The question at the core of the show is: How does one live a queer life? The term queer in this context refers to a way of being or doing that involves liberation from conventions. The featured works are like codes that can be deciphered to discover new connections between oneself and the world. Such liberation is fundamentally linked to the world of dreams and fantasy.
“There is an underlying spirit of desire and a search for connection in the exhibition. I believe it will offer points of identification in the areas of sexuality, gender, desire, intimacy and connection,” says writer and freelance curator Max Hannus, who has curated the exhibition.
The featured artists are Lynda Benglis, Jessica Andrey Bogush, Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Nan Goldin, Artor Jesus Inkerö, Jukka Korkeila, Anne Koskinen, Reija Meriläinen, Kalervo Palsa, Tero Puha, Jacolby Satterwhite, Anna Uddenberg and Bogna Luiza Wisniewska.
Dreamy – Queer Imaginaries opens at Kiasma concurrently with the Tom of Finland – Bold Journey exhibition. Together, these two exhibitions present an opportunity to reflect on the historical continuum of the LGBTQI+ movement and culture. The curator’s essay published on the Kiasma website explores the themes of the Dreamy exhibition in more depth.
Long-awaited premiere at Kiasma Theatre
The themes of the exhibition are extended and deepened by a programme of performances at Kiasma Theatre featuring international performers and buzzworthy artists from Finland. One of the acts is Enter Exude, a highly anticipated international collaboration by Teo Ala-Ruona that will premiere at Kiasma Theatre in May.
At the top of the programme is To the Aching Parts! (Manifesto), a public speech about being queer by Berlin-based artist Ania Nowak, which was commissioned by the prestigious performing arts house HAU Hebbel am Ufer. The award-winning Romanian performance artist Manuel Pelmuş brings his piece Permanent Collection to the Dreamy exhibition galleries in autumn, creating new versions of the exhibition or parts of it by using the bodies of himself and the performers.
Other programming at Kiasma Theatre includes works by performance artist Jamie MacDonald, performer and writer Moe Mustafa and dramatist Emil Santtu Uuttu.
Dreamy – Queer Imaginaries
28.4.–26.11.2023
Information for media:
Max Hannus, Curator, max.hannus@gmail.com
Saara Hacklin, Chief Curator of Collections, saara.hacklin@kiasma.fi, +358 294 500 634
Kiasma Theatre:
Jonna Strandberg, Chief Curator of Performing Arts, jonna.strandberg@kiasma.fi, +358 294 500 649
Kiasma Communications:
Piia Laita, piia.laita@kiasma.fi, + 358 294 500 507
Kiira Koskela, kiira.koskela@kiasma.fi, + 358 50 47 86 861