During the Helsinki Festival, the Kunsthalle offers a unique opportunity to see works by the Belgian contemporary artist Luc Tuymans (b. 1958). Tuymans believes in the power of painting, and he is one of the most sought-after contemporary painters today. His works have been exhibited at the Venice Biennial and Kassel Documenta as well as major art museums from the United States to Japan. The exhibition at Kunsthalle Helsinki will present over 40 paintings from the past twenty years, as well as stills from the artist's short films.
Luc Tuymans' paintings are figurative, but only nominally so, and their titles only hint at possible interpretations. The works investigate memory and historical events both in terms of the individual and of history writing. Tuymans also addresses difficult issues, such as the persecution of Jews in European history and the colonial past of Belgium - collective experiences which also have a bearing on the individual.
After Kunsthalle, Display will travel to Centro de Arte de Salamanca in Spain. Tuymans has selected the exhibition works so that they form a close-knit and coherent whole. The artist is interested in seeing how the works are received at venues located so far apart geographically.
Tuymans' work has previously been seen in Finland at the Ars 95 exhibition. This year his production is extensively exhibited in European museums in Hannover, Munich and St. Gallen, and next year at the Tate Modern in London.
The exhibition includes a catalogue in English and Spanish, produced by Centro de Arte de Salamanca. In addition to plates of exhibition works, the catalogue has articles by Mika Hannula, Enrique Juncosa and Gerrit Vermeiren.
Display is organised jointly by the Helsinki Festival, Kunsthalle Helsinki and Centro de Arte de Salamanca in collaboration with Luc Tuymans and Zeno X Gallery in Antwerp.
The exhibition is sponsored by Finnair.
IMAGE
Luc Tuymans
The Diagnostic Look IV 1992
oil on canvas
57 x 38 cm
long-term loan 1995
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