The spring and summer seasons at the Finnish Museum of Photography are dedicated to ecological issues. The museum’s principal gallery is taken over by the main exhibition of the Helsinki Photography Biennial 2014, which is curated by curator/researcher Basak Senova from Turkey.
‘Ecological fallacy’ is a statistical term that is defined simply as an error in reasoning. Hence the title of the exhibition refers to an error or a mistaken assumption in the interpretation of statistical data. The artworks in this biennial investigate analogous errors and assumptions made by the ruling powers of the world – governments, corporations, banks – while challenging our own fallacies and the forces that violate the ecological balance of the earth.
The Helsinki Photography Biennial serves as a suture that draws the accumulated data about fallacies on ecology into visual evidences and lens-based realities. In order to investigate fallacies of ecological knowledge, the featured exhibitions seek correlated artistic approaches and perspectives as a way of producing and processing evident critical, social and cultural discourses on these fallacies.
At the Finnish Museum of Photography, the artists participating in Ecological Fallacy are Ali Cherri, Daniel G. Andújar, Hana Miletic, Jawad Al Malhi, Jesper Just, Mary McIntyre, Olof Jarlbro, Raqs Media Collective, Serkan Taycan, Willie Doherty and Société Réaliste.
By spreading across different venues and issues, the 2014 Helsinki Photography Biennial undertakes the artistic identification and investigation of reasons behind ecological catastrophes in different geographies. Through lens-based techniques and research-based projects, every one of the participating artists aim to create incisive connections with the public to share their insights, concerns and findings on ecological fallacies.
At the Finnish Museum of Photography, the Ecological Fallacy exhibition is shown in dialogue with another exhibition, Objects on Oil, curated by the Mustarinda Association.
The Mustarinda Association has developed further the theme of ecological issues. Their section of the exhibition assesses changes in our concept of and relationship with nature from the viewpoints of archives, architecture, forests, and energy.
Objects on Oil showcases the underlying fossil basis of human experience, economic activity and industrialised societies as well as the breaks in our understanding of this material foundation. The mutual interdependence between human action and nonhuman objects, which in everyday life has blurred to near invisibility, will inevitably come to occupy a central position in societal development due to the effects of climate change and the dismantling of the fossil economy.
At the Finnish Museum of Photography, the artists and researchers participating in the Objects on Oil/Mustarinda exhibition are Jenna Sutela, Martti Kalliala, Karoliina Lummaa, Paavo Järvensivu, Guy Ben-Ner, Ilkka Halso, Anna-Kaisa Rastenberger, and Sofia Lahti.
PUBLICATION
The biennial coincides with the release of the book Ecological Fallacy as part of the Mustarinda publication series. The essays seek to provide theoretical tools for handling the situation and moving forward. The chief editor of the book is researcher Paavo Järvensivu, the editors Noelia Martinez (The Finnish Museum of Photography) and curator Basak Senova. Graphic design is by Pauliina Leikas.
SEMINAR
The biennial includes a seminar on the subject Photography in the Age of Fossil Nihilism. Held on 29 March, the seminar features professionals of art and science who tackle questions around the themes of the biennial. You are welcome to attend the seminar at the Hima & Sali Restaurant at the Cable Factory from 11 am to 4 pm.
HPB14 is produced by Union of Artist Photographers/Photographic Gallery Hippolyte in collaboration with the Finnish Museum of Photography.
The HPB14 venues include the Finnish Museum of Photography, Photographic Gallery Hippolyte, the L3 building in Jätkäsaari, Galleria U (Hungarian Cultural Centre Helsinki), and the Helsinki University Main Library (Kaisa House). In addition, a project by Barbaros Kayan will be presented at the Helsinki central railway station, the Finnish Museum of Photography, and the Hima & Sali Restaurant at the Cable Factory.
MEET THE CURATORS
28.3. at 16.30-17.30: Join curator Basak Senova for a tour of the Ecological Fallacy -exhibition. Museum entrance fee.
9.4. and 14.5. at 18-19: Join the curators Antti Majava and Paavo Järvensivu for a tour of the Objects on Oil -exhibition. Museum entrance fee.
Events at the Finnish Museum of Photography:
Guided tours: Free guided tours of the exhibition for the public (in Finnish): Sundays at 1 pm; conversation guide is on hand on Sundays 2–3 pm. With admission fee.
To book guided tours or workshops, contact workshop@fmp.fi , tel. +358 9 6866 3621
Further information on the exhibitions:
Anna-Kaisa Rastenberger, Chief Curator, +358 50 518 7619, anna-kaisa.rastenberger@fmp.fi
Tiina Rauhala, Curator, +358 504327562, tiina.rauhala@fmp.fi
Further information on workshops, guided tours and public programme:
Erja Salo, Head of Education and Public Programmes , +358 44 2706216, erja.salo@fmp.fi
Finnish Museum of Photography, Cable Factory, Tallberginkatu 1 G, 00180 Helsinki, tel. +358 9 6866 3621 / fmp@fmp.fi / www.valokuvataiteenmuseo.fi/en
Opening hours: Tue–Sun, 11 am – 6 pm, Wed 11 am – 8 pm.
Helsinki Photography Biennial is honored to present
19 projects by the following artists:
Ali Cherri (Beirut/Paris)
Barbaros Kayan (Istanbul)
Braco Dimitrijević (Paris)
Daniel García Andújar (Barcelona)
Hana Miletic (Zagreb/Brussels)
Jawad Al Malhi (East Jerusalem)
Jesper Just (New York)
Marja Helander (Helsinki)
Mary McIntyre (Belfast)
Oliver Ressler (Wien)
Olof Jarlbro (Helsingborg/Sofia)
Raqs Media Collective (New Delhi)
Serkan Taycan (Istanbul/Helsinki)
Société Réaliste (Paris)
Tamás Dezső (Budapest)
Tomislav Gotovac (Zagreb)
Tuula Närhinen (Helsinki)
Willie Doherty (Donegal/Derry)
Yane Calovski (Skopje)
HPB14 is generously supported by:
Alfred Kordelin Foundation
Artproof
British Council
Finnish Cultural Foundation
Frame Visual Art Finland
HOK Elanto
Image
Ministry of Education and Culture
SAHA, Istanbul
Schenker
Sokos Hotel Aleksanteri
The Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland
Visio, Educational Centre
More information about HPB14:
www.facebook.com/HelsinkiPhotographyBiennial
More information about Mustarinda:
The Finnish Museum of Photography
1st floor
The Cable Factory, Kaapeliaukio 3, Helsinki
