About the event
Exhibition open to the public 8.-24.11.2024 daily 11-18
Vooninki, Terde and 4th floor exhibition spaces in Finlayson area, Väinö Linna Square, Tampere
The fourth light art biennale by the Finnish Light Art Society FLASH titled “New darkness” renders visible the effects of increased light that radically paces the human everyday life. Electric light is an integral part of modern society;however, it is not easy to notice its cumulative effect.
The Biennale is located in the Finlayson area, whose history is exceptionally linked to the theme of the exhibition. The first electric lighting in the Nordic countries was switched on at the Finlayson factory in Tampere in 1882. Today, the Finlayson area is known for its rich cultural offer.
The 2024 Biennale is curated by Krister Gråhn from Mänttä. Gråhn has worked as a visual artist since 2001. He graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts’ Sculpture Department in 2009. Gråhn has produced and curated various exhibition concepts since 2004 and is currently studying at the Praxis -Master’s Programme in Exhibition Studies at the University of the Arts.
Gråhn has selected 22 light artists to comment on the title of the exhibition. The exhibition will feature contemporary photographic artworks, some of which will be completed for the exhibition. The exhibition also includes works of light art on loan from the collections of the Kuopio, Pori, Tampere and Amos Rex art museums.
The FLASH Biennale has been held three times before. The aims of the exhibition are to promote the visibility of Finnish light art, to encourage the spread of influences, to unite the field of light art and, above all, to give light art the prominence it deserves. The 2024 Biennale is supported by the Finlayson Region, Otto A. Malmi Endowment Fund, Operation Pirkanmaa, Tiftö Foundation, Normet and NextGenerationEU.
Image by Kaisa Luukkonen, Buzz, 2013. Photo by Hendrik Zeitler.
Artists
Artists for the Biennale have been selected through both an open call and by invitation:
Saara Maria Kariranta & Jarmo Ilmari Somppi (Tähtelä), Tomas De Rita (Helsinki), Sofia Haapamäki (Helsinki), Ramina Habibollah (Helsinki), Elisa Hillgen (Mikkeli), Duncan Butt Juvonen (Helsinki), Pekka Järvilehto (Espoo), Marja Kanervo (Helsinki), Iris Kärkkäinen (Helsinki) & Terhi Nieminen (Helsinki), Marcus Lerviks (Vaasa), Laura Lilja (Pori), Lauri Linna (Kuusamo/Helsinki), Kaisa Luukkonen (Gothenburg, SE), Pia Männikkö (Helsinki), Jaakko Niemelä (Rauma/Helsinki), Antti Pussinen (Berlin, D), Taneli Rautiainen (Helsinki), Jyrki Siukonen (Tampere), Jere Suontausta (Helsinki), Saana Volanen (Helsinki). Also with Sähkötekniikka Oy Kari Siren (Tampere).
Curator Krister Gråhn describes the New Dark exhibition:
“Focusing on light and shadow as a material has been a challenge and a joy of curating. Shifting the focus from the work as an object or visual element to how the work shines, shadows or reflects the subjects at hand has led to a more concrete understanding of the content of the art. The immateriality of light is therefore a good metaphor for the ideas and associations evoked by works of art. The exhibition does not only focus on the latest light art, but also includes contemporary works from past decades. I have long been interested in man’s escape from the daily routine by adding artificial light. The rhythm of society has not been based on the rhythm of light in the circadian or annual cycle for a long time. Fossil fuels have enabled us to have an almost limitless increase in light, but the extra light we have gained from this is threatening to lead to a new darkness.”
The first work of the new Dark Biennale of Light Art will be on display from 24.10.2024, when the work of Saara Maria Kariranta and Jarmo Ilmari Somp will be shown at Väinö Linna Square as part of the closing event of Operation Pirkanmaa “Behind the Screen”. The work serves as a bridge between Tampere’s unique history as the birthplace of Finnish photographic culture and the theme of the New Darkness exhibition.
