About Storage

Varasto – Storage
Galleria Lapinlahti
16.8.–3.9.2017

Where do the works of art disappear after an exhibition ends? They end up in different art collections, in the homes of the artists and their relatives or in the corners of their studios. They hide on hard drives, tailor made transport boxes and cardboard folders. The artworks travel by buses, trams and are transported by hand between neighborhoods and countries, from warehouse to another. Much of their lives are therefore hidden in invisible structures.

Varasto (transl. storage) exhibition sheds light into stored treasures. The works have been selected based on the artists' own suggestions, examining the idea of the storage from different perspectives. A storage is the place for memories and memorizing, it raises emotions and allows observation of the past. Seen as a sensory, bodily and private space it invites the visitor to think about the need of storing and keeping things as well as ones own existence. The forms of storing remain many yet they all have the same function: to preserve the meaningful.

There are storages everywhere and at the same time new art is created. Some of the works of the exhibition have been shown only once, some never before. The exhibition offers a glimpse into the storages of the artists. At the same time it is a chance to ponder how the life of these art works could last longer at the times of the pressure of having to constantly produce new works. Art can not escape the greatest challenges of our time, the questions of ecology and sustainability.

Varasto is an exhibition based on invitations and it features works from 20 artists from Finland and abroad. It consists of photos, videos, paintings, installations and performances from well-known as well as younger artists. The exhibition spreads to Gallery Lapinlahti's four spaces and makes the artists hidden artworks visible again pointing out different aspects of storing the meaningful.

Artists:
Sampo Apajalahti, Mika Elo, Eeva Hannula, Heikki Heinonen, Antti Huittinen, Marko Karo, Heli Kaskinen, Sara Kovamäki, Jyrki Parantainen, Iiri Poteri, Jorma Puranen, Joakim Pusenius, Tuomo Rainio, Aura Saarikoski, Noora Sandgren, Paula Saraste, Sanni Seppo, Kaarlo Stauffer, Nathalie Tafelmacher-Magnat, Roi Vaara.

Varasto exhibition is co-organized by Heli Kaskinen, Noora Sandgren and Paula Saraste.

The exhibition is part of the Helsinki Festival program and it has been supported by the Arts Promotion Centre.