Saara | Saara Mesterton

Aulagalleria Vikman
16.7.-2.8.2025
Seppälän puistotie 15
Mänttä

Exhibition of Anonymous Art

The Exhibition of Anonymous Art seeks to challenge the art institution, in which the creator of a work — the “who” — is placed at the center. The starting point of the exhibition, by contrast, is to approach artworks purely through the works themselves, allowing art to speak as art.

The exhibition will take place from July 16 to August 2, 2025, in Mänttä-Vilppula, at Aulagalleria Vikman. It is part of the project Utopias of a Differently Imagined Democracy, also known as Freedom from Pomp, funded by the Kone Foundation. The curator of the exhibition is gallerist Veikko Halmetoja.

The anonymous open call attracted a large number of artists. Proposals were submitted by 354 creators, altogether involving around 1,200 works. Works by 16 artists were selected.

In the art world, “pomp” is strongly present through name-centeredness and hierarchies. In connection with the exhibition, we reflect on what kind of show emerges when only the art speaks. How do the artists and the curator themselves experience anonymity, and how does the audience react to it? The topic will be discussed in a closing seminar on August 2, 2025, when the identities of the creators of the selected works will also be revealed.

Within the project, freedom from pomp is a utopia in which the “what,” “why,” and “how” are more important than the “who.” Creativity, skills, and people take center stage. Freedom from pomp promotes equal encounters, being heard and understood, and working together. It values everyone’s expertise and dares to look boldly beyond the walls of status and hierarchy. This is also the starting point for the Exhibition of Anonymous Art.