Finland

Director of Helsinki Museum Says ‘Väinämöinen’ will not fall victim to #MeToo movement……..


 

It’s art…

 

“It is about the history of our art and Kalevala stories. But it can also help people deal with the painful subject of harassment, “says Pettersson with the Ateneum position.
The director of the museum also recalls that there is no right or wrong kind of art, there’s only art.

Demands for Ateneum to remove painting in which Vainamoinen “rudely harasses” Aino – museum director not giving in

 

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THE SAME DISCUSSION has now also arrived to Finland. Among others, Ateneum’s museum director Susanna Pettersson has taken a stance on her own blog about a topic that is accelerating the art world.

 

Pettersson hopes for the sense of relativity and history of the art of visual arts. As such, the campaign is legitimate according to Pettersson, but she believes that the issues raised in connection with the Me Too campaign can not be applied to old works. They are the products of their time, reminds Pettersson.

 

This means that at least Ateneum will not start on the path of censorship.

 

For example, Aino-taru painted by Akseli Gallen-Kallela from 1891 can be found on the wall of the Ateneum, although the museum has been constantly questioning the ethicality of the work over the years. The questioners have wondered if Ateneum was not ashamed in displaying the work in which old Väinämöinen harshly harasses the naked young Aino.

 

HS

2 Responses

  1. Spotted this in A late night blog crawl…as a longtime lover of the Kalevala I am grateful and relieved.

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