OLA KOLEHMAINEN

Ola Kolehmainen, one of the most prominent artists of the ‘Helsinki School,’ graduated in 1999 as a master student at the University of Arts and Design in Helsinki (now Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture). His work specifically deals with contemporary architecture. Focused on the basic structure of architectural facades and interiors, on the strictly geometric arrangement of the serial (building) form, Kolehmainen creates almost abstract images whose aesthetic roots lie in minimalism. Distracting details, which the photographer calls ‘visual noise,’ are removed. However, there are elements that repeatedly emerge and undermine the concept of a clear order structure: a tree cut at the edge of the picture, whose branches cover part of the facade, or mirror facades that reflect a fragmented glance at the outer world. The ‘Helsinki School,’ one of the most exciting art movements in contemporary photography, cannot be illustrated by a particular style, nationality or formal quality, but by a unique way of looking at things. Members of the ‘Helsinki School’ are primarily conceptual artists who use a camera or photosensitive material to express their artistic work. Furthermore, their location close to the Arctic Circle with exceptional light conditions and the unique social culture created by long days and nights are unique.