FIN_BETWEEN (2016)

Fin_between

ARENA 1 / Santa Monica Art Studios, Los Angeles
12 March 2016 – 1 March 2017

Artists: Heini Aho, Jan-Erik Andersson, Shawn Decker, Juha Allan Ekholm, Toni Hautamäki, Sirkku Ketola, Antti Oksanen, Per Sonne, Maria West
Curator: Ville Laaksonen
Collaboration: Kio Griffith & Ichiro Irie / QiPO
Organisers: Artists’ Association Arte / Titanik & QiPO

Project description:

Fin_between was an international group exhibition presenting Finnish contemporary art at Arena 1, Los Angeles. Curated by Ville Laaksonen, the exhibition explored the idea of being between — geographically, politically, and culturally.

Positioned at the threshold of East and West, Finnish identity was approached as both a location and a condition: a state of tension between rootedness and globalisation, tradition and technology, modesty and ambition. Through installation, video, sound, and performance, the participating artists reflected on how contemporary Finnish art negotiates its position within a global discourse increasingly shaped by virtual networks and transnational exchange.

The exhibition was part of a reciprocal collaboration between Artists’ Association Arte (operator of Titanik Gallery, Turku) and QiPO (Los Angeles). It served as the Finnish counterpart to QiPO’s Lazy Susan exhibition held at Titanik in 2016, continuing the dialogue between artists, curators, and institutions across continents.

Supported by: Frame Contemporary Art Finland and Arts Promotion Centre Finland