Houses of Tove Jansson is the first exhibition of its kind and largest in central Europe and France to explore the life and career of the late Finnish artist and writer – and Moomins creator – Tove Jansson.
Opening in Paris on 29 September during Paris Fashion Week and extending through Paris+, par Art Basel to 28 October, the exhibition is curated by Parisian art institution, The Community, in collaboration with the artist’s estate and Moomin Characters.
Houses of Tove Jansson will focus on the major cultural significance and the artistic output of Tove, shedding light on her life story, literary and artistic work, as well as highlighting the universal and timeless themes of her oeuvre.
For the first time, her work will be in dialogue with work by contemporary artists.
Starting with the early development of her visual language and narrative style, the exhibition will bring together key works that were turning points for her work, including a selection of Tove’s paintings, drawings, illustrations and texts, some of which will be on show for the first time.
Giving visitors a window into her fantasy universe, it will include early Moomin materials, as well as early illustrations for other classic books such as Alice in Wonderland and The Hobbit.
The exhibition will explore multiple iterations of Moomin stories including theatre, comics and merchandising.
“We’re thrilled to be working in partnership with The Community to bring the breadth of Tove’s creative output to new audiences and longtime admirers alike and invite visitors to follow along on her journeys from Helsinki to Paris and beyond,” commented Thomas Zambra, director of business development and James Zambra, creative director at Moomin Characters. “We look forward to sharing new discoveries from the archives with the world and inspiring a new generation of writers, artists and thinkers with Tove’s singular, life-long production.”
Alongside Tove’s body of work, The Community has invited a group of contemporary artists who directly or indirectly share an affinity to her work and life to reflect on her input today in their respective work, some creating new work that will debut for the exhibition.
The selected group includes Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Anne Bourse, Emma Kohlmann, Elmgreen & Dragset, Ida Ekblad, Cerith Wyn Evans, Vidya Gastaldon and Carlotta Bailly-Borg.
Co-curators Sini Rinne-Kanto and Tuukka Laurila at The Community, commented: “It is an honour to work with the entire archive of the Jansson Estate and present her significant body of work for the first time in France. We are equally excited to invite international contemporary art practitioners to connect with her legacy through newly commissioned and existing works.
“It is especially important to revisit Tove Jansson’s work in today’s context and understand the multigenerational connections that affirm the rooted values of Jansson, which bring hope and unite us all in her universe.”
Houses of Tove Jansson will be paired with a space for programming and a reading room complete with Tove’s celebrated titles and a recreation of her personal library archived in Helsinki. There will also be a boutique featuring new capsule collections made specifically for the exhibition.
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