The Dialogue of Earth and Water. Sculptures of Eero Hiironen
Location: Kumu courtyard & atrium
An exhibition by the classic Finnish sculptor Eero Hiironen in the Kumu courtyard.
The Kumu building, designed by the Finnish architect Pekka Vapaavuori, and Eero Hiironen’s sculptural work are based on similar creative ideals. They are connected to each other through the modernist tradition of the 20th century and through the particularly authentic sense of natural materials which characterises the architecture, applied arts and fine arts of Estonia’s northern neighbour, Finland. Professor Eero Hiironen (b 1938) holds a prominent place in Finnish art history as one of the most productive sculptors of all time. Hiironen has participated in numerous exhibitions, with a total of 500 works, and has completed 40 monuments. The exhibition “The Dialogue of Earth and Water” in the Kumu courtyard gives a memorable overview of Hiironen’s works in various scales and techniques. Hiironen’s assemblages with mirrors, emanating from the Op-art style of the 1960s and 1970s, will be exhibited in the foyer of Kumu.
In the 1970s, Hiironen started to make metal sculptures whose recurring theme was water and the dialogue between water and light. Hiironen’s oeuvre has brought abstract art in its most classical form to a wider audience, and has connected abstract art with nature, which is essential for every human being. Hiironen’s work is a glorification of pure nature and the protection of pure water. Hiironen’s work focuses on expressing the reflections of light and water and the way these themes are approached in his work is aesthetically enjoyable. Hiironen has been compared to Impressionist sculptors; he depicts water reflections through light reflecting on the surface of his work. The flowing forms of his steel sculptures resemble flowing water; especially beautiful are his steel surfaces, which have been finely polished and are saturated by the reflections of light.
Hiironen’s water-themed monuments have been erected in numerous towns in Finland. The most noted of them are the five-meter-high monument “Seawind” in Vaasa, which gushes water; “Upper Waters” in Hiironen’s home-town of Ähtäri, “Stream of Life” in Seinäjoki in western Finland, and “Rivers, Rapids and Estuaries of Straits” in Iitti, in southern Finland. Hiironen has also made numerous sculptures and reliefs for different interiors, including public buildings. Living and working in Ähtäri, the artist has created a unique sculpture park of his works by Lake Ähtäri.
Curator: Eha Komissarov
We thank:
FRAME Finnish Fund for Art Exchange, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the South Ostrobothia Regional Fund
