Contra Conservatio
Contra Conservatio group exhibition weaves together the themes of destruction and revival, examining the issue through the concepts of preservation, restoration and, on the other hand, change, metamorphosis and entropy. In the center of the exhibition are the remains of the ceiling fresco painted by Akseli Gallen-Kallela for the Jusélius Mausoleum, which was saved from the fire that destroyed the building in 1931. International and local contemporary artists bring perspectives to the exhibition’s themes through both existing works as well as new works made especially for the exhibition. In addition to Gallen-Kallela, the artists in the exhibition are Cyprien Gaillard, Markus Luiro, Iida Nikitin, Kosti S. Ruohomaa and Veronica Ryan. The exhibition has been assembled by Arttu Merimaa, chief curator of exhibitions at Pori Art Museum.
Images:
- Piece of the original fresco from the Jusélius Musoleum, Satakunta Museum (Photo: Arttu Merimaa)
- Cyprien Gaillard: Real Remnants of Fictive Wars V, 2004 (film stills), 35mm film transferred to video, Color, no sound, 7:39 min, © Cyprien Gaillard, Courtesy the artist, Sprüth Magers and Gladstone Gallery
The exhibition is supported by Finnish Heritage Agency.