Collection Kakkonen at EMMA expands with ryijys and contemporary works

The Collection Kakkonen exhibition at EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art – has been enriched with new additions, including traditional ryijy textiles, works by key educators in Finnish design, and recent acquisitions from contemporary artists. These u

By: helsinkitimes.fi

Nov 26 2024
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Collection Kakkonen at EMMA ex

The Collection Kakkonen exhibition at EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art – has been enriched with new additions, including traditional ryijy textiles, works by key educators in Finnish design, and recent acquisitions from contemporary artists. These updates celebrate the exhibition’s second anniversary and further highlight the breadth of Finnish material-based art and design.

The ryijy textiles, drawn from the collection of Finnish businessman and collector Kyösti Kakkonen, bring a softer dimension to the exhibition.

These works, created by notable designers from the 1930s to the 1980s, are displayed in the dedicated Ryijy Gallery and other parts of the exhibition. The collection of 15 ryijys, including works by Toini Muona, Ritva Puotila, and Uhra-Beata Simberg-Ehrström, presents these textiles as artworks layered with cultural and historical significance.

Ryijy Gallery, Collection Kakkonen. Photo: Ari Karttunen / EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art

The exhibition now also features a section dedicated to six influential figures in Finnish design education. The Teachers of Design section explores the contributions of Arttu Brummer, Elsa Elenius, Alfred William Finch, Kaj Franck, Kyllikki Salmenhaara, and Timo Sarpaneva. Their work reflects their impact on applied arts and the development of design education in Finland.

Two new acquisitions from contemporary artists have been added to the exhibition. Santtu Mustonen’s Loose Order of Events (2023) combines glass and video to create a multisensory experience, while Renata Schirm’s commissioned glass work Myriad (The Stars I Cannot See) (2024) offers a modern interpretation of ryijy art. These works further expand the exhibition’s narrative, blending traditional and contemporary perspectives.

The updated Collection Kakkonen now features nearly 50 artists and designers, tracing the evolution of Finnish design from early modernism to the present. The exhibition continues to showcase the exceptional craftsmanship and material-based art that define Finland’s design heritage.

Collection Kakkonen is based on Kyösti Kakkonen’s extensive and growing deposit of art and design pieces. The exhibition, which opened in November 2022, is housed in a purpose-built 1,000m² space at the WeeGee Exhibition Centre. It was developed in partnership with EMMA, Kakkonen, and the City of Espoo. This update, the first since its launch, was curated by Aura Vilkuna, EMMA’s Curator of Collections.