ph. Children cleaning the curb in Saaristokatu, Raahe in 1923. Photograph: Samuli Paulaharju
What kind of pictorial material do we choose to permanently preserve for ourselves and future generations, and what do we exclude and why? These fundamental questions concerning the operation of museums as well as questions regarding public access to and the publication of collections serve as the premise for the Public and the Hidden Finland exhibition and the book. Why did we and our predecessors preserve some materials while choosing, either consciously or unconsciously, not to preserve others? What kind of image of us, our history and our present day does this pictorial material provide – and whose Finland does it depict?
The National Board of Antiquities, the National Museum of Finland and their predecessors have been recording our shared cultural heritage in the form of pictures since the early 19th century. These preservations and recording efforts continue actively to this day, at the same time the collections are being digitized and opened up for all to see and use. In total, our collections already include over 15 million pictures.
The significance of pictures and their interpretation have once again been increasingly highlighted this year, becoming topics of extensive public discussion. For this exhibition and book, we have chosen a sample of approximately one hundred pictures to illustrate Finland and Finnish everyday life. Together with the accompanying background stories, these pictures form a many-voiced tale of success and failure, joy and sorrow, as well as things kept quiet. Over the course of a hundred years valuation and values have also changed, as a result of which the thing depicted in the pictures may have become mysterious, shameful or even hidden – or the exact opposite. In addition to all the good things, it is also important to record the things that are or feel unpleasant.
The Public and the Hidden Finland exhibition has been chosen as part of the exhibition program of Finland’s centenary year, for which we are both proud and grateful. I hope that everybody can enjoy this journey into the history and present of 100-year-old Finland.
Ismo Malinen, Chief Intendant, Picture Collections of the National Board of Antiquities
Exhibition:
The Public and the Hidden Finland
exhibition in the National Museum from 16 June 2017 to 14 January 2018
The exhibition celebrates the 100 years of Finland by portraying around one hundred pictures from the National Board of Antiquities’ spectacular picture collection of over 15 million pictures. The pictures chosen for the exhibition portray the era of independence of Finland, and they either have not been exhibited earlier or have national importance. The pictures illustrate Finland’s journey as it becomes a land of equality, wellbeing and togetherness.
The exhibition is built around six themes. The themes are education, war, race, equality and democracy, nature relationship and communality. Behind each theme’s success story lies some phenomena that we might have wanted to forget or hide. Therefore, the exhibition challenges us to discuss our history and the transparency of our times.
Besides, the exhibition portrays a picture installation of modern day Finland, in which everyone can take part in by uploading a picture in Instagram with the hashtag #Finland2117.
http://www.kansallismuseo.fi/en/nationalmuseum/press-service
Book
Inkamaija Iitiä, Hannu Häkkinen ja Jaana Onatsu
JULKINEN JA KÄTKETTY SUOMI
Det offentliga och det dolda Finland – The Public and the Hidden Finland
Museovirasto 2017, 240 s., sid., ISBN 978-951-616-285-3, 45 € (incl. VAT)
Kansallismuseon julkaisuja 13, ISSN 2343-1180
