Transformations

A dynamic relation to nature acts as a starting point for this exhibition that brings works by Olavi Lanu (1925–2015) into dialogue with his own contemporaries and with artists working today. Olavi Lanu understood that change is a constant both in nature and in the lives of humans. The artist sculpted human figures always in relation to different living environments.

The exhibition deals with corporeality in a multi-faceted way. The body intertwines with emotional life and movements of the mind. The body also acts as a conduit for multi-sensory experiences. The interaction between humans and nature is shown in the exhibition as beautiful and personal, but also intensively reflective. Charged mental landscapes and subconscious moods are present in the artworks.

Human existence is fundamentally a part of nature’s cycles, not something separate from them. The exhibition reflects on the cyclical nature of things and how to surrender to life. The body traverses an entire lifespan: pain, pleasure, playfulness, growth, wilting, a continuous transformation.

Olavi Lanu is known as a pioneer of Finnish environmental and site-specific art. Lanu’s works were exhibited at the Nordic Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 1978. The exhibition led to large-scale international commissions. Between 1989 and 1992 the artist realised the unique Lanu Sculpture Park at Kariniemenmäki in Lahti.

The artists in the exhibition

Arca & Jesse Kanda, Kinga Bartis, melanie bonajo, Elo-Reet Järv, Olavi Lanu, Ana Mendieta, Taneli Rautiainen, Luis Alberto Rodriguez, Jani Ruscica, Mari Sunna and Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Curator: Ilari Laamanen  

The exhibition has received a state grant from the Finnish Heritage Agency.
The main partner of the exhibition is Lähitapiola Vellamo.