Summer Rain

At Kunsthalle Helsinki, themes and forms of contemporary art will wash over visitors like a summer rain. This expansive and multi-voiced group exhibition presents works by 20 contemporary artists and artist collectives. Summer Rain was curated through an open call in spring 2024, which generated great interest among artists.

The resulting multifaceted collection offers a glimpse into the themes and questions that feel most urgent and relevant today. There are almost as many themes as there are artists. The works explore topics such as our relationship with nature, identities, power structures and countercultures, as well as craft traditions and their reinterpretation. These subjects are approached with a keen sense of perception and sensitivity – evoking smiles, stirring emotions, surprising, and provoking thought.

Summer Rain highlights the rich variety of materials used in contemporary art. The exhibition features paintings, sculptures, textile works, moving images, music-based pieces, and a range of installations.

The artists featured in the exhibition are: Henri Airo and Toivo Heinimäki, Riikka Anttonen, Jessie Bullivant, Gladys Camilo, Ama Essel, Dominik Fleischmann, Lotta Hagelin and Ritni Ráste Pieski, Milja Hakkarainen, Tero Harju and Tuuli Malla and Erja Taskinen, Erkki Huilla, Annamaari Hyttinen, Mirei Kato, Victor Khachtchanski, Karolina Kucia, Kriti Kumari, Jaakko Leeve, Mireia c. Saladrigues, Jonna Salonen, Juliana Irene Smith, Marja Viitahuhta, Ánnámáret, Ilkka Heinonen and Turkka Inkilä.

The artists for this open-call exhibition were selected by a four-member jury: Eeva Holkeri (Kunsthalle Helsinki), Katri Lassila (Artists’ Association of Finland), Susi Siriya Orenius (Ruskeat Tytöt) and Tatiana Solovieva (Globe Art Point).