HELSINKI.- The Kunsthalle Helsinki summer exhibition presents contemporary spiritual folk art created by self-taught Finnish and European artists. The diverse collection consists of around 200 works by nearly 50 artists. Besides the sculptures, paintings and collages by Finnish ITE artists, there are European sacred images from Maija and Volker Dallmeier's collection, folk icons from the collections of the Orthodox Church Museum of Finland, the Valamo Foundation and private collections, as well as photographs documenting popular beliefs. The ITE in spirit exhibition is produced in collaboration between Kunsthalle Helsinki and the Union for Rural Culture and Education. The upcoming exhibition literally opens your eyes to the afterworld.

European and Finnish popular spirituality leans mainly on Christianity, whose iconography - devils, angels, sacred images, Biblical stories, depictions of Paradise and the Passion Play - the works at the exhibition interpret in their original manner, not forgetting humorous aspects. The icon tradition and iconography of death, priests and churchgoers are displayed in popular interpretations, including some glimpses of the impact of Extra-European religions and representations of natural religions, such as holy trees and tree-spirits. The scenographer Ralf Forsström has created the impressive architecture of the exhibition guiding the visitor through the Holy Grove, Via Dolorosa, Hell and Paradise.

A common feature of all these artists is that they are self-taught. Most of the works date from the 20th and 21st centuries, but the folk icons and wooden Poor-Old-Man figures, created by unknown artists in the 19th century, open a view to earlier popular spirituality. The Finnish contemporary artists are the ITE artists Viljo Gustafsson, Martti Hömppi, Enni Id, Marko Jääskeläinen, Sirkka Keränen, Petteri Kinnunen, Urpo Koskela, Matti Lepistö, Petri Martikainen, Väinö Oja, Pekka Pitkänen, Johannes Setälä, Pentti Sipola and Jussi Tukiainen. The expression 'ITE art' contains the abbreviation of the Finnish words 'itse tehty elämä' (self-created life) which refers to the artists' visual expression. Contemporary artists use different techniques in an utterly creative manner, and it is these techniques this exhibition wants to put on display as widely as possible. Ritva Kovalainen, Sanni Seppo and Juha Suonpää display their photographs, and Erkki Pirtola shows a video of the late Elis Sinistö: the photographs and films of professional artists build a bridge to ITE art. The international part of the exhibition consists mainly of Maija and Volker Dallmeier's collection of naïve and outsider art. Foreign artists participating in the exhibition are Walenty Adamczyk, Isydor Błaszczak, Ilija Bosilj, Erich Bödeker, Władysaw Chajek, Katarzyna Gawłowa, Heródek, Stanisław Hołda, Asta Isak, Jan Madej, Ignacy Majerek, Jan Malik, Stanisław Mika, Szczepan Mucha, Nikifor, Jósef Orlecki, Wojciech Oleksy, Ewa, Pogwizd, Jósef Piłat, Mieczyslaw Piwko, Ioana Popescu, Max Raffler, Natalia Scmidtová, Michal Skorut, Józef Sobota, Ondrej Šteberl and Adam Zegadło.

An exhibition book, published by Maahenki Oy and edited by Seppo Knuuttila, Professor of Folklore Studies, will be available during the exhibition. The authors of the articles in the book are Veikko Anttonen, Professor of Theology; Bishop Arseni; Volker Dallmeier, doctor, collector of naïve art; Vuokko Keto, journalist; Teuvo Laitila, Associate Professor of Theology; and Erkki Pirtola, visual artist. Price 30 €. Graphical Design by Ritva Kovalainen and Riikka Löytökorpi.

The work group that assembled the exhibition includes Liisa Heikkilä-Palo, Maija Koskinen and Bishop Arseni. The main sponsors of the exhibition are Kotimaa and ILO.