Kehona / Body Sensing Exhibition

KEHONA / BODY SENSING 13 June - 14 September 2014 Pori Art Museum, Wing
Kirsi Jaakkola, Toni Lehtola, Sanna Pajunen, Taina Riikonen and Veijo Setälä

Events

Media conference: Thursday, 12 June 2014, at 11 am
Artist talk and tour: Friday 13 June 2014, at 12 noon
Exhibition opening: Friday, 13 June 2014, at 6 pm, Opening touch to the theme of the exhibition by Janne Kilpiö
BONUS tour: Wednesday, 20 August 2014, at 6 pm with artists.

About the exhibition

Body Sensing explores the significance of bodily knowledge and the senses in visual art by putting the audience in concrete interaction with the works on show. The works and the experience are redefined by the bodily aspect and the touching. The exhibition concept is based on concrete tangibility, multisensoriness and the suitability of the featured works to all age groups. Different senses produce different information and different experiences of the works.

One of the starting points was also how people use their senses differently as well as concerns about anomalous sensory abilities. Efforts have been made to ensure the poignancy of the art also for people with problems in the reception or understanding of sense data. The works are playful and evoke feelings on many levels. The exhibition appeals to the senses of hearing, smelling and touch. Not all works remain solidly in place, some may suddenly appear from around a corner to occupy a place that was empty a moment ago. Some works surprise with their scale, some may even seem a bit frightening for certain visitors.

The artists have approached tangibility in different ways. Sanna Pajunen was inspired by the three-dimensionality and sculptural quality of Braille. The dots have grown into large, huggable forms, creating a playful jigsaw puzzle. The aim of a broad palette of sensory experiences has also produced new dimensions for the artists´ earlier work. Kirsi Jaakkola´s paintings of snow now contain new forms. Being able to touch the paintings gives a concrete sense of the process of their making, the swan´s flypast and the hare´s leap. Jaakkola´s moving sculpture also puts the dimensions of the body to the test. Just the slightest touch, and the piece is elsewhere. Toni Lehtola´s motorised animal is a touchable component of a growing brood. It is an unprotected creature that finds protection in its private space. The house is a recurring theme in Veijo Setälä´s work. In this exhibition it has acquired a voice, and the settlement of sculpture houses can be used as an instrument, a toy or a game. Taina Riikonen´s sound installation transforms the feel of material into sounds of touching.

The exhibition is designed specifically for the Wing space in Pori Art Museum, but the concept also takes into account its recyclability and suitability for all kinds of spaces. In addition to the multisensory approach in the works themselves, the exhibition experience is also enhanced by texts in Braille, signed presentations, audio descriptions, plain language material and accounts by artists and visitors on how they experienced the works.

The exhibition is curated by Päivi Setälä, Director of the Pori Centre for Children´s Culture. Marika Leinonen-Vainio was responsible for accessibility. The exhibition is a joint production by the Pori Art Museum and the Pori Centre for Children´s Culture - Network of Children´s Culture in Satakunta Region.

Acknowledgements

Accessible Arts and Culture, Association for the visually impaired in Satakunta, Blind Children´s Support Foundation, Culture for All, Cultural Service for the Visually Impaired, Finnish Federation of Hard of Hearing, Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired, Ompelija Kangas Raija, Pori Video Assistance, Puutyömalliveistämö Timo Lehtinen Ky, Regional Dance Centre of Western Finland, The Visually Disabled Fans of Culture.

Inquiries

Pori Art Museum | Eteläranta, 28100 Pori | +358 (0)2 621 1080
Päivi Setälä, Director, Pori Centre for Children´s Culture
+358 (0)44 7011086 | paivi.setala(a)pori.fi