Elina Brotherus – Fill With Own Imagination
Kunsten is brought to life and Aalto’s architecture is inhabited as the Finnish contemporary artist Elina Brotherus presents a series of entirely new works created with the museum as her setting.
Kunsten Museum of Modern Art has invited the internationally acclaimed Finnish contemporary artist Elina Brotherus to create an exhibition presenting camera-based and performative works that engage in a dialogue with the museum, its architecture, and its collection.
Elina Brotherus creates emotional and carefully composed images, characterized by an immediate and exploratory approach combined with a clear and down-to-earth aesthetic. In her works, Brotherus occupies spaces that serve as stages for small actions or moments of reflection. With her calm presence, she appears as both figure and protagonist – a character who, placed in various situations and locations, can serve as a representative for us, the viewers. Often, she is alone, but at times she is joined by her accomplice, dancer and choreographer Vera Nevanlinna.
In her works, Brotherus engages in a dialogue with art history, drawing inspiration from and reinterpreting the works of other artists. Influenced by Fluxus and the avant-garde experiments, Brotherus uses so-called ‘event scores’ as a basis for new works – simple, performative instructions that anyone can use. The result is works that depict subtle, quirky, and sometimes absurd actions and encounters, emphasizing the importance of playfulness and experimentation.
Thematically, Brotherus’ works explore the individual’s relationship with their surroundings, often reflecting pronounced presence and an insistent curiosity – a space where thoughtfulness meets playfulness. “What if?” and “Why not?” are Brotherus’ preferred questions, which she asks both herself and us, inviting us to fill the gaps with our own imagination.
This is the foundation for the exhibition Fill With Own Imagination, where Elina Brotherus presents a series of earlier works in interaction with entirely new pieces created with the museum’s iconic architecture and collection as a starting point. The works, with a critically humorous approach, open up for wonder, evoke playfulness and encourage us all to use our imagination.
Photo: Elina Brotherus, Fill With Own Imagination (Pistoletto), 2024
About the artist
Since the 1990s, Elina Brotherus has established herself as one of the leading exponents of contemporary photography. Brotherus creates performative lens-based art, with her primary mediums being color photography and experimental short films. Through her works, she positions herself within the tradition of conceptual visual art from the 1960’s and 1970’s, drawing inspiration from Fluxus and the feminist avant-garde.
Brotherus lives and works in Avallon, France, and Helsinki, Finland. She holds an MA in Photography from the University of Art and Design Helsinki (now Aalto University) and an MSc in Chemistry from the University of Helsinki. Her awards include the Artist Professorship Grant from the Arts Promotion Centre Finland (2022-2026), Carte Blanche PMU, France (2017), the Finnish State Prize for Photography (2008), and the Prix Niépce of Gens d’image (2005). Her works are part of over 80 public collections, including the Pompidou Centre (Paris), Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (Denmark), LACMA (Los Angeles), and Moderna Museet (Stockholm).
With support from
Overretssagfører L. Zeuthens Mindelegat
Lizzi og Mogens Staal Fonden
Politiken Fonden