Heikki Marila at the Culture Centrum Sofia

Heikki Marila: The Burning Bush

Culture Centrum Sofia, Helsinki

April 13–September 1, 2024

Does the word describe, or does the picture tell? And what happens when they meet? The starting point of Heikki Marila's works are either existing historical works of art or, for example, familiar words and phrases from Bible stories, which he combines with his expressively realized paintings.

The dark Die Apokalypse nach Dürer series of lithographs (2013–2014) are interpretations of part of Albrecht Dürer's series of 15 woodcuts, whose publication in 1498 put him at the forefront of the graphic artists of his time. While Marila still feels that Dürer's works are very current, blurring the subjects shifts the focus from the abundance of details to the strong emotional experience conveyed by the composition.

The paintings on display were created based on the words and short sentences used as their names. So, in the beginning, there was a word that, when faced with fast and almost abstract brushstrokes, opened the image to interpretations and even deeper cultural meanings.

Curated by Timo Valjakka

Cultural Center Sofia

Kallvikinniementie 35A, 00980 Helsinki

www.sofia.fi

Open Mon–Fri 10am–3pm, Sat–Sun 10am–6pm

The exhibition is done in cooperation with Galerie Forsblom.