Morning Coffee on the Roof of a Town – more info

Serlachius’ contemporary art collection in an extensive review for the first time

The exhibition Morning coffee on the roof of a Town compiled from Gösta Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation’s contemporary art collection brings our time’s topics into the spotlight. The exhibition’s name is derived from Ville Lenkkeri’s photographic work by the same name Morning coffee on the roof of a Town (2013) The title piece and Santeri Tuori’s video work Tokyo in the Minigallery urge to look at life from the perspective of a small town known for its paper mill but to elaborate it boldly also against a wider horizon. 

The exhibition hosts some sixty works that have been acquired within a good ten years. Mainly Finnish art is exhibited as well as a few works by international artists. Many of the works have ended up to the collection from exhibitions shown in Mänttä. Some twenty artworks are now for the first time on display. In addition to the museums’ own exhibitions, the works have been acquired from Mänttä Art Festival as well as other exhibitions. 

Outside one’s own bubble

The keywords attached on the floor of the exhibition space are hints that entice viewers to view themes presented by the means of art from outside their own bubble but at the same time make room for one’s own thoughts. Contemporary art’s ambiguous nature grants the viewer certain freedoms. 

Quiet peacefulness provided by uncomplicated every-day life and safety can be found in works by Riikka Lenkkeri who is renowned for her portraiture as well as by art of Swedish Peter Frie. 

The traumas and vulnerability caused by migration and war form a tormenting contrast to being safe. The works by Inta Ruka and Stefan Bremer emphasize good memories’ role as life preservers of person’s mind. 

Security also entails various borders – physical, mental as well as human limits, the erection and crossing of which is dealt with in Kamanger and Hamm’s works, among others. Even one’s home cannot always protect from angry words and deeds.

Topical themes

Noora Schroderus’ Bank Note Series explores our views on value of money, property, power and humanity. The burdens of our time and essence of being an artist are analysed in works which deal with being exposed to the public eye as well as roles, masks and heroes. Art offers also means to decompress or to deal with the various pressures. 

Nature is an age-old theme in art. The fine-tuned artworks on show shepherd the viewer to a place amid natural peace. The relationship between mankind and nature has been depicted in Janna Syvänoja and Outi Pieski’s works that give subtle impulses to the senses of the viewer and lead the imagination to many directions.