HAA Europe 2020-22

International activities are relevant and everyday life for many individual members of the Helsinki Artists' Association. However, the Helsinki Artists' Association has not previously carried out long-term international activities. This project designs and pilots a sustainable model of international activities, how the Association can support artists and what kind of international content projects it can produce itself. 

The activities of the HAA Europe project are divided into three work packages: 

1. Building a sustainable operating model for international activities of Helsinki-based visual arts 

2. Sustainable export, exchange and intermediary activities of visual arts 

3. Developing sustainable art services for international and domestic tourists 

Exhibitions, the first ones

The HAA Europe project was started together with the WRO Art Center in Poland. TRACES media art exhibition brought an interactive playground for children and young people to HAA Galleria from 29 October to 21 November 2020. The works in the exhibition showed us traces that we leave in the environment and increase the presence of nature in our everyday lives. The work is part of the WRO Media Art Center's evolving Interactive Playground exhibition. The exhibition consisted of interactive works and installations designed by Paweł Janicki and Tomasz Mirt . Małgorzata Sikorska was responsible for the conceptualisation and coordination of the exhibition. The visual identity for the exhibition was created by Malwina Hajduk. 

(Photo: Traces-näyttely, HAA Gallery, Suomenlinna)

In 2021, the HAA Europe project continued to develop sustainable art tourism services. The brainstorming and design phase was transferred to the pilot phase in connection with the Island of Empathy and Synthesis exhibition productions.  

During the Helsinki Biennial, the ISLAND OF EMPATHY exhibition was held at HAA galleria from 5 June to 21 August 2021 and at Malmitalo gallery from 10 June to 20 August 2021, in collaboration with the Arts Territory (London, UK). The exhibition explored the relationship between man and nature and the concepts of empathy and healing. The Island of Empathy exhibition was part of the Helsinki Biennial's accompanying programme. The exhibition created a piloting platform for sustainable art tourism services to be developed in the framework of the project in 2021. A video documentary was made about the exhibition, which can be seen below.

(Photo: Limakon aika, video, Leena Pukki, 2021/ Island of Empathy)

video documentary: Island of Empathy

Click here to watch video, 

Island of Empathy (eng. text) 

In autumn 2021 was launched the cooperation project Synthesis between the Helsinki Artists' Association and the Polish WRO Center for Media Art Foundation. Artists Anna Nykyri and Kaisu Koivisto were selected to represent the Helsinki Artists' Association through an open call for the project. The project included two exhibitions and a performance lecture. 

In the project, Nykyri and Koivisto were given the opportunity to explore and develop new ways to create art in the MaxMSP programming environment. MaxMSP is a media art tool that can be used to create installations that combine interactive video and audio art, for example. During the project, Nykyri and Koivisto used artist Paweł Janick's algorithmic Synthesis structure by combining visual components and audio components with a living movement and forming an audiovisual installation or performance that can be experienced locally and remotely. 

In May 2021, Nykyri and Koivisto were able to share their work and thoughts on their new graduating work in Poland as part of the International Media Art Biennial Biennale WRO 2021: Reverso. The result of the cooperation was media work, Defrost, which was performed in Helsinki in November 2021 at the Central Library Oodi. 

https://wro2021.wrocenter.pl/en/works/synthesis/ 

Workgroup: artists Kaisu Koivisto and Anna Nykyri, creative technologist and concept designer Marko Tandefelt and creative technologist Joaquin Aldunate

Co-operation: 19TH Media Art Biennale WRO 2021 / curator Agnieszka Kubicka-Dzieduszycka, Helsinki Artists' Association / producer Anna Puhakka, AVEK / Media art, Arts Promotion Centre Finland, The Finnish Cultural Foundation and City of Helsinki 

(Photo: Kaisu Koivisto & Anna Nykyri: Sula/Defrost, 2021) 

The partner for the third and final year of the HAA Europe project was the Estonian Painters' Association. Our project was called FINEST.  

