Garden of Stones and Thousand Flowers

Exhibition Garden of Stones and Thousand Flowers brings together artworks that explore human relationships with nature in space and time through the mirror of visual art and jewellery. The name of the project Garden of Stones and Thousand Flowers refers to a Japanese rock garden, often called a Zen Garden and a medieval style known as Millefleurs literally "thousand flowers". Gardens have inspired humans throughout the centuries and appeal to our senses and mind. Today, in a turbulent global context, the garden seems especially important in terms of its utility as well as a place for thoughts about questions that have remained or reappeared. What can we know? What should we do? What can we hope for? These questions by Immanuel Kant reappear very relevant in our time as well as reflecting on the history of gardens. What secrets are hidden in Rock Gardens in the East and medieval tapestries in the West? What were the philosophers thinking about in the Greek Gardens? Today we still crave an understanding of the underlying order in the world and yearn to know why we are here and where we came from, concludes Stephen Hawking in A Brief History of Time.

The exhibitions presents the works of artists Anna Rikkinen, Annika Eklöf, Petri Eklöf, Inni Pärnänen, Tarja Tuupanen, Helena Lehtinen, Elina Honkanen, Janna Syvänoja, Veera Kulju, Vesa Nilsson, Nelli Tanner and Irene Sema.

Garden is also considered in the sense of a kindergarten - place where children grow and develop. The installation provides the interactive participation of children for study philosophy and art and a base for discussions.

Curators: Irene Sema and Nelli Tanner