Optical Dreams by the Water

What does water symbolise, and what roles does it play? A wide range of contemporary art forms is on display, from painting and printmaking to installations and participatory works.

The exhibition is built around water as a visual and conceptual phenomenon: reflections, movement and layering. The works explore the relationship between humans and nature, environmental change and cultural memory. The exhibition invites viewers to reflect on their own place in time and in their environment. A key point of reference is the River Kymijoki, whose cultural and historical significance in shaping industry, living environments and regional identity runs throughout the exhibition.

A central thread running through the exhibition is change over time, in people, in history and in materials. At the same time, the exhibition raises questions about place and ecological choices. The Optical Dreams by the Water exhibition invites viewers to dream and pause by the water. It offers a space where the past, present and future are reflected in one another through water.

Artists featured in the Kymenlaakso Museum’s exhibition: Aleksandra Kulonen, Daria Savolainen, Alexey Kovzun, Ninni Karjalainen, Sini Kunnas, Igor Baranov, Ira Derviz and Irina Rebnitskaya.