Exhibitions and events

26.5.-22.10.2023
The Roos House, Pitkänsillankatu 39, Kokkola
Opening hours: Tue–Sun 11:00–16:00, Thu 11:00–18:00

In the exhibition, we cast our curious gaze on the Marginal art donation collections received by K.H.Renlund in recent years, the freshest of which are just being unpacked from their packaging. We want to present the gems of our collections and excitingly share the joy of opening the gifts together with our museum visitors. The exhibition is curated by cultural producer and art publisher Liisa Heikkilä-Palo in cooperation with a team from K.H.Renlund Museum.

The works in the exhibition represent the genre of naive art. More broadly, they are also considered to fall under the concept of marginal art, which refers to visual art born outside the conventions of art education or the art field in general. Paradoxically, this art exists and flourishes only by being aware of its relationship to the mainstream “high art” by positioning itself as a sideline in relation to it – in other words, on the margin. In terms of art history, art emerging from the margins includes several art genres, such as Naive art, Outsider art, Art brut, Art singulier and contemporary folk art or ITE art.

K.H.Renlund Museum has accepted extensive donations of Marginal art from Central Europe. The scope of the collection is considered to be of international importance. Exhibited works include collections from different art movements in marginal art, collected by Maija and Volker Dallmeier, Elke and Werner Zimmer, and Dietz Mertin.

The collection exhibition includes a number of works from e.g. classic artists in Naive art such as Ilija Bašičević, Anna Ličková, Nikifor, Eduard Odenthal and Natalie Schmidtová.

Come and see for yourself what was uncovered from the boxes!

Enquiries: Mon-fri from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. tel +358447809477. On sat-sun from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m general questions tel +358408065165

Photo: Maria Tarnawska-Wojtowiez, Blumenstrauss, 1974 Dietz Mertin Art Collection KHRM/Marcus Riska

20.9.2023–14.2.2024
Exhibition Hall, Pitkänsillankatu 28, Kokkola
Opening hours: Tue–Sun 11:00–16:00, Thu 11:00–18:00

Sketches of North is a series of works by video and installation artist Hannu Karjalainen, consisting of moving pictures and a strong soundscape. It is shown to the public for the first time at the K. H. Renlund museum Exhibition hall. The series of works is abstract and reflective, the atmosphere is hypnotic, but also occasionally playful and guides the spectators to surrender themselves to their own interpretations of the dimensions of the connection between human and nature that are presented in the works.

Find out more about the exhibition!

Still from video work Sketches of North, Hannu Karjalainen, 2023

The Roos House, Pitkänsillankatu 39, Kokkola
Opening hours: Tue–Sun 11:00–16:00, Thu 11:00–18:00

The Roos House was built in 1813 as a residence for merchant Andreas Roos and his family. Today, the building serves as the exhibition space for the K.H.Renlund museum. Upstairs, visitors can get a glimpse of 19th century life in Kokkola and learn about the Roos family. Another important theme in the exhibition is Karl Herman Renlund. The museum displays, for example, well-known artworks from the Golden Age of Finnish Art, donated to the museum by Renlund.

A Glimpse into the 19th Century

The exhibition on display on the top floor of the Roos House provides visitors with a glimpse into the glory days of Kokkola in the 19th century. Back then, the upstairs of the most prosperous building in the city was already serving as a reception and party venue. It was also the place where the Russian emperor Alexander I was greeted when he visited Kokkola in 1819.
In contrast, the ground floor of the house was used as living quarters. It housed the trade business of Andreas Roos as well as the Roos family with all of ten children.

Collection donated by K.H.Renlund

Karl Herman Renlund (1850–1908), born as a seafarer’s son in Kokkola, progressed from a hardware business errand boy to a prominent businessman and gathered a sizeable fortune during his lifetime. Moreover, he held significant social positions, such as representing the bourgeoise movement of Helsinki and later of Kokkola in the legislative assembly (Diet) of Finland. Renlund was a social and culture-loving man with a wide circle of friends, including Jean Sibelius and Pekka Halonen.
The top floor of the Roos House displays renowned artworks from the Golden Age of Finnish Art, donated to the museum by K.H.Renlund. The collection includes pieces from artists such as Beda Stjernschantz, Magnus Enckell, Pekka Halonen and Viktor Westerholm, and it also depicts the personal history of Karl Herman Renlund.

Enquiries: Mon-fri from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. tel +358447809477. On sat-sun from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m general questions tel +358408065165

Salt Storehouse, Pitkänsillankatu 39, Kokkola
Opening hours: Sat–Sun 11–16. Open also by request.

Leo Torppa`s Camera Collection is closed due to the renovation of Roos House courtyard!

The Kokkola-born photographer Leo Torppa had a hobby collecting old cameras and other photographic equipment. Over time, his collection grew to such proportions that a part of it was transferred to the City of Kokkola in 1990, after which it was incorporated into the K.H.Renlund Museum. This unique camera collection is housed in the Salt Storehouse next to the Roos House. It includes various items of photographic history, ranging from cameras to equipment.

Enquiries: Mon-fri from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. tel +358447809477. On sat-sun from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m general questions tel +358408065165

Pitkänsillankatu 28, Kokkola
Opening hours: Tue–Sun 11–16, Thu 11–18

The Lassander House was originally built in 1748 on Kustaa Aadolfinkatu street, from where it was later moved to the Museum Quarter. The house has served as the home of, for example, the merchant families of Lassander and Ahla. Today, the Lassander House is furnished and decorated like a home of a 18th century merchant family, and it also provides an introduction to the history of trade and seafaring.

