Leena and Kalle Nio. Painting Machine

Every successful painting is a miracle
Leena Nio

Painting Machine, a mesmerising performance-installation that combines magic with visual art, is the first collaborative work by Leena Nio (b. 1982), a visual artist renowned for her multilayered paintings, and Kalle Nio (b. 1982), visual artist, magician and theatre director. With the help of magic, their installation is a playful investigation of art making and the sources of creativity.

The exhibition features a live performance every Saturday at 13:00 and at 15.30, in which the audience can follow the creation of a painting. In the space of 30 minutes, the Painting Machine produces a new visual artwork that is incorporated into the exhibition. You can book a seat for the performances by using the forms below. On Saturdays the Painting Machine can be experienced only in connection with the performances. On the other opening days the Painting Machine is on display in the gallery as an audiovisual painting installation.

Leena and Kalle Nio’s installation investigates artisthood in today’s increasingly automated world. Although the Painting Machine is a mechanical piece of equipment, it is human in its own way. The process of producing a painting with the machine is surprising and uncontrolled, and every machine-made work contains unpredictable details and mistakes – just as human-made works do.