Arno Rafael Minkkinen: Art is risk made visible Public lecture

Arno Rafael Minkkinen: Art is risk made visible Public lecture
Friday May 23rd 2025 at 5 PM
Kino Kuvakukko, Vuorikatu 27, Kuopio

Finnish American photographer Arno Rafael Minkkinen (b. 1945 in Helsinki) has created selfportraits—most often of his body in nature—for over more than five decades. His oeuvre stands as one of the longest, non-stop bodies of work in the self-portrait genre. From his first works in the early 1970s to today, the pictures have always been different, and yet maintain the same timelessness and distinctive aesthetic signature.

Minkkinen’s techniques predate the use of Photoshop by decades, and his negatives, memory cards, and prints are the proof. Instead, he relies on simple means like his first cable release that signaled the self-timer to fire nine-seconds later. He sets up and shoots the image as solo act. Because no one looks inside the viewfinder as the picture is taken— not even Minkkinen, the photographer—every image becomes a surprise waiting to be discovered.

“Trusting luck to hold out, there would be no end in sight to what could be possible. Art is risk made visible. Courage is fear made invisible. I seek to be able to manifest these principles into my working practice. Surely then would the heart and soul of my undertaking be made visible to audiences worldwide.” – Arno Rafael Minkkinen

Minkkinen became a writer and photographer in America before becoming a teacher in Finland, and he has interwoven his three pursuits throughout his life as a Finnish-American artist, essayist/curator, and educator for more than five decades.

“Art is risk made visible – A fifty-five year self-portrait journey” public lecture takes the audience on a “road trip” through Arno Rafael Minkkinen’s non-stop career. This unique event is made possible by the VB Photographic Centre and will take place on Friday, May 23rd at 5 PM (17.00) at Kino Kuvakukko (Vuorikatu 27, Kuopio). The lecture will be held in English and lasts approximately 1.5 hours. Admission is free, but seating is limited.