Diverse art in the temporary exhibitions of the new Siida

The new and improved Siida‘s first temporary exhibitions are festive art exhibitions. Selected treasures of Sámi art collections as well as brand new paintings and lithographic works made with historical stone printing are on display. The temporary exhibitions of the Sámi Museum and the Northern Lapland Nature Centre Siida will open on Friday 3 June 2022. Come and experience some stunning and impressive art.

Oainnus

The Oainnus ‒ A View for Sámi Art exhibition is an interesting cross-section of Sámi art from the 1920s to the early 2000s. The works of art include graphics, paintings, copper plate engravings and embroidery as well as two mixed media pieces. The traditions of Sámi visual language date back thousands of years, to the rock art of a northern hunting people, and hundreds of years, to the symbolism of the Sámi drums. The Sámi arts and crafts, or duodji, provides visual art with its own nuances – as also do the continuous changes that take place in Sámi culture in the middle ground between the traditions of Sámi society and multicultural influences. In their work, contemporary Sámi artists are equally affected by the Western art education that they have received.

The Oainnus exhibition is based on the collection of the Sámi association Johtti Sápmelaččat (Jutaavat saamelaiset in Finnish), complemented with the Sámi Museum Siida’s own collection. The Oainnus exhibition has been curated by Veli-Pekka Lehtola, Professor of Sámi Culture.  “With this exhibition, we invite 100 years of Sámi art to join the celebration of new Siida,” says Veli‑Pekka Lehtola.

In My Time, In Your Place

The In My Time, In Your Place exhibition showcases the works of an artist from Nuorgam, Elina Länsman. In her work, the artist reflects on the relation with place and surroundings, in which the natural environment of the north and the reindeer herding culture have a strong presence. The works on exhibit are stories combining elements of the seen and the heard, the experienced and the imagined. The subjects of her work are drawn from the surrounding life, including the existential experience of the place and the crossroads of realities. The works are something between abstract and figurative art. They enable the viewer to wander in the worlds of the artworks from the viewpoint of their own experiences.

Elina Länsman’s works feature large paintings and stone lithographs. The complex colours and bold brush strokes of her oil paintings will make you think, whether you look at them from afar or at a close distance.  “Lithographs are created slowly by working the stone, one layer of colour at a time – it is the opposite of a fast lifestyle,” describes Elina Länsman.

The Oainnus exhibition produced by the Sámi Museum will be on display in Siida until 4 December 2022. The exhibition In my Time, In Your Place, organised by Northern Lapland Nature Centre, will be on display until 7 January 2023. Siida will be open during the summer season from 1 June to 30 September 2022 every day from 9 am to 6 pm. In the winter season, from 1 October 2022 onwards, Siida will be open from Mon to Sat, 10 am to 5 pm. Please note the exceptional opening hours on holidays, which you can check on Siida’s website at www.siida.fi/en/.

Further information:

• Project secretary Minna Lehtola, Sámi Museum, tel.int. +358 40 570 8137, minna.lehtola(at)samimuseum.fi
• Artist Elina Länsman, tel.int. +358 44 526 1979, elinalansman(at)gmail.com
• Customer service in Sámi Museum Siida, tel.int. +358 400 898 212, siida(at)samimuseum.fi