Dialogue – Elina Brotherus and Hannele Rantala

The exhibition is based on the long friendship between the photographic artists Elina Brotherus (b. 1972) and Hannele Rantala (b. 1952) and their discussions about art. The works were created in part as direct responses to assignments and messages exchanged between the two artists, both interpreting them in her own way. The assignments are set in the spirit of Fluxus and poetry.

  • 10.2.–27.3.2022
3rd floor
Tickets: with a museum ticket
Two photographs: on the left a woman is standing in a forest with a lampshade in her head. On the right woman is sitting on a chair behind a thin fabric, looking at the camera.
Elina Brotherus: Artist as a Lamp (2019). Private collection. | Hannele Rantala: A Woman Behind a Thin Fabric (2021). Private collection.

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Guided tours
Artworks at the exhibition

Inspired by correspondence between the artists

The body of works on show continues the dialogue between the artists, which was first presented in the form of an exhibition at the Photographic Gallery Hippolyte in 2009. Comprising some 90 works, the current show in the Ateneum features also video works and installations along with photographs. The exhibition is curated by the director of the Ateneum Art Museum, Marja Sakari, and the chief curator, Sointu Fritze, along with the two artists.

Along with the works by Brotherus and Rantala, the exhibition also pays tribute to early Finnish women photographers who have largely been neglected. Brotherus and Rantala selected inspirational images from the archives of the Finnish Museum of Photography and the Society of Swedish Literature in Finland to engage in dialogue with their departed colleagues by creating companion pieces to them. Working in the early 20th century, these photographers include Emmi Fock, Kuvasiskot (Eila Marjala and Margit Ekman), Nancy Pietinen, Hilja Raviniemi, and Petra Tiirikkala, and, above all, the modern woman of Nordic poetry, Edith Södergran.

The exhibition ties naturally with The Modern Woman exhibition. While containing a wealth of references to art history and literature, the works on show are also intimately linked to the personal and shared experiences of the artists. In the works on show, women occupy the dual roles of creators and objects of the gaze.

In cooperation with: the Finnish Museum of Photography

Exhibited at the same time

Gallery texts

You can read the texts of the exhibition at your own pace with your device. Texts can also be listened with a screen reader.

Start reading

A guided tour for your group


Enquiries and bookings: 
sales@fng.fi  or by phone at +358 294 500 500 from 10:00–14:00 Monday to Friday. 

Guided tour: The Modern Woman and Dialogue

What opportunities have women had to build careers as artists in Finland? What about femininity and artistry today – how do they fit together? Join us to delve into these issues in a joint guided tour of the exhibitions.

The Modern Woman looks at the role and status of Finnish women artists in the decades of 20th century modernism. Dialogue is based on the long friendship between the photographic artists Elina Brotherus (b. 1972) and Hannele Rantala (b. 1952), and their discussions about art.

The themes of both exhibitions are entwined with a discussion of gender equality and women’s opportunities to make choices.

Tour languages: Finnish, Swedish, English and Russian
Price: €95 + admission fees, school groups €70.
Group size: 1-20 persons, school groups max. 25 persons
Duration: ca. 1 h

Virtual guided tour: Dialogue – Elina Brotherus and Hannele Rantala

The exhibition is based on the long friendship between the photographic artists Elina Brotherus (b. 1972) and Hannele Rantala (b. 1952), and the discussions between the two friends about art. The works are based on the assignments and messages exchanged between the two artists that each interpreted in their own way. The assignments have been set in the spirit of Fluxus and poetry. Read more about the exhibition

Rather than touring the exhibition halls, the guide presents themes and works through a slide show. At the end of the lecture, there is an opportunity to ask questions.

The guidance is led via the Teams platform. You can participate as a group or from your own terminals via the link we provide.

The Teams application must be downloaded if mobile devices are used. The guidance can also be accessed via a web browser on a computer. When using a browser, we recommend updating to the latest version of Chrome or Edge. When participating in a virtual guided tour, the network speed should be at least 10 Mbit/s or a 4G connection. The virtual guided tour may not be recorded.

Tour languages: Finnish and English
Price: €95 / 20 persons, schools €70
Group size: Max. 150 persons
Duration: 45 min

Artworks at the exhibition

Assignment: Select pictures by forgotten women photographers and create parallel works.
– Elina & Hannele

  • Two woman in a pink-coloured museum gallery with old portraits.
  • Two women are standing and staring at a cupboard.

Assignment: Select pictures by forgotten women photographers and create parallel works.
– Elina & Hannele

  • A woman standing outside behind a window.
  • A woman behind a thin fabric staring at the camera.
  • A nude woman is standing behind a thin curtain.

Assignment:
Dear friend,
find the water’s edge,
and listen to its sound.
– Hannele

  • A house with a swimming pool, a woman standing naked in the pool
  • A glass of water on a wooden table.

Assignment: Select pictures by forgotten women photographers and create parallel works.
– Elina & Hannele

  • Two photos of a woman: with a band covering her eyes and with a band covering her mouth.
  • A nude woman with her hands tied on her back.
  • Black background, a hand is hanging from a cord.

Assignment: Select pictures by forgotten women photographers and create parallel works.
– Elina & Hannele

  • Woman stares at the camera wearing a shirt with text "genital panik".
  • A naked man lies on a sofa.
  • A naked woman is staring at the camera smoking a cigarette.