Enquiries: Mon-fri from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. tel +358447809476. On sat-sun from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m general questions tel +358448065164

Pitkänsillankatu 28, Kokkola
Opening hours: Tue–Sun 11–16, Thu 11–18

The exhibition Fortune Favors the Brave offers glimpses of and scenes from the colorful history of Kokkola, where the bold and resourceful residents of Kokkola play the leading roles. Narrators are newcomers and old families of Kokkola. The exhibition is built around themes that give a voice to the materials gathered from the Museum’s collections and documents: pioneers, rescuers, defenders, builders, talents and entrepreneurs. The exhibition visitors can experience views of everyday life.

The exhibition is in Finnish and Swedish.

Enquiries: Mon-fri from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. tel +358447809476. On sat-sun from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m general questions tel +358448065164

Photo: K.H.Renlund Museum, Photo Collections  

2023
17.3.–28.5.2023 Arjen merkintöjä, Sari Koski-Vähälä
3.2-30.4.2023 Beethovenin hevonen, Sami Funke
14.10.2022-8.1.2023 Puu taiteessa, Tiina Laasonen, Jenni Tieaho, Hanna Vahvaselkä,
Anniina Vainionpää and Camilla Vuorenmaa

2022
25.5.-25.9.2022, Satumaista! Kerttu Meriläinen silhouettes
3.6.-31.8.2022, Isät ja pojat, Esa Riippa, Riku Riippa, Clas-Olav Slotte, Joel Slotte
1.4. –7.5.2022 Aika juhlia, Kuvataidekoulu 40 vuotta
11.3.-30.4.2022 Tapoja olla, Tero Annanolli, Reetta Breilin, Jenni Haili,
Pauliina Mäkelä, Tuulia Penttilä ja Sanni Salmela
18.6.2020-20.2.2022, Onni suosii rohkeaa

2021
3.6.-10.10.2021, ITE pilvessä
4.3.-9.5.2021, Ykspihlaja project
10.12.2020-31.1.2021, Seascapes, Kivistö & Leppisaari

2020
26.9.-29.11.2020, 5  MUIJAA
11.6.-16.9.2020, Pohjoismaisen taidekoulun alumninäyttely
13.2.-26.4.2020, ITE-taiteen juhlanäyttely
13.2.-5.4.2020, Pehmeetä touhua
21.11.2019-19.1.2020, 5 ÄIJÄÄ
7.10.-26.1.2020, Dialogeja kokoelmista

2019
20.6.-27.10.2019, Wanted ITE
25.4.-22.9.2019, Kesä kuvin, Museon omista kokoelmista
21.2.-2.6.2019, Maan aika, Jyrki Portin
24.1.-24.3.2019, Norsunluutornin purkajat, Valentina Näsi ja Seppo Kalliokoski

2018
15.11.2018-3.2.2019, Tarinoita Slovakiasta ja Suomesta-Ondrej Šteberl & Emma Helle
8.10.2018-2.1.2019, Håkan Ahlnäs, Elämä
24.5.-30.9.2018, Hepeneet, Vaatekaapin kätköistä
15.3.-21.10.2018, ITE-Pienoismaailmat
9.3.-15.4.2018, Rune Snellman, Morpheus – Kaksi kaupunkia

2017
1.12.2017–19.2.2018, Avaritia & Eppur Si Muove
19.10.2017-18.2.2018, Transitions of energy
12.10.-19.11.2017, Owe Åsvik, retrospektiivi
8.6.–24.9.2017, Sään tuntu, Veikko Vionojan maalauksia
18.5.-17.9.2017, ITEpäisyys
2.5.-4.6. 2017, Klassikot kiertueella, Toipilas
7.–28.4.2017, Kokkolan lasten ja nuorten kuvataidekoulu 35-juhlavuosinäyttely

OBSERVE! No cleaning day will be arrange year 2023, due to courtyard renovations of Roos and Museum Quarter. 

Cleaning Day is a day of celebration for friends of flea markets and recycling. On Cleaning Day, the courtyard of the Roos House and Isokatu Street are transformed into a gigantic flea market area and a treasure chest filled with unforgettable finds.
The idea of Cleaning Day is to make recycling easy and create vivid and responsible urban culture. The event is organised in collaboration with the City of Kokkola and the entrepreneurs of Isokatu Street as part of the national Cleaning Day.
Roos House courtyard, Pitkänsillankatu 39 and Isokatu Street
Reservations for the Roos House courtyard:
Museum Hostess Monica Witting-Kangasniemi tel. +358 (0)44 7809 477
monica.witting-kangasniemi@kokkola.fi

Trunk/parking space reservations for Isokatu street:
City of Kokkola, Kari Moilanen tel. +358 (0)400 510 940
kari.moilanen@citykokkola.fi

The night of commerce and culture is an event involving the entire city, and it is organised every year in Kokkola on the second Friday of September. During this special night, the city is filled with different events and shops hold their doors open late into the night.
A wide selection of programmed activities is also organised in the courtyard of the Roos House, and exhibitions and pop up concerts are open to the public inside the house. The Roos House and museum shop are open until 22:00 in the evening.

During the Christmas at the Drakes´ event, the charming museum destination is open to the public in the form of guided tours. For this special event, the Home of Fredrik and Anna Drake is decorated with the family’s own Christmas ornaments and decorations, the table is filled with Christmas delicacies and Christmas songs are played everywhere.
Christmas at the Drakes´ is organised on the secondlast Saturday in November.