The pleasures we choose

The Pavilion of Finland at the 60th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia presents The pleasures we choose, a collaborative endeavour by artists Pia Lindman, Vidha Saumya and Jenni-Juulia Wallinheimo-Heimonen, alongside curators Yvonne Billimore and Jussi Koitela and architectural designer Kaisa Sööt. This multifaceted project, commissioned and produced by Frame Contemporary Art Finland, challenges conventional boundaries between art, architecture and social discourse, creating a collective space where visitors are invited to reassess societal expectations. Through the interplay of diverse mediums and perspectives, the exhibition navigates themes of co-existence, collective futurities and the celebration of personal pleasure as a catalyst for societal transformation. Join us as we talk to Pia Lindman, Vidha Saumya and Jenni-Juulia Wallinheimo-Heimonen about how this unique collaboration came to be. 

hube: How does the collaborative effort between artists, curators, and the exhibition designer contribute to the overarching theme of reimagining societal expectations within The pleasures we choose exhibition?  

Pia Lindman: By reworking our relationships with one another and dismantling hierarchical expectations and paradigms of professionalism, our collaborative effort itself is a reimagining, building a different world as we create the exhibition. It requires listening, acknowledging one another, and patience. You come to have faith in the process and in the energy of others. By coming together in this way creates a temporary collectivity within which you grow into a common insight into what we want to convey with this exhibition, and how. This is a distinctly different starting point and outcome than if we simply dictated each of our own messages and displayed our separate artworks. 

Vidha Saumya: Pleasure is fundamental to one’s constitution and is a guiding principle that guides us in recognising political, intellectual, and ethical dedications. As a team, our shared journey was acknowledged as pleasure, creating the space to delve deeper, question norms, and provoke thought.  

Our collaborative efforts sought to engage with the intricate relationship between human presence and the environment within the inseparability of art and life framework conceptualised by curators Yvonne Billimore and Jussi Koitela. By embracing a multidisciplinary approach and drawing upon diverse perspectives, our collaboration facilitated a nuanced exploration of societal expectations. Our collective efforts disrupted traditional narratives, inviting viewers to reconsider their preconceived notions and imagine alternative futures. In doing so, we contributed to the ongoing dialogue surrounding societal expectations, pushing boundaries and opening new avenues for exploration and interpretation within the exhibition space. 

Jenni-Juulia Wallinheimo-Heimonen: In the Finnish Pavilion, we avoid social expectations regarding the audience. We’ve created a space where no one has to strive to be a “credible” guest. For example, people with visual impairments are often forgotten visitors to visual arts. In the design of the exhibition, our goal was to talk about hospitality that brings pleasure to everyone. We have a railing from which anyone can take mental or physical support. We offer an opportunity to sit down for those who find walking around the biennale physically tough. The audio description of the exhibition can also be listened to online around the world without ever travelling to Venice and our publication is open access. 

h: The Venice Biennale is renowned for its international audience and diverse cultural influences. Did this factor influence the coming of the collaboration and its results in any way?   

PL: By engendering contributions of human and material resources, as well as giving us a megaphone, the participation in the Venice Biennale has allowed for a keen focus on how the team collaborates and what results can come out of such an experiment. It is essential to resist the temptation to cater to a sense of competition for recognition. This is a very present risk in this context, since investments and expectations run high, and recognition here often ends up being marked by national representation and/or by quickly graspable, but thus shallow monumentalism.  

VS: As we embarked on working together, we recognised the opportunity to embrace the rich tapestry of perspectives and experiences the global audience would bring to their viewing pleasure. This realisation inspired us to nestle into each other’s capacities and curiosities, fostering a collaborative spirit grounded in mutual learning and exploration. 

Moreover, the awareness of presenting our work to a larger and more diverse audience compelled us to consider how our ideas would translate and resonate within the specific context of the Biennale. This challenge encouraged us to step outside our comfort zones and push the boundaries of our creative practice. We found ourselves navigating the delicate balance between conceptual depth and accessibility, honing our ability to think simultaneously about the overarching vision and the intricate details of our work. 

JJWH:  Our working group is diverse and international, just like the audience. In my installation How great is your darkness, I take the internationality of the viewers into account by ‘talking’ about hate speech towards people with disabilities in social and health care without words and sound. By using international body language in the humorous film, I avoid concentrating on semantics – who said what and what was their intention – and instead show hate speech as a conscious act. 

h: The importance of drawing attention to co-existence and collective futurities is undeniably present within the theme of the collaboration. How are these concepts manifested throughout the exhibition space and the artworks displayed?  

PL: Each of the artists in this exhibition has created and realised their own visions. The energy we share as a swarm is something you experience in the intertwined wholesomeness and diversity of the space. It is the air you feel and breathe, it is in the light, and in and between the words, objects, railings, and screens. And just like the artists carry their own intentions and intellect, as part of the common energy, so does the audience. Collectivity, to exercise it as a swarm is to release control, play, and recompose life. 

VS: The concepts of co-existence and collective futurities guide both the form and content of our collaborative endeavour. Within the exhibition space, these concepts manifest as an organising strategy to foster resistance and repair in response to the challenges confronting our collective environs. Each artwork becomes a site of engagement where viewers are invited to contemplate the interconnectedness of human experiences and the potential for collective transformation.  

