Charming, Infuriating or Irritating

The acquisition of Markus Copper’s Archangel of Seven Seas for the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma’s collections at the end of 1998 prompted unusually widespread interest in the main Finnish daily papers.

The articles expressed concerns about where this unique, important work that had aroused such powerful emotions would end up if Kiasma did not buy it for its collections. A total of over thirty articles were published. The purchase of the work was closely monitored during November – December. At the beginning of the following year, the putting of the work on display at Kiasma hit the news and then came the choice of Markus Copper to receive the Ars Fennica prize.

The most wonderful exhibition in Helsinki’s Art Festival is to open at Gallery Kari Kenetti tomorrow. The sculptor Markus Copper’s eight-metre-long whale sculpture ’Archangel of Seven Seas’ will be both seen and heard. The old organ pipes from Kotka Church that are a part of the sculpture play a deep-toned whale song, which vibrates both in the viewer’s limbs and in the structures of the building. (IS 5.11.1998)

The discussion about the acquisition in the daily newspapers began with the naming of potential purchasers. ”Gallery Kenetti reckons that at least three buyers can afford it: Kiasma, Helsinki City Art Museum and Pentti Kouri.” When faced with artworks, museum visitors frequently speculate on the size of the sums spent on them, but with Copper’s work no such discussion arose. Interest was sparked by the appearance of another potential buyer in Sweden.

The articles set up Kiasma and Malmö Art Museum as competing potential buyers, while at the same time hoping that the work would remain in Finland.

The Director of Malmö Art Museum, Göran Christenson, has been to look at the whale sculpture and indicated that he would like to buy it for the museum’s collection. (…) At Gallery Kari Kenetti the deal was already being celebrated by Saturday, even though there is a small proviso. That is, if Kiasma were in any case to buy the work. Museum Director Tuula Arkio is making no comment on the matter, since she has not seen the work. ’Some of the committee’s members have already been to see it, but we have not really discussed it,’ she says. Arkio, nevertheless, is surprised by the general conception that the state-run Museum of Contemporary Art has a prior right of purchase on Finnish works sold in galleries. The idea underlying this notion is presumably that Finnish art should stay in public collections in Finland. (HS 10.11.1998)

’The mass of Finns’ also wanted Markus Copper’s work to stay in Finland:

Gallerist Kari Kenetti hopes that the work will stay in Finland, since the public has made it the focus of exceptionally inquisitive and affectionate attention. – It has got quite unbelievable feedback. Old people, whose conception of art you might imagine being different, have taken to it, Kenetti says. (Kymen Sanomat 22.11.1998)

The Museum of Contemporary Art has made an offer for Markus Copper’s ’Archangel of Seven Seas’ now being shown at Gallery Kari Kenetti, which had a sale price of 300,000 marks. The museum cannot, however, afford this, so it would have liked to buy the work more cheaply. The fabrication of the work was, nevertheless, expensive, and gallerist Kenetti says he has rejected the deal. Because it was hoped that the work would remain in Finland, the Museum of Contemporary Art was given the option, even though Malmö Art Museum has already announced that it would buy it.
(HS 28.11.1998)

The Museum of Contemporary Art’s ultimate decision to purchase the work was reported in a newspaper article dated 16.12.1998. The same article also detailed the artist’s other successes, which include the Finland Prize for Young Artists and his candidature for the 1999 Ars Fennica prize.

Great, said artist Markus Copper when he received the 100,000 mark Finland Prize for Young Artists in Helsinki. Copper’s whale sculpture ’Archangel of Seven Seas’ has just been bought for the Museum of Con-temporary Art for a considerable sum.
(IS 16.12.1998)

”Despite its staggering price this impressive sculpture had several takers. Malmö Art Museum wanted it for its collection, but left our own Museum of Contemporary Art a prior right to buy, which Kiasma took up. So Copper’s great whale is swimming to Kiasma… (HS 31.12.1998)

Eija Aarnio