Time Curve

The wall painting, Time Curve, by Odili Donald Odita created at the Kiasma
Museum of Contemporary Art for the ARS 11 exhibition, opened to the public
on April 15, 2011 in Helsinki. With more than 69 colors, the installation covers
approximately 100 square meters of the Panorama space of Kiasma. The color
choice was affected by the April light the artist experienced during his initial
stay in Helsinki. Odita hopes that visitors will be able to experience something
new when seeing his installation. "In the end, each viewer decides how to
take in the created space, but I hope I can make it interesting enough to make
them see themselves and their surroundings in a new and different light."
The ARS 11 exhibition investigates Africa in contemporary art. The exhibition
features some 300 works by a total of 30 artists. The Kiasma Theatre also has
a programme of ARS events and performances. In addition to artists living in
Africa, the show also features others who live outside the continent, artists
of African descent as well as Western artists who address African issues in
their work. The themes of the exhibition, such as migration, the environment,
and urban life are global issues that affect us all. Memory, recollection, the
simultaneous presence of different histories, and layers of time are some
of the common starting points of the work of many artists featured in the
exhibition. At best ARS 11 can produce new understanding and also provide
background information on the situation in today’s Africa.

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The ARS 11 curator team are Pirkko Siitari, Director of Kiasma, Arja Miller,
Chief Curator, and Jari-Pekka Vanhala, Curator. The ARS 11 programme
for Kiasma Theatre will be compiled by Riitta Aarniokoski. The artists are
Georges Adéagbo (Benin), Ardmore Ceramic Art (South Africa), Sammy Baloji
(Democratic Republic of the Congo), Ursula Biemann (Switzerland), Baaba
Jakeh Chande (Zambia/ Finland), Kudzanai Chiurai (Zimbabwe/ South Africa),
Steven Cohen (South Africa/ France), El Anatsui (Ghana/Nigeria), Samba Fall
(Senegal/ Norway), Rotimi Fani-Kayode (Nigeria/ United Kingdom), Samuel
Fosso (Cameroon/ Central African Republic), Patrizia Guerresi Maïmouna
(Italy), Romuald Hazoumè (Benin), Ditte Haarløv Johnsen (Denmark), Laura
Horelli (Finland/ Germany), Pieter Hugo (South Africa), Alfredo Jaar (Chile/
United States), Michael MacGarry (South Africa), Vincent Meessen (United
States/ Belgium), Nandipha Mntambo (Swaziland/ South Africa), Baudouin
Mouanda (Republic of the Congo), Otobong Nkanga (Nigeria/ Belgium), Odili
Donald Odita (Nigeria/ United States), Emeka Ogboh (Nigeria), Abraham
Onoriode Oghobase (Nigeria), J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere (Nigeria), Andrew Putter
(South Africa), Elina Saloranta (Finland), Mary Sibande (South Africa)and
Barthélémy Toguo (Cameroon/ France).

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The ARS 11 exhibition celebrates the 50-year history of the most important
exhibition institution in Finland. Organized since 1961, the ARS exhibitions
have played a crucial role in shaping ideas about art and giving a face to
contemporary art in Finland.