Teach and learn

Museum of Becoming (available 3 April–16 August 2020)

The tour introduces the exhibition by Laura Gustafsson and Terike Haapoja, which examines new ways of thinking about humans and their relationship with the environment, other species and the future. The main themes of the exhibition, made up of large installations, are the relationship between humans and animals, the fragility of humanity and new ways of being a human being in the world. The exhibition is part of the Helsinki Biennial programme.

Recommended age: 7th–9th grade, upper secondary level

The tour includes complementary learning material related to the exhibition.

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Photo: Terike Haapoja

Get art: The Vilho Lampi exhibition (available 14 February–18 October 2020)

The guided tour will give you a glimpse into the expressive art of Vilho Lampi (1898–1936). Lampi worked in many painting styles despite his brief career. Vilho Lampi spent his whole life balancing between his calling as an artist and his duties on the family farm – he would often only find time to paint at night. The subjects of his paintings came from his surroundings in Liminka: portraits, people close to him, the milieus of cottages and landscapes.

Recommended age: Children in daycare and grades 1–9 and young people in upper secondary education.

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Photo: Vilho Lampi: Self-Portrait, 1929

Jaakko Niemelä – Nostalgia (available 14.12.2019–15.3.2020)

Artist Jaakko Niemelä (b. 1959) has prepared a research project on memories of sea captain Erkki Niemelä. The artist has travelled in his father’s footsteps on ocean-going ships and explored the places he visited, documenting his journeys by drawing, writing, taking photographs and video. The installation will include two large projected animations and a soundscape.

Recommended age: 3rd–9th grade, upper secondary level

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Jaakko Niemelä: Nostalghia, 2017

Genderfuck 1900 (available 1.11.2019– 27.9.2020)

Genderfuck 1900 will update the recent heated discourse on gender, male and female roles and their construction. HAM offers unexpected perspectives on the discussion by turning attention towards forgotten history. The show presents a bewildering assortment of visual material from the past one hundred years, including postcards, studio portraits and snapshots. The pictures toy with gender roles and challenge assumptions related to masculinity and femininity.
The show is curated by Harri Kalha, whose materials have been complemented with contemporary artworks from the HAM collection.

The guided tour includes a look into the history of the depiction of gender and discussion on the means by which art can take part in the current discussion surrounding the topic.

Recommended age: 3rd–9th grade, upper secondary level

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Tove Jansson

Tove Jansson’s party-themed frescoes paint a whole new picture of the beloved artist. Suitable for all ages.

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Image: Tove Jansson © Per Olov Jansson

Language immersion tour, Tove Jansson

The tour is an immersion tour on which the guide will talk about Tove Jansson’s work in Swedish. The guide will speak only Swedish but does understand questions in Finnish. Come and practise your Swedish! Suitable for all ages.

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Image: Helsinki City Hall, restaurant Kaupunginkellari. Tove Jansson and Niilo Suihko painting the fresco Party in the Countryside. © Helsinki City Museum / Foto re Roos

HAM highlights

Do you want to see only the best that HAM has to offer? This tour offers a comprehensive look at HAM: the architecture and history of Tennis Palace, the main themes of the exhibitions and the most notable works of art on display.

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Image: Tuula Lehtinen: You don’t know how beautiful you are, 2015 © HAM / Maija Toivanen

Paint a fresco

This workshop is a crash course in the art of fresco painting. We examine the frescoes by Tove Jansson and make our own small-scale frescoes using plaster, coal and water-soluble colours.

• Age recommendation: Pre-school, 1st–9th graders, upper secondary and vocational school pupils
• The workshop is associated with the following sections of the national curriculum: Art, History
• Topics: Cultural competence, interaction and expression (L2)
• Duration: 2 hours

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Through animal eyes (available 3 April–16 August 2020 on Tuesdays and Fridays)

The Museum of Becoming  exhibition by Terike Haapoja and Laura Gustafsson examines new ways of thinking about humans and their relationship with the environment, other species and the future. In the art workshop, we focus on the types of habitats that would be better from the point of view of animals. What kind of animal or being would you like to be? And what kind of environment would you like to live in in the future? We process the theme by drawing, painting and making collages.The workshop is part of the Helsinki Biennial programme.

Recommended age: 7th–9th grade, upper secondary level

Duration: 2 hours

The art workshop is connected to the following parts of the national core curriculum: visual arts, ethics, religion, biology

Transversal competences: L2 Cultural competence, interaction and expression; L4 Multiliteracy; L7 Participation, involvement and building a sustainable future

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Photo: HAM

Microscopic landscapes with seaweed-based paints (available 3 April–27 September 2020 on Wednesdays and Thursdays)

The workshop, which combines art and science, takes a look at samples collected from nature through the microscope. Things like algae, moss, parts of plants and micro-organisms are put under the microscope. These microscopic landscapes are enlarged by painting them on aquarelle paper. They are painted using dye solutions based on seaweed powder. The workshop is part of the Helsinki Biennial programme.

Recommended age: daycare, 1st–9th grade, upper secondary level

Duration: 2 hours

The art workshop is connected to the following parts of the national core curriculum: biology, visual arts, environmental studies

Transversal competences: L1 Thinking and learning to learn, L4 Multiliteracy

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Photo: HAM

The ABC of art: Mixing colours!

How are the different hues used in paintings created? What is a complementary colour? In this workshop we explore the paintings in HAM’s collections, learn to mix colours and study the colour wheel while working with acrylic paint.

• Recommended age: 1st–6th graders.
• The art workshop is connected to the following parts of the national core curriculum: Visual arts, history, Finnish language and literature
• Topics: L2 Cultural competence, interaction and expression

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ABC of Art: Colour Theory

What is broken colour? What are tinted and shaded colours? What is colour harmony? This workshop explores in depth the mixing of colours, taking its cue from colours in the collection exhibition. The workshop is suitable for groups who have attended the Mixing colours! workshop previously, or who otherwise know the basic facts of colour mixing. The medium in the workshop is acrylic paint.

• Recommended age: 3rd-6th graders and upper secondary level students.
• Topics: L2 Cultural competence, interaction and expression
• Duration: 1,5 hours

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Per Stenius, Bandara, 1964 / Photo: Hanna Kukorelli

The ABC of art: Try your hand at graphic arts

What are graphic arts? How does the printing press work? We will be experimenting with different relief printing methods. We will be making unique images with the pressprint or linocutting technique.

Recommended age: daycare, 1st–9th grade, upper secondary level

Duration: 2 hours

The art workshop is connected to the following parts of the national core curriculum: visual arts

Transversal competences: L2 Cultural competence, interaction and expression

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Photo: HAM

ABC of art - draw a face!

Have you ever wondered how to draw a life-like face? In this workshop you will learn the ABC of drawing a face.

• Age recommendation: 1st–9th graders, upper secondary and vocational school pupils
• The workshop is associated with the following sections of the national curriculum: Art
• Subject areas: L2 Cultural competence, interaction and expression

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