ARS 06 touched us all

Kiasma’s super effort ARS 06 will close on 27 August. Seven months on display, the exhibition has been extraordinary in Kiasma’s history in many ways. Familiar themes, an abundant programme, long opening hours and positive reviews made ARS 06 a success.

The exhibition comprised forty artists from twenty-four countries. The first week saw 10,000 visitors. By just three months from opening, there had been 100,000 visitors, and by the rush before the closing day, the exhibition had been seen by 158,000 visitors. Two million visitors had visited Kiasma by the beginning of May.

The rich additional programme offered new insights and enlivened the exhibition. Visitors could make art by themselves in the workshops. Programme, performances, special guided tours and workshops were arranged on 128 days, and there were often several events per day. On top of that, almost 2000 guided tours were booked.

During ARS 06, visitors were invited to share their wishes and complaints, which were then used for artworks. More than 500 wishes and 2,000 complaints were collected. The Helsinki Complaints Choir got nearly a hundred members.

Two visitor surveys were organised during ARS 06, and the results prove that the themes and artworks really touched us all. Satisfaction was evident in the feedback and the resulting public debate.