Press release 18 March 2024
ROR – Revolutions On Request makes a return to Serlachius
ROR ABC 23 March 2024–23 March 2025
Did someone order a revolution? Yes! ROR is Back! The ROR collective conquered the world in the early 2000s. Now it returns to Serlachius bearing a mysterious alphabet that will create a new ROR world.
ROR – Revolutions On Request is a collective of Finnish artists and ROR ABC a complete work of art, curated by Jiri Geller, Petri Ala-Maunus and Ilse Rossander. Alvar Gullichsen is responsible for the exhibition architecture.
The following artists are also participating in the exhibition: Riikka Hyvönen, Juho Juntunen, Nikolo Kerimov, IstoKotavuopio, Sanna-Mari Liukkonen (1975–2020), Mr. Lordi, Painter Jude, Paula Pääkkönen, Pekko Vasantola, Sheung Yiu and Ro Zahir.
The central themes of the ROR ethos are rock and pop culture phenomena, a humorous critique of the worship of art world canons and technology, psychedelia and traditional crafts combined with modern techniques and media.
ROR itself defines what is art: magical spark, uncompromising integrity, divine glow, more than the sum of its parts. If someone’s work has these characteristics, then ROR will come calling. It doesn’t matter how and by whom the work has been created.
ROR ABC is built on the Garden carpet, designed by Alvar Gullichsen, tying everything together like the hull of a spaceship. The extensive exhibition includes paintings, sculptures, installations and a hand-built, working motorbike.Pekko Vasantola’s and Sheung Yiu’s Utelias masiina/Curious Machine repeats the images and speech of the exhibition visitors. The soundtrack of the exhibition was created by Vilunki 3000.
Each work is an essential part of the exhibition as a whole. ROR is like a band whose sound is created by working together. ROR is also an attitude, according to which art should reveal itself without any extra explanations: Keep it simple stupid!
A return without nostalgia
ROR – Revolutions On Request was founded in 1998. Initially, the group comprised a varying number of representatives from different fields of visual art, applied art and music. Gradually, it transformed into a smaller group of artists of changing composition, whose work ultimately focused on contemporary art.
ROR made its breakthrough in 2001 with the UTOPIA exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma in Helsinki. Subsequently, the group participated in major exhibitions around the world. These included Manifesta 4, the Royal College of Art and the Mori Art Museum. From 2003 to 2004, ROR maintained the ROR gallery in Kallio, Helsinki, where it curated its own and invitational exhibitions. The ROR group’s last public appearance was in 2008.
ROR’s return to Serlachius is not about nostalgia; its about bringing the ROR ethos into the present day. The ROR ABC exhibition features original members of the ROR group, but also invites new contributors, who are seen as representing the ROR attitude.
In ROR’s own words: ROR ABC is Exciting, Entertaining, Explosive, Outrageously Fun!
Press releases and photographs: https://serlachius.fi/en/for-media
For further information and image requests, please contact:
Susanna Yläjärvi, Information Officer, Serlachius Museums, tel. +358 50 560 0156, susanna.ylajarvi@serlachius.fi
The Serlachius Museums are open:
in the winter season, 1 September–31 May, from Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am–6 pm
in the summer season, 1 June–31 August, every day 10 am-6 pm
Visiting addresses:
Serlachius Museum Gösta, Joenniementie 47, Mänttä, Finland
Serlachius Museum Gustaf, R. Erik Serlachiuksen katu 2, Mänttä, Finland
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