Ars gratia artis – except on Monday

Mondays are sleepy in the art world. Museums and galleries are generally closed, exhibitions are being set up or taken down and the invigilators are home having a nap. On Monday it feels like art does not exist. When Tuesday eventually rolls around, suddenly the world is filled with artist talks, lectures and openings. Art people have had their creative viewing goggles cleaned and are able to take on the exhausting work of understanding, empathising and organising. Monday is devoid of empathy just as it is devoid of art.

I started my day today with a quick visit to the police station. I was surprised that there is a separate entrance for gun carrying licences. The gun service entrance also has explicit locking systems. I do not need a gun, so I moved on. The rest of the station was quiet and the system of booking appointments worked well. They were running ten minutes early, which was a nice surprise. I didn't even have time to sit down and read the magazine I had purposely brought along for the wait. This left me with time for an early lunch with my other half.

I also had time to visit GallerySinne in Helsinki. The new exhibition by Jouni Kujansuu is a collection of works from 2013, which consist of installations, photography and sculptures. The exhibition is called Last Cat and feels a bit like a crackpot combination of objects and ideas that still found a flow that pleases both the eye and the soul. Sinne is known for exhibiting exciting and often experimental art by young and emerging artistic talent. Kujansuu's exhibition has utilized the space well, in a way that doesn't overpower or leave room to relax. There is tension and humour in the art and I can already feel it stimulating my little grey cells. 
(On Monday I watch Poirot)

 I heartily recommend having a look in Sinne if you are anywhere near Helsinki. The exhibition runs until February 2^nd 2014 and can be found at Iso Roobertinkatu 16. The only problem, if one must be found with this exhibition, was that the list of works was in two parts, a list and map, which made it annoying to follow, compare and contrast.

Sinne is also an exciting gallery, as it is one of the only galleries in Finland, that does not require an artist to pay a fee to exhibit their work. This may sound like madness to those of you not used to the Finnish art gallery system. Here artists are asked to pay for the privilege of showing their work. Odd that the people who rarely earn enough income through their work are asked to pay to show it. This is not the case everywhere and I feel it is one of the reasons art shown in Finnish galleries are not taken seriously on the international scene.

Most galleries in Finland have a rigorous application process for choosing exhibitions. Most operate on about 17 exhibitions a year and take applications once or twice a year to fill in their exhibition calendar. In central Helsinki the exhibition rent (to be paid by the artist) is about 1000€ for a 3 week show. Prices differ depending on location, size and even the name of the gallery. On top of this the artist is responsible for the printing of posters and invites, the refreshments for the preview and all the actual artworks made and that are transported to the gallery. There are many other expenses, but these are the obvious ones. It is not fair and even though there are grants and funds artists can apply to for help financially it often ends up being the artist themselves paying for the rent.