Kiasma’s Tom of Finland exhibition was a success – attracting 180,000 visitors

TOM OF FINLAND Untitled, 1985

Tom of Finland is a seminal figure of 20th century art and visual culture. The narrative starting point of the exhibition on display at Kiasma was the life stages of Tom of Finland (8th May 1920-7th November 1991), through which his activities were examined over six decades. Key events and places included his childhood in the countryside, time in military service, moving to the city, the post-war period and many trips in Europe and America.

Bold Journey, which was on display in Kiasma since the end of April, just ended and was very popular. Almost 180,000 visitors visited the exhibition. The artwork features Tom of Finland’s archetypal characters such as a lumberjack, a motorist, an office worker, a soldier and a policeman. The exhibition featured works from the collections of the Los Angeles-based Tom of Finland Foundation and the collections of the Finnish National Gallery.

“The exhibition succeeded in making Tom of Finland one of our significant national artists. With the extensive retrospective, our audience recognized his international importance as a courageous promoter of minority rights and, on the other hand, as a permanent point of reference for visual culture. Tom of Finland’s works and the artist’s story were treated with respect, even surprising devotion,” says museum director Leevi Haapala.

SEE THE COMPLETE ARTICLE BY TERHI PIIROINEN

Published: 7th November 2023

Categorised in: Events