Events

Helsinki Contemporary is thrilled to invite you to Perttu Saksa’s solo exhibition ’Atmosphere’. The opening reception will be held on Thursday, 17 November at 5–7pm.

Nature observation, temporality, and the relationship of human and environment are themes in Perttu Saksa’s new works. Saksa’s fourth solo exhibition at Helsinki Contemporary presents a photography series that has been done in the artist’s neighbourhood in Hankoniemi. Monochromatic studies of rock hollows, shorelines, and fleeting horizons appear abstract and minimalistic in the gallery space. Large scale prints of natural stone surfaces are scaled to human-size. They attract the viewers’ attention, help them focus on the inconspicuous, and force them to face what is in front of them. The experience of nature is still strongly present in the rugged images.

The exhibition’s name refers to Emanuele Coccia’s text, which argues that philosophical thought is everywhere, like an atmosphere. Coccia has written about metaphysics, the relationship between human and plants, and existential dependency. Similarly, Saksa’s works invite and challenge viewers to explore the human’s place in the world. The theme of temporality runs through the exhibition by displaying loss and presence. The works express solastalgia, environmental distress, and a feeling of loss related to places important to the artist. The photographs include a series called 'Dawn Chorus', which refers to collective awakening – a moment when various bird species sense the new day and break into song just before the dawn.

During the process Saksa has produced bronze sculptures – which like photographs, are equally observations of nature. The sculptures’ heavy, industrial material has played its part in promoting the loss of biodiversity.

The exhibition will run through 22 December.
Read more about the exhibition: https://helsinkicontemporary.com/exhibition/atmosphere

Thank you to The Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Kone Foundation and Finnish Cultural Foundation for supporting the artist’s work.