Upcoming: Thank You for the Music!

Quoting the songThank You for the Music by the Swedish band ABBA, the artists in the exhibition pay tribute to their teenage idols – or parody the megastars of pop in a spirit of humour.

The exhibition examines the interplay between contemporary visual art and popular music. Music is a powerful presence in the works either as a thematic source of inspiration or as a soundtrack that supports or challenges their visual appearance. One recurring motif is the pleasure instilled by music, which appears either as an individual or as a collective experience, and often as a passionate attitude towards music or its performers.

The personal experience of music is a prominent theme in many works. In his work, Petri Ala-Maunus deconstructs his youthful dream of becoming a rock star. The sculptures of the British artist Graham Dolphin replicate the unofficial monuments to pop and rock stars where fans gather to pay respects to their deceased idols. In her video, Katarzyna Kozyra from Poland imitates the perceptions of women in music videos, whereas the German artist Susanne Bürner turns the camera towards the idolising audience whose collective trance divested of inhibition is both fascinating and frightening.

The exhibition features work from both Finnish and international artists, including also Adel Abidin, David Blandy, Rauha Mäkilä, Kalle Nieminen, Anneli Nygren, Pink Twins and Bojan Sarcevic. There are also many works from Kiasma’s own collections

Kati Kivinen
Thank You for the Music 27 Jan - 17 Jun 2012