INTERPRETATIONS, From Pori Art Museum’s Collections
MEDIA RELEASE:
INTERPRETATIONS
From Pori Art Museum’s Collections
20 November – 19 January 2003
Who interprets and what or who? Does the artist interpret humans, life around himself, read, analyse and render visible? Or is he only the interpret of his own emotions and sensations or is his way led by the trends and likings of the art world? What is the relationship between coincidence and intention in art, culture or in the search for new? How do art museums make their choices from this cornucopia, decide of their exhibitions, choose works to their collections?
The discourse concerning the museums acquiring policy seems to raise its head on regular intervals. One of the most authoritative statements of this autumn was made by Tuula Arkio, the General Director of the National Art Galleries, Helsinki, who was concerned of the division of duties between the Finnish museums and their identities. “It is clear that no one needs a museum that does not have a clear operational profile, high-quality collections and exhibitions”.
High-quality collection is an opportunity to the art museum, but no contemporary museum can rest solely on its presentation in order to successfully live and operate. The museum collection must link up with the museum’s profile; it is a resource and a starting point on a way forward. Collections form a basis upon which museum lays out its research and exhibition activities. Collecting information, familiarizing with the phenomenons in the field of visual arts forms a basis on which the museum directs itself, makes choices, presents art and artists. Museum’s collection both documents this work and serves as a starting point and an accelerator for new information and research. A successful collection policy tells in a balanced and interesting way of the phenomenons of the art of our times and also of the choices the museum has done in following its operational profile.
Pori Art Museum has regularly presented its collections and new acquisitions. INTERPRETATIONS is one world of possibilities, a multi-edged prism that reflects the artistic currents of our time in Finnish and international level. It does not believe in one single explanation model, one interpretative point of departure, but offers a possibility for the viewer to crab hold of that rich and multifaceted reality that opens itself up in the art works. INTERPRETATIONS includes works by among others the following artists: Jose Bedia, Flavio Garciandia, Kalle Hamm, Ensio Härkönen, Andrei Jahnin, Päivi Jokinen, Ismo Kajander, Markku Keränen, Henry Merimaa, Julien Collieux, Kimmo Sarje, Imants Tillers ja Sándor Vály.
Come and make your own conclusions and interpretations!