ON A RECENT visit to one of my favourite Nordic cities, Helsinki, unexpected delights were encountered at the Amos Rex Museum, a striking contemporary art gallery excavated beneath an Art Deco cinema. I was surprised to see a much younger range of visitors filling its subterranean halls: most were under 30, many were teenagers, and they weren’t school groups. Tey paid close attention to the assorted works, from chairs wearing velour jumpers the arms of which enfolded you in a
hug, to skilled and perceptive oil portraits and video work. All of it was impressive. But more impressive was the fact that the 50 artists in the show were aged 15–25.
Tis was the latest iteration of Generation 2023, a tri-annual festival of young Finnish talent. Te call out goes to secondary schools and art schools across this city of just 630,000 residents, inviting responses to a theme of the curator’s choosing. Tere are also grants to support applicants, including offers of