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Exhibition review – GENERATION 23 @ Amos Rex

Originally posted: 2023-08-03

Many museums, galleries and other places that have a habit of exhibiting art, house their collections and exhibitions in spacious buildings with high ceilings and a lot of natural light. Like sacred churches, for modern worship of objects that have been chosen for our eyes by the chosen ones.

Amos Rex does not follow this canon. Although disguised as a “normal” art venue, Amos Rexs´ white stairs brings us into a cave-like underworld. Here 50 young artists, age 15-23 show us their works in the exhibition Generation 23.

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Avisitor is viewing Viivi Saikkonens “Love is hard”.

Generation 23 is the third triennial in the series and the artists have been chosen from an open call. This years jury consists of choreographer and director Ima Iduozee, Generation 2020 artists: Anna-Karoliina Vainio and Alex Luonto, museum director Kai Kartio, and curators Anastasia Isakova, Krista Mamia and Laura Porola.

The artists chosen mediums vary. We have the whole range from augmented reality, immersive and interactive projections and AI-art to painting, sound, video, performance, textile-works, installations and miniatures.

There is some excellent painting here, Karo Tapiovaaras mythical fusion with the nature is one example. Johanna Saikkonens disturbing landscape filled with very fleshy feet, another.

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Anniina Marjakangas´s painting Paratism is both colorful and terrifying. The harmonious figure seemingly at rest has surrendered them self to the parasite. Passively accepting their faith to be devoured for the greater good of the voracious organism.

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The themes are typical young themes. Love, looks, feeling good enough, gender, safety, the struggle to choose your identity when there is so many to pick from. But there is also great concern for the environment, some play with future professions and straight up political pieces like Karun Vermas pictures of very young gang members titled “The Dreaded Youth”.

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A photograph from the series “The dreaded youth” with some reflections of the glass

Kuutti Lemmetyinens holes both draw me in and spook me. What is hiding in the wall? I think I sense some light behind the thick curtains, that prevent curious eyes like mine to uncover its secrets, but I´m not sure.
The work ponders the right to be displayed, who makes the choice? Who makes the rules? Are we missing something important?

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Vertti Turunens Memory collector transforms a stuffed animal into a sacred object. Returning us to the childhood safety that we embedded in our plushy friends.

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Auri Lukkarinens & Iris Kareojas – Knitting diaries

The exhibition feels in many ways very honest. When we peel of the layers of accumulated cerebral knowledge and much of the agreed history of art (that contemporary art usually finds it self embedded in), we get the real deal – the raw material.
And this exhibition has a lot of that.
Which I find unusual these days.

xoxo/ Salla Vartiainen
Artist, Writer, Explorer

Originally posted: 2023-08-03

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