AVANTGARDEN – SITE-SPECIFIC EXHIBITION AT NUOTTARANTA May 14 – 30th 2021

Marjatta Holma, Hertta Kiiski, Ida Lehtonen, Anneli Nygren, Eeva-Maija Pulkkinen, Viivi Saikkonen, Sauli Sirviö, Anna Torkkel, Antti Turkko

Nuottaranta, located by the sea on Satava island in Turku, is a unique courtyard built on the basis of a Japanese garden and a villa that has never been open to the public. This spring during the time of the cherry blossoms a site-specific contemporary art exhibition AVANTGARDEN will take place there. 

The garden and the villa are the lifework of Jaakko Lindberg whose work as an art collector has provoked even conflicting reactions in the Finnish art world. The new owners of Nuottaranta are now renovating the long-neglected house and the garden surrounding it. During three weekends in late spring 2021 nine artists will spread their work over the site. 

AVANTGARDEN consists of site-specific installations, paintings, sculptures, photographs, videos, text-based works and a work-in-progress performance. The artworks interact with the place, its history and each other. Throughout the year open discussion and spending time at Nuottaranta have played an important role in the artists’ work process. Artists have also utilized materials found in the villa and garden. 

Over the years nature has taken over the garden but the vegetation and structures are still preserved. Nuottaranta is rich in rhododendrons, several magnolias and other rare plants originating from the traditional Japanese gardens. There are nine tea rooms, terraces, water themes and sculptural stone arrangements in the garden. Japanese influences can also be seen in the interior of the more than 200-square-meter villa designed by Aarne Ehojoki in the 1960s and expanded by Olavi Laisaari in the 1980s. The exhibition spreads both indoors and outdoors. 

The exhibition has been supported by the City of Turku.