sacred places / Ola Kolehmainen

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Ola Kolehmainen

Sacred Places 2019/2020
Installation View
Mirko Mayer Gallery

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Ola Kolehmainen

Sacred Places 2019/2020
Installation View
Mirko Mayer Gallery

sacred-places_2019_Kolehmaien_Ola_Capella-Scrovegni_03
Ola Kolehmainen

Capella Scrovegni, 2017
180 x 260 cm
archival matt inkjet print

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Ola Kolehmainen

San Miniato al Monte, 2017
160 x 456 cm
archival inkjet-print

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Ola Kolehmainen

Spanish Synagogue, 2017
219 x 190 cm
c-type print

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gallery artists
invited artists

sacred places / november 2019 - february 2020

For over a decade Kolehmainen has been dedicated to capturing the details of architecture.
His earlier minimalist works, neither documentary nor conceptual, convey equally his adoration and neutrality towards the wonders, and even flaws, of the modernist pursuit.

His source of reference has recently shifted to historical and sacred spaces. We are taken on a unique journey, the artist’s journey—three Abrahamic religions in 15 European cities, 30 destinations, of over 50 historical monuments, spanning 1500 years. It is (his)story.

Inspiration for the series began in 2013. In the spirit of renaissance emperors and patrons, he was commissioned by a collector in Turkey to produce a series of works on the mosques of Mimar Sinan, the great Ottoman architect of the 16th century. His exploration of Islamic architecture and mosques motivated further works portraying Christian and Jewish architecture, including synagogues, churches and cathedrals across Europe.

Claire Gould, Curator at HAM Helsinki Art Museum
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November 29, 2019