Art and Museum Centre Sinkka reopens in June
Sinkka Reopens After Renovation — Better Than Ever
The renovation of Sinkka has focused on improving the building’s technical conditions. During the process, the roof structures have been repaired and the ventilation system completely renewed.
“The improved climate control conditions make it possible for us to receive more demanding artwork loans with strict environmental requirements,” says Director of Museum Services Arja Elovirta.
Accessibility has also been enhanced by, among other things, shortening the reception desk to create more space in the lobby. The entrance doors now open automatically, and an induction loop has been installed at the customer service desk. Lights above the entrance will indicate whether the museum is open or closed, addressing earlier confusion caused by insufficient exterior lighting.
Some changes have been made in the exhibition spaces as well. A small gallery on the entrance level will be repurposed. The new Sinkka’s Drawing Office will open upstairs, where customers can observe museum work related to the Stockmann’s Drawing Office Collection.
New façade lighting now highlights Sinkka’s exhibition banner and the mural by MadC. During the renovation, several panels of MadC’s mural had to be removed. The artist will restore the visible seams and screw marks during the spring.
Opening Celebrations: Arte Povera Poetica
The completion of the renovation will be celebrated with the opening of the new exhibition Arte Povera Poetica on Saturday, June 6. The exhibition showcases pioneers of assemblage art such as Juhani Harri (1939–2003) and Ismo Kajander. Also featured are Jussi Tukiainen (1937–2022), who like Harri grew up in a clerical family in Vaasa; sculptor Paavo Halonen and photographer–video artist Jyri Pitkänen, both inspired by Tukiainen’s works; as well as artist Ulla Jokisalo, known for her distinctive object-based visual language.
Arte Povera Poetica references the Italian arte povera movement of the 1960s, which sought to blur the boundaries between art and everyday life.
“Jussi Tukiainen and Paavo Halonen have themselves defined their art as Arte Povera, so we chose not to change the theme or title of the exhibition, even though EMMA (Espoo Museum of Modern Art) is currently hosting an exhibition with the same name,” notes Elovirta.
“Our focus, however, is different—more aligned with Dada, Surrealism, and Finnish outsider art,” she adds.
Shameless Beauty challenges perceptions later in the year
The Shameless Beauty exhibition, opening on November 7th, explores the multi-layered and often contradictory role of beauty in contemporary art. The exhibition brings together six artists whose works draw from historical aesthetic ideals while combining visual richness with themes of imperfection, crudity or incompleteness.
See you at Sinkka this summer!
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Photo: Pekka Elomaa
