Art House Turku is a cultural oasis in the middle of Old Town 

After a long winter, the courtyard of the Art House Turku has awakened to summer, and the atmospheric courtyard is once again filled with talk, things to see and experience. The familiar yellow Parkly modules from last summer have found their place and invite you to sit and linger, the stage is already in place, ready for the joyful moments of summer. 

Minna McArdle

Designer Päivi Raivio says that “the development of the courtyard of the Art House started by collecting the wishes and ideas of the house’s operators. The aim is to ensure that the content, actors and activities of the Art House are also visible in the surrounding public space and that the site has a strong identity. Based on these considerations, the Art House has been enhanced with seating, greenery and pollinator-friendly plants and activities, such as rotating art. The development will be carried out in phases, allowing the implementation to be adapted as necessary. 

The courtyard is now a shared living space for all citizens and opens up as a recognizable place from different directions. It will attract citizens and they will be able to find new corners in the Old Town area, and of course to Art House Turku and the surrounding services and events. The Art House Turku and its courtyard environment is therefore a unique part of Turku – open to all, diverse and transformative!”

This summer, the Art House area will be filled with even more varied program content. “There will be a wealth of events, diversity and the joy of encounters,” promises Jere Pensikkala, the CEO of Art House Turku.

The main exhibition of the summer, Dressed for Dinner, delves into the rights of production animals, Turku city´s intermediate space model for culture enables punch needle art and workshops and a glimpse into the world of ceramics and a small record labels pop-up shop, there will be a revue theater on the courtyard stage and a variety of musical rhythms. The courtyard events season kicks off at the end of May, when the first-ever School’s Out event for young adults fills the courtyard.

Dressed for Dinner, the main exhibition of the summer, is an international pop art exhibition where works by visual artist Antti Eklund and Estonian jewellery artist Sigrid Kuusk bring up for discussion an important theme; our relationship with food and farm animals.  Alongside the main exhibition, the permanent Critical Gallery and Gallery ASKI will also be open throughout the summer.  

“The exhibitions can be experienced in an extraordinary way, as this summer art, culture and food will be brought together, and dinner parties will be organized for groups in the middle of the exhibition. Also during the joined exhibition of the artists at Art House Turku the Overflow III exhibition will feature a concert by Turku Music Festival on 11 August.” says Anna-Maija Vaimala, producer of Art House Turku.

In the summer, the courtyard will also experience something new when Laugh my Turku produces a summer revue theater Päin Brinkkalaa to bring happiness to the evenings in the Old Town. Sounds of South and Punk ja Yäk!, which were held for the first time last summer and were very popular, will also continue this summer. ILMIÖ will take place on 19-20 July.

More detailed and up-to-date event information can be found from our Event-page.

More information:
Anna-Maija Vaimala, +358 44 353 3920, anna-maija.vaimala@taiteentalo.fi
Jere Pensikkala, +358 44 907 5876, jere.pensikkala@taiteentalo.fi