Dialogue: The Helsinki School
Ville Lenkkeri: Himaláje / Himalaya, 2004 © Ville Lenkkeri
plakát / poster, design © Robert V. Novák
Pertti Kekarainen: Tila, 2004 © Pertti Kekarainen
Nanna Hänninen: z cyklu Nové graffiti I. / from the series New Graffiti I., 2005 © Nanna Hänninen
Forward-looking Photography from Finland
Finnish art photography is one of the most successful items of cultural export in Europe. The Helsinki School, more than a group of artists from a specific locality, represents an approach that has grown out of a teaching process at the University of Art and Design of Helsinki, where the emphasis is centered on critique, cooperation and exchange of ideas, and where theory meets reality.
The concept of "The Helsinki School" is not defined by a specific discipline, nationality or geographic region. It represents an approach, a way of thinking that has evolved out of a process of teaching at the University of Art and Design, where each generation is given the chance to invent themselves.
This exhibition was a dialogue between recent work of artists selected over four generations - students, postgraduates, old students and teachers - from the university. Thanks to the Helsinki School, photography in Finland evolved during the last 30 years from a documentary photo-journalism to a conceptual art photography with the highest technical and visual quality, resulting into a vibrant art scene and a cutting-edge cultural export.
More info at: http://taik.homeip.net/