Cooperation has been developed with Estonian visual arts actors. Active contact and planning was launched in autumn 2021 with the Estonian Painters' Association (EPA, Estonian Painters' Association, https://www.maal.ee/). This is also a natural neighbouring activity, but the cultural relationship is also strong between our countries. Various events are also planned alongside the exhibitions, such as discussion events and participatory workshops. The curators during the year are Satu Kalliokuusi and Mika Vesalahti from the Helsinki Artists' Association, as well as Tiiu Rebane, Jaan Elken, Mall Nukke and Vilen Künnapu from the Estonian Painters' Association. 

Basis for collaboration 2022 and future objectives  

The resulting collaboration between the Estonian Painters' Association and the Helsinki Artists' Association is based on an identified need to promote communication between countries in the field of visual arts. The aim is to broaden the awareness of contemporary art in both countries, but also to promote collegiate co-operation and communication. The agreement is still designed as a continuous and permanent practice for organising joint exhibitions and developing other possible forms of co-operation. The aim is also to extend the art partnership beyond the borders of our countries. In 2023–25, we are planning an exhibition exchange in co-operation with the Artists' Federations of Latvia and Lithuania, with which the Estonian Painters' Association already has existing links. 

Estonian exhibitions in Helsinki

The Estonian Embassy in Helsinki made it possible for the first FINEST exhibition of the year Estonian elements in its own premises 11.1. –30.6. Eleven works by artists are still on display. The curators are Tiiu Rebane and Mall Nukke. The theme of the selected works is man's relationship with nature on both an emotional and analytical level. 

In March, two exhibitions of the Estonian Painters' Association were opened in the gallery premises of the Helsinki Artists' Association. The HAA Gallery in Suomenlinna saw a group exhibition Neonaïvism (9 March to 2 April) curated by architect and visual artist Vilen Künnapu. Paintings by 25 artists were exhibited. Personal Freedom by painter Karl-Kristjan Nagel was on display at Galleria Katariina from 10 March to 27 March. Nagel had brought paintings from several years. They highlighted the world's cultures, music, film and experience of freedom.  

In September, Plasticum, the exhibition of visual artist Mall Nukke in Galleria Katariina will be opened. In her works, she reflects on the driving force of consumption, which results in a lifeless plastic environment.The exhibition is scheduled for 16.9.–2.10. 

 (Photo: Karl-Kristjan Nagel, Freedom Zone, 2022)

Joint exhibition | The Sea, Suomenlinna HAA Gallery and Malmitalo gallery   

At the autumn 2021 meetings, the sea theme in its simplicity felt good on both sides. The sea creates images from the situation in the Baltic Sea to the layers of the subconscious. The sea is also a connecting and distinguishing element between Finland and Estonia.  

The Sea exhibition was held in two galleries in Helsinki in the summer: HAA Gallery 4.6.–30.7. and Malmitalo gallery 4.6.–30.7. Curators Satu Kalliokuusi and Mika Vesalahti chose the works of Estonian artists. Similarly, Estonian curators Tiiu Rebane and Jaan Elken selected the work from Finnish artists, who must be members of the Helsinki Artists' Association. 
 

(Photo: left, Mirjam Hinn: Colors That Never Fade (EE), right, Heidi Anniina Mattila: Sinisessä / In Blue (FI)

35 artists at HAA Gallery: 
Tuula Aalto, Vano Allsalu, Toomas Altnurme, Svetlana Bogatcheva, Herlet Elvisto, Pille Ernesaks, Mirjam Hinn, Mirja Ilkka, Rozalia Janovic, Ivar Kaasik, Annu Kapulainen, Jüri Kask, Laura Konttinen, Liis Koger, Andres Koort, Harri Kosonen, Alex Markwith, Jussi Meuronen, Lilian Mosolainen, Kari Paajanen, Tiina Pensola, Tero Puha, Merja Puuperä, Enn Põldroos, Alexander Salvesen, Sophie Schubakoff, Mia Seppälä, Päivi Säävälä, Marja Söderlund, Annimari Taivalsaari, Rose-Maria Torpo, Gua Vainio, Katrin Valgemäe, Aili Vint, Toomas Vint

