Kari Cavén

Treasure hunting

Kari Cavén's studio is a treasure trove, filled with materials he has collected from various places like junkyards, recycling centres and old stores as well as from friends and neighbours. Some materials come as donations to the artist, such as the worn-out violin bows gifted by the Finnish Cultural Foundation; bags of pennies left on his porch by his summer cottage neighbour or the 200-years-old rusty nails from the Great Fire of Turku gifted by the Aboa Vetus Museum to the artist on his 70th birthday. Sometimes the materials tell the artist what they want to become straight away, but other times materials can wait a great deal and be even forgotten until Cavén rediscovers and finds the perfect use for them.

Cavén is perpetually on the lookout: no rubbish skip can be bypassed without being carefully checked, and every nook and cranny or empty cowshed must be gone through. The uncertainty of finding material compels – or allows – the artist to maintain the attitude that he will always be able to find something workable in the creation of art.

– Tina Cavén, in exhibition catalogue Serious Game, Sara Hildén Art Museum, 1997

at the studio

At first glance, one might describe Cavén's studio as a gigantic scrap yard, workshop or a large industrial warehouse. But after a while, close scrutiny of the shelves reveals objects that have already been transformed into art, objects that may be still sketches, and those which appear to be "untreated" – all crowded together in no discernable order – and you begin to read the objects in a new way. They communicate among themselves and you begin to discover new meanings. Suddenly you see a library where objects come alive only when you begin to delve into their history, into their hidden meanings.

– Magnus Jensner, curator

KARI CAVÉN

KARI CAVÉN likes to work with recycled materials and everyday objects, shaping and combining them in surprising ways. In something forgotten and useless, Cavén will see an opportunity for something else, something wise, amusing or to be considered. He combines objects in an unorthodox manner and surprisingly, dismantling and assembling things. Cavén’s art not only touches upon Arte Povera but also gently on Fluxus, constructivism and surrealism, creating from them his inimitable Cavénism – sometimes funny and sometimes thoughtful but always surprising and of clear form.

Kari Cavén (b. 1954, Savonlinna) has represented Finland at the Venice Biennale (1995, 1990 and 1988) and the São Paulo Biennale (1987). In addition to private collections, his works are held in numerous public collections in Finland and the Nordic countries, including Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Malmö Art Museum, Gothenburg Art Museum, Saastamoinen Foundation/EMMA, Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, and HAM Helsinki Art Museum. In the summer of 2023, he had a major solo exhibition at the Aboa Vetus Ars Nova Museum in Turku. Cavén has also been commissioned to create many public works in Finland, Sweden and Norway. His recent group exhibitions include the Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art (2023) in Vaasa, the Hämeenlinna Art Museum (2022–2023), and the Busan Museum of Art (2019) in South Korea. Cavén has held solo exhibitions most recently at Galeria Cavalo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2018), and Östfold Kunstsenter in Fredrikstad, Norway (2015). In 2014, he was awarded the Pro Finlandia Order of the Lion of Finland.

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Kari Cavén: Sattuu ja tapahtuu

Treasure hunting

at the studio

Taulun tein – "Made a picture"

KARI CAVÉN