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The barn, completed in 1919, has been restored to serve as an exhibition space that enhances the traditional cultural landscape of Toivonoja by the shore of Lake Sylvöjärvi. The barn has played a central role in the over 200-year history of the Toivonoja manor. Especially during the 19th and 20th centuries, agriculture, horse and cattle farming were the manor’s main livelihoods alongside forestry. The large barn reflects the history of the Finnish countryside and is part of Toivonoja’s built cultural environment and landscape. For this reason, it was decided that the barn would be restored and renovated. The Toivonoja Summer Exhibition 2024 marked the beginning of a new era in the barn’s use.
In 2025, a second summer exhibition will be held in the barn. The Toivonoja Summer Exhibition will be open from June 14 to August 17, 2025, Friday to Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm, and by appointment. All artworks in the exhibition are available for purchase.
Toivonoja Summer Exhibition 2025
TOIVONOJA SUMMER EXHIBITION 2025
IN THESE MOMENTS
14 June – 17 August
brings together visual art and design, celebrating the vibrant colors and atmosphere of summer.
The works in the exhibition In These Moments draw attention to the subtle details and observations of everyday life, surprising with their perceptiveness. Ordinary objects, spaces, and moments hold within them life’s deepest questions and meanings. Amid the chaos of daily life, the most beautiful and delicate moments emerge.
We aim to create an open and curious dialogue between the visual languages of design and visual art.
The pieces of design and visual art engage in a playful conversation through shapes and colors, while each maintains a strong and distinct identity. The exhibition as a whole also highlights the significance of creative work.
Participating artists and designers include Henna Aho, Roy Aurinko, Eeva-Leena Eklund, Paula Kasu, Hanna-Kaisa Korolainen, Emma Luukkala, Santeri Mortti, Kim Somervuori, as well as Piia Jalkanen and Päivi Keski-Pomppu.
The exhibition is curated by Inna Schwanck and Helena Fernström, with production by Liisa Ollila.
Toivonoja Summer Exhibition 2024
TOIVONOJA SUMMER EXHIBITION 2024
NEW ENCOUNTERS
15 June – 18 August
The 2024 summer exhibition brought together seven contemporary artists working with diverse materials.
New Encounters drew inspiration from the unique and carefully restored barn space, as well as the surrounding traditional landscape in transition and the nearby resting forests. The selected artists — both emerging and established — explored space and materiality in their own distinctive ways. The exhibition offered a setting for dialogue between the works themselves, as well as for interaction between the viewer and the artworks.
Participating artists were Eeva-Riitta Eerola, Kaisaleena Halinen, Aleksi Martikainen, Päivi Takala, Emilia Tanner, Niina Tervo, and Miina Äkkijyrkkä.
The exhibition was curated by Inna Schwanck, produced by Liisa Ollila, and communications were led by Helena Fernström.
Vesijärvi Foundation
The Vesijärvi Foundation works for the wellbeing of our local waters in the Lahti region.
The Päijät-Häme Vesijärvi Foundation promotes the maintenance, monitoring, research, and communication related to the lakes and rivers in the Lahti area.
The foundation operates with both private and public funding to support Lake Vesijärvi as well as other lakes in Lahti, Hollola, and Asikkala. By subscribing to the foundation’s newsletter, published 8–10 times a year, you can stay up to date on how this work is carried out in practice.
Support the foundation’s mission by becoming a Vesijärvi Guardian. Learn more about the Vesijärvi Foundation’s work at www.vesijarvi.fi.