The displayed artworks offer glimpses into alternative futures rooted in notions of coexistence and collective agency through diverse mediums and techniques. Whether through visual narratives exploring the complexities of identity and belonging or immersive installations that evoke shared memories and aspirations, the exhibition space becomes a dynamic terrain for dialogue and reflection on our interconnected destinies. 

Moreover, the thematic coherence of the exhibition is reinforced by the collaborative efforts of artists, curators, and exhibition designers, who work in concert to create a cohesive narrative that underscores the importance of solidarity and mutual care. This collaborative ethos extends beyond the confines of individual artworks, permeating the atmosphere of the exhibition space and inviting visitors to participate in a collective imagining of futures built upon principles of inclusivity and shared stewardship. 

JJWH: One solution that describes coexistence is the changing background colour of the walls. Our works are framed by Scheele’s green, delicate rose purple and creamy nougat peach areas that intertwine with each other in a soft embrace. The handrail also ties the works together like a silk ribbon on a package. 

h: Venice is a city steeped in history and architectural splendour. How did you navigate the challenge of integrating contemporary art and ‘access architecture’ into a traditional setting like the Aalto Pavilion, while still honouring its historical significance?  

PL: I think of access as making space socially, emotionally, and physically inclusive. It is about creating a space where the objects – artworks and architectural elements alike – invite a cohabitation with them. At the Aalto Pavilion, it is about reworking the imposing modernist architecture into something more embracing, embodied and breathing – with a living energy. 

VS: We started by blending perspectives by collaborating with architects, artists, and heritage experts to ensure a respectful integration of contemporary elements while honouring their historical significance. 

JJWH: The question falls into the common ableist misconception that ‘access architecture’ is difficult and that people with disabilities disparage architectural heritage. On the contrary, accessibility improves everyone’s chances of coping with change. It is a toolkit and a mindset that increases our ability to be flexible. For example, most of the houses in Venice, which are still almost in their original condition, contain layers from different eras. Many now have electricity and plumbing. They have been equipped with toilets and washrooms to make life easier and improve health. Safety-enhancing lighting was innovated for narrow alleys. Ramps, signs in braille, induction loops and handrails are similar layers that communicate human rights developments. Solutions to inaccessible spaces will hopefully be passed on to future generations as self-evidently as fibre optic connection.  

Even making minor architectural adjustments can make a huge difference. For example, in the Aalto Pavilion, we have adjusted and lowered the stone slab in front of the door so that the threshold is now less than two centimetres. Channelling the activist spirit of Venice in our interventions – the Pavilion of Finland artists deeply respect the rebellious architecture of Venice as a thriving city built on water. For example, as a fellow activist, I enjoy watching how the city is constantly adapting to the needs of its people, watching on as crowds now squeeze onto the ramps to cross the ancient stairs more easily. 

h: How do the supporters of the exhibition, including governmental and cultural foundations, contribute to the broader impact and reach of The pleasures we choose both locally and internationally?  

PL: The main support comes in the form of materials and resources. Frame Contemporary Art also provides excellent production and communications staff. 

VS: The collaborative efforts of artists, curators, and exhibition designers can be achievable in this capacity only with the significant support of the ministry and cultural organisations. They support it because they see it as their responsibility. 

Moreover, investing in initiatives that promote social engagement and artistic expression can create new registers and spaces for critical reflection and dialogue. By leveraging their resources and networks, governmental and cultural foundations create a more inclusive and interconnected cultural landscape where diverse voices and perspectives are celebrated and valued. 

JJWH: Governments and foundations who support the art of minorities, such as artists with disabilities, have a significant impact on who is able to enjoy art, as the audience looks for images and stories that they can identify with. I claim that the presence of diversity in art increases the peace of society, cohesion and the feeling of the right to exist. The presence of minority artists is always easier to see than their absence both at national and international levels. I hope that in the future, governments and foundations will pay more attention also to the art education of children belonging to minorities and the accessibility of art academies so that the diversity of professional artists will increase.   

h: As the exhibition aims to reassess societal expectations, how do you envision it sparking conversations and reflections beyond the confines of the Pavilion of Finland? 

PL: Quite like a treatment that usually happens between two or a few persons, the effect of my art or my healing (the two are intertwined) often takes place in private encounters and exchanges. My sessions do not necessarily affect masses of people in one go. However, a process of healing in one person might open pathways around this person. People (and other beings) in their environment may end up rethinking and redoing their lives. Someone might start with ecological farming or beekeeping. Or to build houses free of toxins and allow for microbes to cohabit. A bacteria living in your house might no longer pick up aggressive resonances and cease to wage war by emitting toxins. To heal is to make heal. 

VS: By embracing a multidisciplinary approach incorporating poetry alongside visual art, the exhibition invites viewers to engage with its themes in accessible and inclusive ways. Just as the poet envisions their work as part of everyone’s vocabulary, the exhibition seeks to transcend barriers of language and culture, offering a commonality of languages through which to explore complex societal issues. The exhibition catalyses dialogue and reflection, transcending geographical and cultural boundaries to inspire meaningful conversations about societal expectations that shape our lives.  

JJWH:  My goal is very high. I hope to raise a discussion and change the attitudes towards the social model of disability in health care and in the educational level. I wish that the gatekeepers of our services would start to see disabled people as an important part of the community and no longer as biological mutants. The worst that can happen is that the topic will be silenced by those who apologise for the bad experiences of individuals, rather than the issue being recognised as deeply rooted and structural.