Miettinen Collection: Body Politics explores the bodily experience through contemporary art – Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art is part of an international exhibition series

The human figure and the nude body are among the oldest genres and most classical subjects in art. The Miettinen Collection: Body Politics exhibition offers an insight into Timo Miettinen’s art collection, with a particular focus on the bodily experience. The human body is presented both as an individual, experiential, and emotional existence, and as part of a broader social and political context.

The exhibition’s title refers to the social practices and norms that govern the human body. The eponymous work Body Politics 3 by Ghanaian-born Amoako Boafo (b. 1984) explores perspectives and raises questions about the role of ethnicity, identity, and masculinity within society. One of the leading figures in international contemporary art, Boafo has gained widespread recognition for his distinctive finger-painting technique.

Perspectives on the bodily experience

The exhibition explores the bodily experience from various perspectives, including that of identity, which is understood as a constantly evolving process. Central themes include experiences spanning childhood to adulthood, social expectations, and body ideals shaped by digital culture. The featured artists also explore humanity and its diversity, including sexuality, illness, and ultimately, death.

The mundane, playful, and absurd self-portraits of internationally acclaimed Finnish photographic artists Elina Brotherus (b. 1972), Emma Sarpaniemi (b. 1993), and Iiu Susiraja (b. 1975) reflect personal explorations of the body, with a particular focus on ideals and traditions associated with the feminine body.

Portrayals of sexuality and eroticism form an inseparable part of human sensuality. The exhibition features works depicting pleasure, transformation, and the challenging of norms by pioneers of queer art  like Tom of Finland (Touko Laaksonen, 1920–1991) and Jürgen Klauke (b. 1943), as well as by emerging younger artists, including Alexander Basil (b. 1997), Karim Boumjimar (b. 1998), and Brett Charles Seiler (b. 1994).

Part of an international exhibition series

The exhibition presents around 120 works from a collection of more than 1,500 pieces. The exhibition at Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art is part of an international series that has toured Düsseldorf and Potsdam in Germany, as well as Kunsthalle Helsinki in Finland. The Miettinen Collection forms the foundation, but each individual exhibition is a distinct presentation.

Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art presents a selection of works by mainly contemporary Finnish and international artists exploring the bodily human experience. The exhibition features drawings, paper cuttings, ceramics, assemblages, paintings, photographs, video works, and sculptures. Alongside Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010), works by artists born in the late 1990s are also included. The exhibition also includes recent acquisitions, such as Daniel Correa Mejía’s Tiempo Punzante (2024).

A collector’s collection

Timo Miettinen (b. 1955) has built his career leading the family business. Miettinen, whose family own the international technology company Ensto, is a second-generation art collector who was exposed to art from an early age and is now increasingly dedicating his time to his art collection. He lives in Berlin, which is also home to Salon Dahlmann, a cultural hub focused on promoting Finnish art internationally. Since 2004, the collection has expanded to include contemporary art. The exhibition continues the tradition of art collections in Vaasa, a city renowned for its strong tradition of art collecting.

The exhibition is curated by Head of Exhibitions Maaria Salo as well as the Curators Noora Lehtovuori and Janna Sirén.

Timo Miettinen will discuss the origins of his collection and the exhibition on a Collector’s Tour starting at 12.00 on Saturday 24 January. The tour is included in the museum’s admission fee and is primarily conducted in Finnish, though questions can also be asked in Swedish, English, and German.