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Toivonoja Summer Exhibition 2026

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.

TOIVONOJA SUMMER EXHIBITION 2026
ANNA RETULAINEN - TOO MUCH YELLOW
6 June – 9 August

The third Toivonoja Summer presents Liikaa keltaista (Too Much Yellow), a solo exhibition of new paintings by Anna Retulainen.

Retulainen has created the works specifically for the Toivonoja landscape and gallery space. The view beyond the windows reappears in the paintings, which—when positioned just right—open up new dimensions in the walls and extend the space imaginatively beyond its physical limits.

The exhibition consists of four groups of paintings that guide the viewer through branches and foliage toward open landscapes. The works alternate between untamed natural forms and luminous, more orderly growing non-native species. Retulainen’s expression shifts from richly layered and abundant to open and translucent.

The varied forms and materials of the paintings make the act of painting itself present. At times almost three-dimensional, the works create a strong physical presence in the space and invite the viewer to linger. There is no rush here—the paintings encourage slow looking.

The title Too Much Yellow offers one way of approaching the works. Do you see too much yellow? Can there ever be too much of a color—and what about outside the window?

The exhibition is curated by Inna Schwanck, produced by Liisa Ollila, and communications is led by Helena Fernström.

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.