The exhibition Echoes from the Gardens of Porvoo, Seeds of Knowledge and Artistic Interpretations

The exhibition “Echoes from the Gardens of Porvoo, Seeds of Knowledge and Artistic Interpretations”, will be held at the Näsi Manor in Porvoo from June 4 to 29.6.

The exhibition has been prepared by a working group that has taken the name Ryyti. The informational content for the exhibition has been produced by Timo Oksanen, HTT, and Anna-Kaisa Jaakkonen, who works in the gardening field in public administration. The visual artistic content for the exhibition has been produced by visual actors Marie- José Dings, Petteri Liikonen, Ronja Lindberg, Eija Oksanen, Päivi Uljas-Ekman, Tanja Valta and Anna-Maria von Schalien.

The informational part of the exhibition covers the concept of a garden, as well as garden philosophy and garden history as a timeline from different centuries, to the extent that such information has been available. The exhibition also includes a review of zoning solutions that have created the framework for the development of gardens. Old maps of Porvoo are also on display. In addition, the exhibition contains information compiled from newspaper articles about garden products for sale and garden education in different eras.

The educational part of the project has served as a source of inspiration for the visual works in the exhibition. Different artists have had different perspectives and techniques in visualizing the theme. Perspectives have included, among others, the garden as a mental landscape, the cultivation of medicinal herbs, the gardens of residential houses and manors, as well as the harvests and flower splendor of gardens. In addition, perspectives have included the temporal stratification of gardens and time, chance, sun, and circumstances as factors affecting the garden. In the workshop on 11 and 12 June from 12 to 17, visitors to the exhibition can participate in making a garden-themed installation. The workshop is suitable for both children and adults.

The aim of the exhibition project has been to increase the awareness of the local community about the history of the home region in the garden theme area and thus promote the preservation of cultural heritage. The aim has also been to shed light on the meanings and impacts related to the garden. During the exhibition, an event will be organized at Näsi Manor on 9 June 2025 at 6:00 PM, creating a bridge from the past to the future. The event will be attended by lecturers Hannele Tenhovuori of the Porvoo Museum, landscape architect Anne Rihtniemi-Rauh, a representative of the Porvoo Garden Association and the chairman of the Porvoo Traditional Allotment Garden Association Pilvi Saarenpää. Everyone interested is welcome to the event. After the lectures, coffee will be served, followed by a free discussion on the theme.

The exhibition is open from 4 to 29 June 2025 from Tuesday to Friday 11 am to 6 pm. Sat-Sun 11 am to 4 pm. Closed 20-21 June.

You are warmly welcome to visit the exhibition and its accompanying events.