The contemporary art of the Fenno-Ugrians has arrived in Finland – at last. The thriving art of the linguistic relatives of the Finns is now launching a new artistic dialogue, with a refreshingly different perspective alongside the Western tradition of art, delving deeper into mythical roots of the Finnish – and Fenno-Ugrian experience. The first of its kind, this exhibition assembles the contemporary trends and schools of Fenno-Ugrian art while outlining the similarities – and differences – of the Fenno-Ugrian worldview. The main focus is the relationship of man and nature, the wisdom of millennia-old cultures, and their conception of the natural order and man’s role in it.

UGRICULTURE is a continuation of the Gallen-Kallela Museum’s 1999 summer exhibition Long Live the Kalevala, which already suggested the possibility of an expedition to a new artistic identity less dependent on the art centres of the modern world. The series of exhibitions will be continued in 2001, when the museum will feature the inhabitants of the coasts of the Arctic Ocean and their art.

The Fenno-Ugrian theme is also present in broader scope as part of the Helsinki European Cultural City 2000 programme. In December 2000 UGRICULTURE will be matched by the URALKULT festival, presenting not only the visual arts but also the contemporary theatre and music of the Fenno-Ugrian peoples.

THE BOOK UGRICULTURE 2000 will be published in connection with the exhibition.

Helsinki is a European Cultural City of the year 2000. The present exhibition is part of the official programme of the cultural-city year.