Alumni Elina Brotherus on exhibition in Paris

Photo artist Elina Brotherus (b. 1972) graduated from the School of Art and Design in 2000. She is the first Finnish photographic artist to exhibit in the Gallery of Photography at the Pompidou Centre, the most famous contemporary art museum in in Paris. The exhibition consists of about fifty photos and sixteen video works that have never been seen before. The works were created last spring after Brotherus had won the PMU's Carte Blanche competition. The prize includes 20,000 euros, an exhibition in Centre Pompidou and a book of the exhibition.

Brotherus is known for her self-portraits and autobiographical works. She has had private and joint exhibitions in Europe, North America and Asia since 1998. She has received, among others, the Fotofinlandia Prize 2000, the Carnegie Art Award 2003, the State Prize for Photographic Art 2008 and the Pro Finlandia medal 2012.

Fluxus instructions as a base for the new works

In the recently opened exhibition, Brotherus has also renewed herself as a photographer, there is now more humor and play in the pictures. The theme of the exhibition is influenced by the fluxus instructions, that were a starting point for the new works: in the photos Brotherus relies on the instructions of the fluxus artists of the 1960’s. Fluxus was a loose association of artists whose works were based on simplicity, non-commercialism and the use of event score instructions. Score means notes and refers to a few sentences that give instructions to the work.

Brotherus has told she has been doing self-portrait for twenty years and tried all possible positions in front of the camera. With the new method, she found new dimensions for photographing. The new works Brotherus has worked together with dancer-choreographer Vera Nevanlinna. She has also used texts by poet Tuomas Timonen.

Brotherus's exhibition is on display at Pompidou Centre until October 23, 2017. After that, some of her new works will be shown at Gallery Heino in Helsinki in January and at the Kunst Haus Wien in Austria in March. In June, Brotherus opens a larger exhibition called Playground in the Serlachius Museum in Mänttä.