13 artists at Malmitalo gallery:  
Elina Autio, Stanislav Antipov, Jakke Haapanen, Susanna Iivanainen, Unski Immonen, Saskia Järve, Heidi Anniina Mattila, Johanna Mudist, Peeter Must, Per-William Petersen, Karin Strohm, Johanna Virtanen, Rita Vargas

Autumn 2022 | Finnish exhibitions in Tallinn and Pärnu  

The Helsinki Artists' Association had two exhibitions during the autumn in Estonia. The exhibitions were named Art Tube I and Art Tube II. The names were already created in the autumn 2021 discussions on the themes. Art Tube describes the metro tunnel between Finland and Estonia, through which art passes quickly and imaginatively between countries.  The first stop was the Kadrioru Plaza Gallery in Tallinn, where the Art Tube I exhibition was held from 3 September to 29 October 2022. Approximately 50 individual works from artists was displayed in the large office lobby of a new and significant office building. The final stop is the historic Pärnu Linna Galerii, which will feature Art Tube II from 28 September to 22 October 2022. The eight rooms of the gallery featured eight Finnish artists. 

Curators and painters Satu Kalliokuusi and Mika Vesalahti have put together a comprehensive and versatile whole.

Artists, Art Tube I in Tallinn: Riikka Ahlfors, Tero Annanolli, Saija Ben Younes, Marianne Blomqvist, Petteri Cederberg, Synnöve Dickhoff, Terhi Ekebom, Päivi Eskelinen, Mikko Hallikainen, Anna-Kaisa Hartikainen, Heli Hassan Hamid, Maija Hopeavuori, Mika Hytti, Marjo Hyvärinen, Eeva-Liisa Isomaa, Jari Järnström, Aino Jääskeläinen, Mira Kankaanranta, Laura Kansanen-Stavale, Elina Katara, Anu Kauhaniemi, Taina Kokkonen, Milla Kuisma, Jukka Lappalainen, Ritva Larsson, Johanna Lumme, Inkeri Makkonen, Ahti Meier, Juha Menna, Jan Neva, Mari Pihlajakoski, Laura Pohjonen, Jertta Ratia, Elisa Rovamo, Minna Räsänen, Saara Salmi, Katariina Salmijärvi, Greta Salonen, Sanna Sipi, Sauli Suomela, Heta Toivanen, Pive Toivonen, Heli Tuhkanen, Jussi TwoSeven, Sanna Ulvila, Mari Vallemaa, Sanni Vanttaja, Eero Yrjölä

Artists, Art Tube II in Pärnu: Pirjetta Brander ,Gunzi Holmström, Petri Hytönen, Reijo Kärkkäinen, Pia Männikkö, Noora Ojala, Mari Sydänmaanlakka, Juha Vanonen. Kuraattoreina toimivat Satu Kalliokuusi ja Mika Vesalahti.

Estonia Painters* Association:

• Gallery Katariina 11.3.–27.3.2022 – Personal Freedom, Karl-Kristjan Nagel
• HAA Galleria, Suomenlinna 10.3–2.4.2022 – Neonaivism, group exhibition, curator Vilen Künnapu
• Gallery Katariina 16.9.–2.10.2022 – Plasticum, Mall Nukke

Joint exhibition Sea:

• HAA Gallery, Suomenlinna and Malmitalo gallery 4.6.–30.7.2022 

Helsinki Artists* Association:

• ART TUBE I, Kadrioru Plaza Galerii, Tallinn 3.9.–29.10.2022
• ART TUBE II, Pärnu Linnagalerii 28.9.–22.10.2022

Muhu's residency 1.6.–30.8.2022  

As part of the HAA Europe project 2022, the Estonian Painters' Association offers three artists from the Helsinki Artists' Association the opportunity to work on the island of Muhu for a month in an idyllic rural district in the middle of nature in Nõmmküla.