But how does it feel not to belong? The exhibition shares experiences of how it feels when home is lost or far away, whether by choice or force of circumstance. War and exile can sever ties with loved ones and beloved places. Loss and longing can be passed down through generations. As the artworks show, individual experiences are intertwined with social change and broader historical events.
Home and belonging are important topics of discussion in today’s Finland. Many of us are touched on a personal level by migrations and diasporic transitions. Finland has grown more diverse, and Finnish artists, too, come from a growing variety of cultural backgrounds. A museum is a place for coming together and understanding each other, and art can offer a means of understanding the past and imagining the future.
The artworks featured in this exhibition are from the collections of the Finnish National Gallery.
Play Joonas Hyvönen’s online artwork Mehen (2024) on Digital Museum. The gamelike artwork is a part of the Feels Like Home exhibition.
The exhibition is accompanied by an exhibition catalogue Kuin kotonaan / Feels Like Home, A Museum of Contemporary Art Publication 180 / 2024. The catalogue explores notions of home and belonging in contemporary art.
The catalogue is available in the Kiasma shop and online store.
The exhibition has been curated by Kiasma curators Saara Hacklin, Satu Oksanen and Saara Karhunen.
