Fifteen artists or artist groups have been invited to take part from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. The artists will make new works for the exhibition, examining idyll from close up and from a distance; from inside and outside; for better, for worse.

By News Editor 21 Feb 2013

Turku Biennial 2013: Idyll
9. May -1. September 2013

Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova Museum, Turku, Finland

Theme:
Originally, idyll has meant a small picure, a harmonic scene closely connected with the unbroken beauty of nature or the countryside. The lyrical and visual works from antiquity, from where the concept of idyll traces, have formed a basis for experiencing idyll today. The concept of idyll has remained the same throughout time and in different languages. What does it mean to us now?

Artists:
Petri Ala-Maunus / Finland, Emil Asgrimsson / Iceland, Søren Thilo Funder / Denmark, Heidi Hove / Denmark, Stine Marie Jacobsen / Denmark, Lisa Jeannin featuring The Unholy / Sweden, Tilda Lovell / Sweden, Mom & Jerry / Norway, Valeria Montti Colque / Sweden, Mercedes Mühleisen / Norway, Joar Nango & Tanya Busse / Norway, Bjargey Ólafsdóttir / Iceland, Katarina Reuter / Finland, Silja Sallé / Iceland, Elina Saloranta / Finland.

The artists were selected by a group of seven curators working in the Nordic countries. From Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova the members of the curatorial team are curator Silja Lehtonen, museum director Johanna Lehto-Vahtera, PR officer Laura Boxberg and researcher Eeva Holkeri. The invited guest curators are curator and critic Power Ekroth from Sweden, artist and curator Karolin Tampere from Norway, artist and curator Ellen Friis from Denmark and art historian, curator Æsa Sigurjónsdóttir from Iceland.

Some of the selected artists have previously made works critically examining modern day society. Others use irony or humour as tools in their artistic work. On the other hand, a direct approach, dealing with the concept of idyll from an intimate, personal point of view, can also be expected in the exhibition.

Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova is a museum of history and contemporary art in Turku, Finland. Founded in 1995, the museum is run by the Matti Koivurinta Foundation. The museum has organised the Turku Biennial regularly since 2003. In summer 2013 it will be ten years since the first exhibition in the series. Turku Biennial is the only regularly organised contemporary art event in Turku.