Framed by urban noise

Exhibition architects Sari Anttonen and Nicolas Favet are standing on the fourth floor of Chiasma, surrounded by mountains of air conditioning tubes and piles of wallboards, to which they pay no attention at all. Instead, their thoughts wander ahead to six months in the future, when the space is occupied by the Aavan meren tuolla puolen exhibition presenting Finnish artists. The comment by Japanese architect Toyo Ito, chosen by the two as their motto in the project plan, succinctly describes the flow of visions: "contemporary artists are like Tarzans in the media forest".

Anttonen and Favet are working on the architectural layout of the exhibition in a constant cooperation between the respective artists and the museum. The starting point is naturally art and the characteristics of the artworks, which influence the space, the other works, and the audience. These factors are combined into an equation, to which the designers are busily seeking a solution. "What makes the project so fascinating lies in its openness: discussions and interaction with the artists help in shaping the decisions. The project involves a myriad of various ideas and opinions, which is both rewarding and difficult. At this point we are collecting ideas, and the next thing to do is to work out a solution that is best for the exhibition as a whole. The expectations are high, because we are dealing with the grand opening of the museum, but so far the atmosphere has been good. There is space for ideas, and to a certain extent everything is possible. Naturally, freedom also entails responsibility."

Travels in Space

During the opening exhibition, the entire fourth floor will form a single space. The architects refer to a "capsized ship bottom". "On seeing the space for temporary exhibitions for the first time, we were surprised how dominating it was. Its forms and its habitus "suck" you in. We wanted to retain this impression of space, which is why we left the exhibition structures 'hovering' in order to leave the room as open as possible. Without touching the floor, the walls, or the ceiling, our architectural solutions divide and give rhythm to the space surrounding the works of art," describes Favet.

The urban noise, visual and acoustic, provides the exhibition with a character which allows visitors to choose, find, and experience on their own. The spaces between the works of art are part of the general character. Where the space merges into another there must not be a void; experiences in between the spaces are part of the holistic experience.

Urban Situations

The Finnishness of the exhibition abandons the traditional blue lakes and deep green forest, and instead explores urban landscapes and codes: the life that contemporary art is based on and harks back to. The experience corresponds to walking along the urban street. Full of noise, situations and occurrences, it forms a narrative. "The carefully designed visuals and the information texture combining aspects of the artworks and the urban surroundings together form the core. Through the museum and exhibition space, the visitor undergoes a variety of other spatial experiences: the space of the work of art, auditory spaces, spaces of light, experiential spaces, display spaces. The works of art are surrounded by constructed silences, where there is no noise to interfere in the contact between the visitor and art. Exhibition texts and other information follow the code of urban advertising," outlines Anttonen.

"It is important that visitors should not feel uncertain, or lost in the exhibition: the experience should be pleasant," continues Favet. "The exhibition architecture corresponding to urban experience makes the exhibition easily accessible. Art has not been placed on a pedestal, or made untouchable."

The process goes on. During the spring, both the works of art and the display spaces will intermingle in a finished whole opening the first term of Chiasma's temporary exhibitions.

Jaana Hirvonen