Welcome to the opening on Thursday the 25th of October from 5 to 7 pm!

Where does the hatred derive from? It seems to be taking over the world: political violence has become more and more common and religious juxtaposition has arisen in the western societies.

The forms of hatred known in today’s society have been formed culturally and historically. Marks of hatred are long, they derive from the history. Hatred imprints its object for a long time.

Our history is filled with different kinds of acts of hatred, of which the most organized one, war, is the most obvious example. Christianity has had a remarkable role in these acts of hatred, because the wars often are being done and justified in the name of God. Acts of violence towards infidel people have been justified by holy hatred, so that the contradiction between the hatred and the holy hatred has been possible to justify.

The artworks in the exhibition deal with war, violence, struggle for power, suffering and refugeedom. These are tragic, painful issues. On this very moment there are various war hot spots all over the world. On a daily basis we get to follow the interplay of power and violence. Struggle for power, war, suffering and refugeedom are a quintessential part of our lives on this very moment. These create soars that heal for years, decades and centuries.

In my work I aim to crystallize something essential and universally applicable of historical events and collectively shared feelings. When is the war righteous? Where does it gain its vitality? How should one relate oneself to wars? Do we accept acts we shouldn’t accept?

Through these works one can deconstruct and redefine one’s thoughts about war, violence and suffering – the role of tragedy in art is to help to understand, horrify and feel empathy.

As an artist Paavo Räbinä is versatile and open-minded. He uses different kinds of means and techniques to deal with the main themes of his art such as war, violence, power structures, poverty and refugeedom. Räbinä lives and works in Helsinki. He holds a Master’s degree in Fine Art from the University of Arts in Helsinki and since graduation he’s taken part in numerous exhibitions and festivals both in Finland and abroad. He’s works have been purchased to collections both in Finland and abroad.

The exhibition is supported by Genelec and Lynx Rifles.