Pleasure, opening at Serlachius Museum Gösta, presents three contemporary artists: new works of Jukka Korkeila, Elina Merenmies and Anna Retulainen interact with works selected from the Serlachius collection. The exhibition also presents works of the Golden Age as well as items of old European art that, following conservation, are being shown for the first time after a long absence.

The artists intuitively selected the works from the Fine Arts Foundation's collection. Alongside them they created new works that approach the theme of pleasure from different perspectives. For the artist, the painting process itself can be more pleasurable than the finished work, as can immersing oneself in the task and the knowledge that the composition is advancing as intended.

The exhibition is curated by Serlachius Museums’ Head Curator Laura Kuurne, who likes to combine old and contemporary art in exhibitions. In this way, it is possible for the viewer to discover and recognise the connections between the past and, through a picture, to position themselves in the continuum of history.

“In this way, the theme of the exhibition expands to include, beside an unhurried painting, one’s existence, presence and interaction with a work. In addition to creating art, viewing it can also bring pleasure,” says Kuurne.

The works of the three contemporary artists are juxtaposed in the exhibition with Serlachius Museums’ old European art works, whose subjects refer to worldly pleasures. Many of the works stimulate sensory experiences, so the theme of the exhibition can also be approached from this direction.