attraction?
The exhibition is curated by Hilkka Liikkanen from the Rovaniemi Art Museum and there will be over 70 artworks of 40 artists. The time span of the exhibition extends from 19th century up to 2000s.
The exhibition is composed of the collections of the Association of the Finnish Fine Art Foundations (STSY). The members of the STSY are UPM-Kymmene Cultural Foundation, Art Foundation Merita, the Gösta Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation, the Fortum Art Foundation, Alfred Kordelin Foundation, and Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation. Now the pearls of these collections are displayed for the first time together in Rovaniemi. The exhibition has been carried out in cooperation of the Rovaniemi Art Museum and the members of the STSY.
Exhibition Opening Thu 14.6.2018 at 18.00