Jarno Vesala
30 September 2023–7 January 2024
Jarno Vesala (b. 1977) is known for his installations consisting of sculptures in human form, sound and moving image. Based on observation and illusion, his artworks create a mystical, even scary, atmosphere. The viewer plays an important role in the course of events. The artwork is simultaneously a static, three-dimensional photograph, and a scene unfolding around the viewer. Vesala uses small gestures to ask questions about the human condition. In Salo, museum visitors have a chance to see a piece created through video projections, in which the viewer feels like a part of a large crowd. The viewer is forced to watch the events unfold, like a silent bystander. How does it feel to be part of a group, yet simultaneously an outsider and alone?
Photo: Jarno Vesala, Rest, 2022.
Sanni Weckman: Trace
30 September 2023–7 January 2024
Visual Artist Sanni Weckman combines different textile techniques in her work, such as woollen yarn to create artwork based on photographs. The exhibition title, Trace, refers to the artist’s reflection on what kind of traces we leave behind us, and how we see each other. Recycling is an essential part of Weckman’s artwork. The artist often goes to flea markets and buys most of her material there.
Photo: Sanni Weckman, Rasinpelto, 2019.
Gertrude Bell and Meeri Koutaniemi: Hidden Freedom
6 May – 10 September 2023
The documentary works of Gertrude Bell (1868–1926) and Meeri Koutaniemi (b. 1987) come together in this summer exhibition. The British Gertrude Bell worked as an explorer, author, political officer, archaeologist and a spy in the late 19th and early 20th century. Bell is particularly known for her photographs and letters. Meeri Koutaniemi is a Finnish photographer, who depicts social themes and highlights human rights issues in her work. Both Bell and Koutaniemi have travelled around the Middle East and Asia, observing and photographing local events and people. This exhibition showcases documentation produced by the two photographers in the same countries in two different eras, and creates a dialogue between their works.
Photo: Gertrude Bell, June 1900, Duris – Lebanon, GB/3/1/1/1/339, Gertrude Bell Archive, Newcastle Universit
Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen: 101 for All
Gallery Sidetrack, 6 May –10 September 2023
101 for All is an interactive media installation to which 30 divisive statements have been drawn from the public debate. One hundred people share their personal opinions, representing a statistical cross-section of the population of Finland. The video premiered approximately ten years ago. The exhibition at Salo Art Museum provides an opportunity to consider whether anything has changed. The intimate artwork gives a deep view into people’s experiences and how political decisions appear in their life.
Photo: Tellervo Kalleinen ja Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen