7th International Turku Biennial, 2015
The Unexpected Guest
Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova Museum, Turku
Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova announced an open portfolio submission in February 2014 for artists working in Finland, under the theme of The Unexpected Guest. 172 artists applied with their own interpretation of the theme. The jury of the Turku Biennial selected nine artists to participate in the exhibition. The applicants had the opportunity and task to nominate one colleague working in Finland or elsewhere in Europe for the Turku Biennial. As well as the artists selected through the portfolio call, their nominated artists are guests of the Turku Biennial 2015.
How to approach the unexpected in the most interesting way? Who is a guest to whom? The jury of the Turku Biennial has created the foundation of the exhibition with its selection of artists, but it also gave up control by accepting the applicants’ suggested artists as an unknown element to the exhibition. The Turku Biennial is not aiming to form artistic pairs, but to enrich the theme by giving artists the opportunity to contemplate it through the work of colleagues whose work they appreciate. The artists and their guests may work together or independently. At the time of the selection process some artists were acquainted to their guest, while others had never even met.
The invited artists are:
Aino Kannisto (Helsinki, b. 1973)
guest: Satu Haavisto (Helsinki, b. 1975)
Maija Närhinen (Helsinki, b. 1967)
guest: Jacob Dahlgren (Stockholm, b. 1970)
Erno Enkenberg (Espoo, b. 1975)
guest: Andy Parker (London, b. 1978)
Marjatta Holma (Turku, b. 1976)
guest: Stig Baumgartner (Helsinki, b. 1969)
Krister Gråhn (Mänttä, b. 1979)
Jarno Vesala (Nokia, b. 1977)
applied for the exhibition with a joint work
Anna Breu (Turku, artist group)
guest: Erkka Nissinen (Helsinki / Hong Kong, b. 1975)
Aulis Harmaala (Helsinki, b. 1966)
guest: Gil & Moti (Rotterdam, b. 1968 & 1971)
Kalle Mustonen (Helsinki, b. 1979)
guest: Ottmar Hörl (Wertheim, b. 1950)
Milla-Kariina Oja (Helsinki, b. 1976)
guest: Dénes Farkas (Tallinn, b. 1974)
Image: Maija Närhinen, Erno Enkenberg, Milla-Kariina Oja, Kalle Mustonen, Annukka Vähäsöyrinki , Aulis Harmaala, Antti Jussila, Satu Haavisto, Jarno Vesala, Jari Suominen, Jari Kallio (Anna Breu – taiteilijaryhmän jäsen), Aino Kannisto, Marjatta Holma ja Krister Gråhn. Photo: Kuva Eeva Holkeri, Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova..