Playfully – Peeks into the Collections

Malva’s new collection exhibition invites visitors to explore the power of play through art. It examines how artists depict, embrace and push the boundaries of play. Play offers a creative way of exploring the world, imagining things differently and challenging our perceptions of reality.

In a spirit of curiosity and discovery, the exhibition transports visitors to forests, sandpits, circuses and waterside settings, opening up a world full of surprises. It explores play as a fundamental human impulse that shapes our relationships with others and with the world around us. Visitors are invited to play alone or together, join in games of hide-and-seek, and let their imaginations – and their playful, quirky sides – run wild.

The exhibition brings together works from Malva’s art and poster collections, placing them in dialogue to offer fresh perspectives on the theme of play. Dating mainly from the 2000s, the works are complemented by a selection of older pieces from the late twentieth century. Among the oldest is Lake Keitele (1905) by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, a jewel of the Malva collection, presented as part of an ensemble exploring play in and around water. The exhibition features numerous works by artists from the Päijät-Häme region, while the poster collection broadens the perspective with a more international selection.