On Friday, 15 November at 5 p.m., Henna Aho and Kaija Hinkula will open their joint exhibition “Material World” in the monumental gallery of the Tartu Art House. The curator of the exhibition is Jurriaan Benschop.
The two artists have created a world where materiality comes first. There is no storyline or theme, but just things as they are, with their specific colours and textures.
Entering this exhibition may give the impression of stepping into a different world, where the logic of daily life is replaced by another order. It is a material world: There are no people depicted here, the presence of objects in the room sets the tone. Yet, on closer inspection, the materials that make up the artworks are related to daily life, and are in that sense familiar. We see things that we know, or even that we use in domestic settings, such as a brush, some rope and gloves. Yet these objects come in a different context, thus losing their previous meaning and usefulness. What is it that they want to say?
“The artists’ aim,” explains the curator, “is not just to bring us close to the materials but to heighten our awareness of the objects around us until they seem alive, no longer inanimate. Once we tune into the material world and the relationships between objects, a new perspective opens up. Objects behave almost like people, each with its own personality: sharp or smooth, cold or warm.”
“In the end, it doesn’t matter whether the result is a painting or another medium, whether the materials are cheap or sophisticated, whether the works are in a minimal or baroque vocabulary. What counts is that the works contain the right mix of forces to come alive, and that visitors can relate to them, almost as if they were meeting people. If that happens, the materials transcend themselves. What seems to be a flat surface is just the skin of further life underneath.”
Henna Aho (b. 1977) is a multidisciplinary Finnish artist known for large-scale, material-based constructions. She holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Arts and Design Helsinki. Aho has received grants, residencies and commissions from various organisations, such as the Kone Foundation, the Finnish Cultural Foundation and the Vermont Studio Center (VT, USA, 2024). Her work is represented in the collections of prominent institutions, such as the Saastamoinen Foundation, HAM (the Helsinki Art Museum), the Oulu Art Museum, the City of Turku and the Finnish State Art Commission.
Kaija Hinkula (b.1984) is a Finnish contemporary artist. Hinkula’s artistic work explores the creation of utopias, the role of fantasy in everyday reality, and the construction of images of the future. Hinkula graduated with a master’s degree in visual arts from the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki. Her works are included in many collections, such as the State Art Collection and the Helsinki Art Museum collection.
The exhibition is supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, The Kone Foundation and The Alfred Kordelin Foundation.
The exhibition will be open until 15 December.
Additional information: Maret Tamme, Producer of the Tartu Art House, produtsent@kunstimaja.ee, 5800 3882
The Tartu Art House (Vanemuise 26) is open Wed-Mon 12.00–18.00. All exhibitions are free of charge.
The exhibition activities in the Tartu Art House are supported by the Tartu city government and the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.