Celebrating Lars-Gunnar Nordström: A Centenary Exhibition at Fokus Gallery
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Loading... - Isis Jamal
- 17 Oct 2024
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In August 2024, the Fokus Gallery celebrated the centenary of Lars-Gunnar "Nubben" Nordström (1924–2014), a pioneering figure in Finnish concrete art. Known for his multidisciplinary approach, Nubben was self-taught as an artist but trained as an interior architect. His work spans paintings, sculptures, and graphic art, with notable pieces created in the 1940s and 1950s, a time when Finland's art scene was transitioning into post-war modernism.
The exhibition, organized by the Ateneum Art Museum as part of the Nubben 100 anniversary, features around twenty works from the Finnish National Gallery's collection. The pieces include serigraphs, such as Composition in blue and Vihreä taistelu (1952), as well as sculptures like Tandem and Twist, which reflect the influence of Alexander Calder. Nubben’s sculptures, especially from the mid-1950s, were noted for their use of scrap metal, pushing the boundaries of Finnish sculpture with dynamic forms.
The exhibit highlights Nubben’s relationship with jazz, particularly with his woodcut Blue moment (1948–1949), and his approach to creating art, which he likened to composing music. He described his work as “music to the eye,” with compositions based on the mechanics of color, rhythm, and form.
Curated by Sointu Fritze, chief curator at the Ateneum, this exhibition is part of a larger celebration of Nordström's contributions to modern Finnish art and his international outlook, which played a crucial role in the reception of concrete art in Finland. The Fokus Gallery, located on the second floor of the Ateneum, presents focused displays on artists or themes from its collection, offering a deeper look into key figures like Nordström.
This exhibition also contextualizes the challenges and debates in Finland's art world during the 1950s, when new abstract styles were emerging and not always well understood by critics or the public.
