Jan Kenneth Weckman and SALONG 3+
Jan Kenneth Weckman’s paintings, and sculptures by the SALONG 3+ group
Two parallel retrospective exhibitions are on display in WAM’s main galleries: Jan Kenneth Weckman’s Corpus and SALONG 3+ Renaissance.
In the centre of Weckman’s exhibition are his large oil paintings through which the artist contemplates the nature of painting. The exhibition displays Weckman’s production from the 1960s to this day. Some of the key works of the SALONG 3+ group will be on display in two galleries. Anna-Maija Aarras, Sussi Henrikson and Ann Sundholm worked as an inseparable trio as the artist group SALONG3+ from the late 1980s to mid-1990s. Both exhibitions include works from the Turku City Art Collection and recently acquired pieces.
Jan Kenneth Weckman: Corpus
Jan Kenneth Weckman (b. 1946) has been one of the leading artists in the field of Finnish art for five decades. He ponders the nature of imagery and paintings. What is the essence of painting? What makes a person looking at a painting perceive the image within it?
In the beginning of his career, Weckman concentrated on drawings and graphic design. Later, he moved on to large oil paintings through various experiments with techniques. Adding and removing colour from the painting surface are equally important in the work process. Oftentimes, he returns to the themes of his earlier works of art and make new variations of them. This allows for Weckman to get under the surface of a painting, both at a practical level and symbolically.
The exhibition’s name comes from the artist’s abstract series Corpus, which began in the 1990s, and is typified by the use of bright colours and collage technique. The word corpus is Latin for body. In Weckman’s case, corpus refers to the embodiment or material being of the painting that the artist is trying to understand.
The exhibition is the most extensive presentation of Weckman’s work to date. It displays almost a hundred pieces and previously unseen ink drawings from the beginning of the artist’s career. The exhibition texts follow Weckman’s career in parallel with events in Finnish society and art circles. A video in which the artist explains his approach to working is also on view.
The exhibition is curated by Anna Perälä, Exhibitions Curator at Museum Centre of Turku.
SALONG 3+ Renaissance
The exhibition displays the production of SALONG3+, an artist group that became significant in the Finnish art field during its active years from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. Artists Anna-Maija Aarras (b. 1948), Sussi Henrikson (b. 1952) and Ann Sundholm (b. 1961) were members of this influential, Turku-based trio.
SALONG 3+ came to prominence in the art world in an art event called Budka – Avant-gardists from Turku and Leningrad, organised in Turku in 1989. The group’s piece Still life was on display in Galerie Grafiart, where it attracted great interest from both the public and the media. The piece consisted of vegetables, fish and pig’s trotters set in gilded frames. The organic matter gradually rotted as the exhibition progressed.
The exhibition shows SALONG 3+’s Velvetti, a series of furniture-like artwork that seduce the viewer with their luxurious velvet and sensual shapes. Pieces from the series SALONG 3+ Dimensions of life are also on display, highlighting different myths about women. The group of artists is also known for their performances. Archived films about the group’s activities and a video produced for the exhibition, in which the artists talk about their work, will be shown in the exhibition.
SALONG 3+ moves masterfully on the boundaries of different art trends. Their art is still topical, comprehensive, visual, and verbal. With the WAM exhibition, the group of artists comes together again and raises a toast to life.
The exhibition is curated by Maria Huokkola, Exhibitions Curator at Museum Centre of Turku.