Media release June 11, 2024
Thank-you Letters is a meandering chain of collegial appreciation
Serlachius Headquarters | June 15, 2024 – February 16, 2025
Sometimes an artwork can affect you so powerfully that it leaves a lasting mark. Thank-you Letters is an exhibition and chain of messages relaying appreciation from one artist to another. The exhibition opens at Serlachius Headquarters on June 15.
Thank-you Letters is an unusual curatorial project in which a group of artists were invited to select a work by another artist that has affected them deeply or sparked a new way of thinking. After choosing the work, the contributing artists were requested to send a message of thanks to its creator.
The thanked artist was in turn invited to choose a new artist to whom they wished to express gratitude in a letter, thus creating a meandering chain that is mirrored by the exhibition hanging.
The original idea for the concept came from the Serlachius Museums’ Head of Design, Tarja Väätänen, who invited artist Elina Brotherus to join the project as her co-curator and as the first artist to start the chain.
“Artists are not only creators but also viewers of art. When an artist thanks a colleague, it is a very special tribute. A fellow artist can relate to the anatomy of art-making and can deeply understand where you are coming from,” says Elina Brotherus.
The viewer joins the dialogue
By following the chain, the viewer is pulled into the artists’ dialogue, which reveals surprising connections between the artworks and their makers. We also gain insights into artworks that have awakened whole new ways of thinking.
“It has been a wonderful privilege to hear the appreciation expressed by artists to their peers. Kind words are rare and important in life – you can never utter too many of them,” affirms Brotherus.
Thank-you Letters features artworks in a variety of media by nineteen Finnish contemporary artists and cultural practitioners. The messages sent by the artists also vary in style and content. Some artists have chosen to express their thanks by means other than writing a letter, such as through a song, video or printed T-shirt. All the thank-you notes are on display in the exhibition alongside the featured artworks.
The featured artists are Catarina Ryöppy, Anna Autio, Sasha Huber, Petri Saarikko, Anne Koskinen, Esa Hämäläinen, Paula Tuovinen, Sami Korkiakoski, Kim Somervuori, Konsta Ojala, Jyrki Nissinen, Ville Vuorenmaa, Ninni Luhtasaari, Udi Salmiaitta, Jemiina Halonen, Laura Vainikka, Johanna Väisänen, Ritva-Liisa Virtanen and Eija Isojärvi.
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
Serlachius is 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 Manor, Joenniementie 47, Mänttä, Finland
Serlachius Headquarters, R. Erik Serlachiuksen katu 2, Mänttä, Finland
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