19.1.2010

Contemporary Art Archipelago - an international art exhibition without traditional exhibition spaces

Art exhibition in the Turku archipelago during the summer 2011, as part of Turku 2011 programme

In Contemporary Art Archipelago art entwines in it closely with its unique surroundings. It will consist of 18 art works and events that are realised in the archipelago: new and site-specifically installed works by international and local artists. 

Like the archipelago, Contemporary Art Archipelago is both spectacular and intimate. It can be encountered from the cruise ships as well as small boats, along the roads and virtually, on a remote islet, in the sea, on the air waves, on the ferries or perhaps even in a private home.

More than an exhibition 

Contemporary Art Archipelago is founded on residencies for artists and public seminars while a series of workshops is organised during the exhibition. The aim is thus a dialogue between international contemporary art and local nature and community, the participation of different audiences in the various stages of the project, as well as the continuity of initiated discussions and artistic activities.

The theme is the archipelago and its future – as a unique yet changing environment and mode of life. The art works and events examine this from a number of perspectives and with various artistic and research methods. This also guides the practical realisation of the project, which emphasises the role of the local people and the ecological, ethical and aesthetic questions specific to the archipelago. The context of the Baltic Sea is strongly present, yet Contemporary Art Archipelago reflects the specificities of Turku archipelago also against other similar environments and global changes.