Traces in History – Contemporary Art of Its Time

In 2022, the Finnish cooperative bank movement celebrates its 120th anniversary. OP Ryhmän Taidesäätiö (OP Art Foundation) has chosen Traces in History – 120 Years of Community Spirit as the theme for its anniversary year. The Art Foundation has chosen artworks from its collection that reflect the history of the OP Group and are also linked to one another. During the year, the Art Foundation will produce exhibitions and art experiences but will also collaborate with art museums and the University of Jyväskylä.

The Art Foundation’s collection is Finland’s largest private art collection. Its oldest artworks date back to the mid-19th century with the focus of the collection, however, on Finnish contemporary art from the 1990s to the 2000s.

In the exhibition presented at the Mikkeli Art Museum, Finnish nature offers a link from the past to the present day. The artists of the Finnish Golden Era meet contemporary art creating a dialogue between artworks from diffrent periods. The artworks in the exhibitions are interpreted through two themes: Romantic landscape and Mental landscape. The artworks chosen for the exhibition create interesting points of contact from presenting 19th century romantic landscapes to contemporary artists of the 2000s, who have left out all the non-essential from their landscapes.