A new section of the Saastamoinen Foundation’s collection exhibition Dialogues opened to the public in November 2024. In this latest instalment, the focus is on pieces reflecting human encounters and complex relationships from diverse perspectives. The concept of dialogue is explored through both the visual language of artworks and their evocative themes. The first part of Dialogues opened in 2023.  The earlier section of the collection exhibition, Human and Nature, is still on display.

The exhibition also includes a media space equipped with EMMA’s state-of-the-art technology, displaying Saastamoinen Foundation’s new media art acquisitions. On display currently:

Rashaad Newsome: Untitled (New Way) 24.11.2023–23.11.2025

Klara Lidén: The Myth of Progress (Moonwalk) 14.8.2024–12.1.2025

Read background information on selected artists and their works on the exhibition’s mobile guide!

The Dialogues exhibition regularly showcases selections from the Saastamoinen Foundation’s collection with frequently updated displays. The exhibition features works that engage in free dialogue with one another, encouraging visitors to compare and draw parallels between them. The exhibition is an invitation to engage in dialogue or conversation, that will hopefully foster myriad interpretations. The curation is a joint effort between art experts from EMMA and Saastamoinen Foundation. 

The artists currently featured in the Dialogues exhibition are: Monira Al Qadiri, Henni Alftan, Torsten Andersson, Rasheed Araeen, Ruth Asawa, Louise Bourgeois, Jesse Darling, Ida Ekblad, Nan Goldin, Giorgio Griffa, Heidi Hahn, Samia Halaby, Camille Henrot Barbara Kasten, Jonna Kina, Harriet Korman, Sinikka Kurkinen, Lin Da, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Emma Jääskeläinen, Lucy McKenzie, Olli Keränen, Christine Sun Kim, Lee Lozano, Leena Luostarinen, Sandra Mujinga, Rashaad Newsome, Berenice Olmedo, Paulina Olowska, Laura Owens, Sini Pelkki, Pauno Pohjolainen, Silja Rantanen, Aura Saarikoski, Dayanita Singh, Martine Syms, Kain Tapper, Eeva Tiisala, Kaari Upson, Marja Viitahuhta and Haegue Yang.

The section displays artworks with nature present in different ways. Humans are a part of nature and the animal kingdom, but the balance between us is often lost. It is said that human is the cruellest beast of all. For us, nature can be a source of income, an obstacle to be cleared, a scientific challenge, a place to relax or a riddle.

The relationship between natural and unnatural has become blurred during our time. It is hard to find a natural state with no marks by humans. Many artists, such as Latifa Echakhch, Jani Ruscica and Roland Persson, approach this complex relationship between human and nature.

The book published in November 2023 showcases Saastamoinen Foundation’s recent acquisitions. The focus is on artists with stirring career who continue to impress with their art, such as Vivian E. Browne, Lee Lozano, and Leena Luostarinen, as well as artists on the verge of making a strong entry or currently making a breakthrough, for example Emma Jääskeläinen, Berenice Olmedo, Aura Saarikoski, and Thảo Nguyên Phan.

Available at EMMA Shop’s store and webshop!

Writers: Ali Akbar Mehta, Camille Auer, Nimco Kulmiye Hussein, Saara Karhunen, Anders Kreuger, Emma Lilja, Aleksandra Oilinki, Vidha Saumya, Seiskan pojat, Sanna Tirkkonen

Graphic design: Tom Backström

Photographs: Ari Karttunen & Paula Virta / EMMA