31 May 2012

Rauma Biennale Balticum 2012 - Human Nature

Armsrock / Aigars Bikse / Anawana Haloba / Evaldas Jansas / Raoul Kurvitz / Ayumi Matsuzaka / Jarmo Mäkilä / Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin / Paavo Paunu / Agnieszka Polska / Mirka Raito / Pasi Rauhala / Theo Solnik / Marina Vinnik

In summer 2012 the 14th Rauma Biennale Balticum exhibition in Rauma Art Museum in Finland will present a current choice of artistic outcome of charting the territories of human nature. The exhibition is looking for answers through art to what is natural for human being and how artists in countries around the Baltic Sea are treating this subject in their works.

Human Nature as a theme of the exhibition RBB 2012 is focusing in human behaviour and trying to find the natures of man in different connections. The exhibition will present aspects of human behaviour, delicate states of mind, social structures based on emotions and will also reach beyond what seems to be the commonly accepted or politically correct borders of existence, to notions of absurdity and odd pathways of thought, not avoiding the dark side of our behaviour and even horrifying, secret and denied sides of human nature.

Art has always been a powerful tool to explore the realms of life and it is only by grasping the whole image of human nature with its positive and negative shades that will enable us to understand the premises of life, to help each other and to cultivate empathy. Social existence makes us enjoy the goodness around us as well as confront chaos. Good and evil powers caused by human nature are all around us. Oppression, terrorism, poverty, recession and human rights abuses are the situations we all have to deal with in today's global conscience.

Humanity and history of humanism will have a role in exhibition but also a look under the so called civilized surface into the mysterious dimensions and wilderness of human nature. And what in matter of fact means humanity and civilized human nature? Can there be balance between human and nature?

The exhibition sees also the human nature as an integral part of the whole of the nature. The human body is all natural and in our actions we follow natural principles. Still deep in our brains our thoughts are moved by animal instincts.

The Patron of the Exhibition is Mr. Pekka Haavisto, Member of Finnish Parliament from the Finnish Green League and Candidate of the Finnish Presidential Election 2012. The exhibition is mainly financed by Rauma City and Ministry of Culture and Education in Finland.

History and background of the Exhibition Concept

Since 1985 Rauma Biennale Balticum, arranged by the Rauma Art Museum, has presented every second year an overview of topical contemporary art of the Baltic Sea region. The series of showings began in 1977, when the first Gulf of Bothnia Biennial was held at Rauma, assembling artists from the coastal towns and cities of Finland and Sweden. In 1985, the exhibition was expanded to cover the whole Baltic Sea region and was renamed Rauma Biennale Balticum. Since 2000 the biennial has been part of the Ars Baltica network promoting cultural cooperation among the Baltic Sea countries.

Rauma Art Museum was founded in 1970. The oldest part of the museum buildings is from the year 1795. Museum is located in Unesco's World Heritage Site in Old Rauma. The museum cooperates with local artists and community as well as national and international art scene. The most important international event since 1985 is the Rauma Biennale Balticum exhibition, which introduces contemporary art from countries around the Baltic Sea. Rauma Art Museum also concentrates on pedagogic programme and exhibitions: each year the museum organizes a contemporary art exhibition targeted for children and young people. In year 2012 part of that series will display artists from Shanghai in the exhibition Time of the Dragon. In addition to temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, the museum also displays a valuable collection of late 19th and early 20th century art. The Eino Valtonen (1890-1925) Collection consists mainly of paintings by noteworthy Finnish painters.

Curators:
Director Janne Koski, janne.koski@raumantaidemuseo.fi, +358 440 224154
Curator Henna Paunu, henna.paunu@raumantaidemuseo.fi, +358 440 224155