The second edition of the Nested Realities exhibition shows works by 13 artists who in various ways bring out the surrealistic undertones in their works.

The exhibition, which began in June, is divided into two different Acts, in which time and space are turned upside down. The first edition, which took place in the light of early summer, showed darkness and existentialism, while the second, beginning in November, has lighter, more playful tones.

Like the early 1920s surrealists, here, too, mysticism, absurdism, irrationality and metamorphosis serve as key words, likewise a quest for the myth of our time. Several of the works in the exhibition emphasize the dream state and mirrorings, artworks like hidden doors to the subconscious where we seek contact with humankind’s true nature on the borderland between sleep and wakefulness. Dreams open us up to seeing and experiencing our surroundings and our own bodies in a different way. Many of the artworks in the exhibition also deal with so-called nested realities, that is, the experience of simultaneously occupying another reality: a kind of superreality. Digital communication not only gives us a shared platform for information, it extends our whole sense of being in a shared virtual sphere, a supersurrealistic stream of images that we encounter constantly in our everyday lives.

The exhibition showcases newly produced artworks, including an installation by Markus Kåhre and a relief by the Swedish artist Hilda Hellström. There are also works from Pro Artibus’ own collection, along with loans from museums and private collections. For example, Anna Estarriola and Emma Ainala’s works conduct their own dialogue in the first and second Act. Maija Albrecht’s installation of prints and assemblages and Kaisaleena Halinen’s installations, too, are altered in the light of the themes of the two Acts.

Camilla Granbacka
Curator