Starting March 15, the exhibition space on the fourth floor of the Helsinki City Museum transforms into an enlarged, light-glowing photo album. Moscow-born artist Alexander Reichstein (b. 1957) presents light art pieces where the edges and figures of old photographs are traced with thin lines. The installation consists of large image re-productions that float in the space without a base. The artworks encourage visitors to reminisce about their own past relatives.
An unknown family album(Link leads to external service) is based on the artist's exploration of his own family photo album.
– Each of us has the experience of flipping through an old photo album. When looking at old photos, we travel back in time. Many people in the photos are unknown, the circumstances of the shots mysterious, and the dates unclear. The figures in old pictures also gaze back at us and try to tell us something, explains Reichstein.
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.
Admission to the exhibition is free.