Alexander Reichstein: An unknown family album
Explore Alexander Reichstein’s immersive installation on the fourth floor of the city museum. Admission to the exhibition is free.
The installation An unknown family album derives from artist Alexander Reichstein’s interest in history and the fates of past generations. The artist reflects on the fragility of human life, and how quickly previous generations fade into oblivion. Every one of us has sometimes leafed through an old photograph album. When we look at old photographs, we travel back in time, wishing to see beyond what is pictured on the photographic paper. This is obviously a futile attempt: the people in the photographs are often of unknown to us, the situations remain a mystery, and the dates are inaccurate.
In the exhibition, visitors have the chance to wander through one such album. The album is made of enlarged photographs, whose edges and figures are outlined with thin, glowing lines. The faces have no distinct features, so visitors can use their imagination and remember their lost relatives and loved ones.
The installation is accompanied by a soundscape created by Petri Laakso, combining Max Richter’s music piece Sleep with a murmur composed of different languages and the whispers, talk and songs of men, women and children.
Alexander Reichstein (born 1957) is a Moscow-born artist who has been living in Helsinki since 1990, making art for and with children. His body of work includes children’s book illustrations, paintings, and sculptures, and his installations have been displayed in a wide range of institutions, ranging from daycare centers and libraries to art museums. Reichstein’s art has been showcased internationally, including in countries such as the United States and Japan. The book ‘Gondwanan lapset’, illustrated by the artist, received the Finlandia Junior Award in 1997. Reichstein was honored with the Finnish State Award in children’s culture in 2008.
An unknown family album – Alexander Reichstein’s exhibition
From 15 March to 7 April 2024
Helsinki City Museum, 4th floor
Aleksanterinkatu 16
Free admission
Photo: An unknown family album. Henri Tuomi / Helsinki City Museum.
