Laura Cemin, Maarit Bau Mustonen, Iiris Kaarlehto, Olga Spyropoulou & Özgü Gündeslioglu
Bones et al.
14.–30.8.2026
Tue-Fri klo 14–18
Sat-Sun klo 13–18
Opening on Thursday 13th of August 17–21, welcome!
Night of the Arts Thu 20.8. – Gig by Lätsä (solo) at 19, gallery open till 20
Body parts, letters, pillars; pillars that resemble letters, letters that remind body parts. Also water, also melting, dissolving, a temple, a puzzle.
Audre Lorde wrote that ”poetry is not only dream and vision; it is the skeleton architecture of our lives”(1).
The objects are in the space and the body of the viewer is also in the space. The bodies at works. A unique situation. A supporter for the world.
I think of reading.
Reading these bodies, pillars, parts, spaces, relations, bones.
Reading them not as objects but meeting
them as something that seems to curl in on itself, its quiet performance, or something that seems to be permanent, its unnoticed movement.
Reading them in a meeting of bodies. Reading how they touch my eyes.
Reading the plural. Reading what is in and what is out.
I think of performing.
What all is performing? How?
et al.
A Latin abbreviation for et alia, which translates to "and others"
Who others are performing? Letters, pillars, language, bodies of clay, obituaries. Who else? The air, the floor, the ceiling, plumbers, sun. For who? Bones et al.(2)
I think of support.
What my gaze carries? Who all enable this gathering? Bones are supporters. Also letters. Letters support language, carry messages. Also birds carry messages. Also artists. Kone Foundation and the City of Helsinki are supporting the gallery. Could artworks be supporters?
How my body sets with the bodies of art? How my body parts?
To think, is this an artwork or a bone of an artwork?
For what is this a skeleton for?
– Lauri Antti Mattila, curator
Accessibility
Unfortunately the gallery space including the toilet have limited accessibility. The outside entrance has a 3 cm high doorstep, followed by four steps without a ramp. The width of the outside door is 85 cm. In order to access the gallery's downstairs exhibition space, you have to go down a steep circular stairway. There is no elevator in the space and there is a small toilet with limited accessibility.
Support
Finnish Cultural Foundation Uusimaa regional fund has supported Maarit Bau Mustonen and Laura Cemin’s work. Bau Mustonen’s work is supported by Finnish Cultural Foundation and she would also like to thank Hamuro mAiR. Olga Spyropoulou’s work was supported by Taike. Oksasenkatu 11 Gallery is supported by Kone Foundation and City of Helsinki.
1 ”Poetry is not only dream and vision; it is the skeleton architecture of our lives. It lays the foundation for a future of change, a bridge across our fears of what has never been before.” – Audre Lorde: Sister Outsider.
2 Performing is about a special moment, as an exhibition is a temporary coming together of certain things. (Who’s not accounted for?) To perform is to realise a potentiality. It’s about coming to exist.