Coatings World - May 2011

Tikkurila colors evoke inspiration
at the Kiasma ARS 11 exhibition

Tikkurila recently collaborated with the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma for the ARS 11 exhibition, which opened to the public on April 15, 2011 in Helsinki. The wall painting, Time Curve, created by the world-renowned artist Odili Donald Odita covers approximately 100 square meters of the Panorama space of Kiasma. This colorful work of art was painted with Tikkurila products and is also visible to those passing on the street outside.

In addition to white, 68 customized shades of Tikkurila’s Harmony Interior Wall Paint were used for the installation. The color choice was affected by the April light in Helsinki together with the color of snow on the Swiss Alps. In his work Odita is known for the use of very rich and full colors, and their formulation in some cases required the maximum addition of tinting colorants to the paint, according to Tikkurila.

Odita first visited Kiasma in the spring of 2010 to get a feeling for the space and see how the light changes in the course of the day. He said he hopes that visitors will be able to experience something new when seeing his installation. “In the end, each viewer decides how to take in the created space, but I hope I can make it interesting enough to make them see themselves and their surroundings in a new and different light,” said the artist.

The ARS 11 exhibition celebrates the 50-year history of the most important exhibition institution in Finland. Organized since 1961, the ARS exhibitions have played a crucial role in shaping ideas about art and giving a face to contemporary art in Finland.

The premise of the ARS 11 exhibition is Africa in contemporary art. Tikkurila has cooperated with Kiasma since 1998.

The company said its goal is to change perceptions of painting and hopes that Odita’s work will inspire people to experiment boldly with new colors and color combinations. “We are proud of, and also humbled by, the opportunity to work in cooperation with a famous artist such as Odili Odita. It was a challenging process, but the end result is outstanding. It is great to see Tikkurila colors shine in an artistic context,” said Riitta Eskeli-nen, brand manager at Tikkurila. CW

World-renowned artist Odili Donald Odita used Tikkurila paint for the ARS 11 exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma in Helsinki, Finland. Sixty-eight customized shades of Tikkurila's Harmony Interior Wall Paint were used for the installation.