Heini Aho

Fridge Essay, 2022
video
10:30 min
ed. 5

In HEINI AHO’s works, the analytical meets the intuitive, and the material meets the immaterial, offering alternative, insightful and even humorous interpretations of reality. Aho combines elements of sculpture, installation and moving image into works that blend keen observations with contemplative thought. One of the distinctive characteristics of her work is the union of different natural elements, whether at the level of materials, form or linguistic expression.

Heini Aho (b. 1979) lives and works in Turku. She has participated in numerous exhibitions and screenings, including at venues such as the Harris Gallery in Los Angeles, Kunsthalle Helsinki, WAM Turku Art Museum, Quartair Gallery in The Hague, OpenART biennial in Örebro, and Riga International Short Film Festival. Her work is included in the collections such as Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, the Finnish State Art Collection and Wihuri Collection, among others. She’s been commissioned several public works of art at school and hospital buildings in Finland. Aho was awarded the William Thuring Foundation’s main prize in 2016.

Heini Aho: Touching the Modern Life, 2020
4 K video
9:30 min (excerpt)
edition of 5 — Touching the Modern Life, 2020
4 K video
9:30 min (excerpt)
edition of 5

Heini Aho: Corner is a Place Where Two Sides Meet, 2020
mixed media
83 x 83 cm

In Turku Art Society collection — Corner is a Place Where Two Sides Meet, 2020
mixed media
83 x 83 cm

In Turku Art Society collection

Heini Aho: The Inner Life of Things, 2019
4K video, stereo
8 min (still)
edition of 5 — The Inner Life of Things, 2019
4K video, stereo
8 min (still)
edition of 5

Heini Aho: Full Door Stop, 2020
acrylic resin, mixed media
size variable — Full Door Stop, 2020
acrylic resin, mixed media
size variable

Heini Aho: Pastel Lemon Yellow Soft Passive Aggressive
6 Feb – 1 Mar 2020 — Pastel Lemon Yellow Soft Passive Aggressive
6 Feb – 1 Mar 2020

Heini Aho: Heini Aho, Surreal Salad, 2020. Video still — Heini Aho, Surreal Salad, 2020. Video still

Heini Aho: Stalagmites, 2017
installation, video
size variable

In private collection — Stalagmites, 2017
installation, video
size variable

In private collection

Heini Aho: Joy of Being Together, 2016–2017
furniture, cut off corners, video
122 x 290 x 155 cm

In HAM Helsinki Art Museum collection — Joy of Being Together, 2016–2017
furniture, cut off corners, video
122 x 290 x 155 cm

In HAM Helsinki Art Museum collection

Heini Aho: Earth Tone, 2016
video, acrylic resin, fabric, bleach, wire netting, metal hook
184 x 120 x 58 cm — Earth Tone, 2016
video, acrylic resin, fabric, bleach, wire netting, metal hook
184 x 120 x 58 cm

Selection of available works. For the full list, please contact galerie(at)anhava.com

Heini Aho: Enamel (Chewing Gum, Lost And Found At The Bottom Of The Backpack) /3, 2022
3D-print, putty, laquer
27,5 x 16 x 4 cm — Enamel (Chewing Gum, Lost And Found At The Bottom Of The Backpack) /3, 2022
3D-print, putty, laquer
27,5 x 16 x 4 cm

Heini Aho: Corner is a Place Where Two Sides Meet, 2020
mixed media
166 x 166 cm — Corner is a Place Where Two Sides Meet, 2020
mixed media
166 x 166 cm

Heini Aho: Blush Powder Lullaby, 2020
motor, wood, acrylic resin
size variable — Blush Powder Lullaby, 2020
motor, wood, acrylic resin
size variable

Heini Aho: Earth Tone, 2016
mixed media
184 x 120 x 58 cm — Earth Tone, 2016
mixed media
184 x 120 x 58 cm

Heini Aho: Hard to Digest, 2020
glass, smoke
150 x 345 x 15cm — Hard to Digest, 2020
glass, smoke
150 x 345 x 15cm

Heini Aho: Things Seem to Fit Together, but Nothing Makes Sense, 2016
mixed media
118 x 119 x 91 cm — Things Seem to Fit Together, but Nothing Makes Sense, 2016
mixed media
118 x 119 x 91 cm

Send inquiry

BioCVExhibitions

Exhibitions

2020 Pastel Lemon Yellow Soft Passive Aggressive 2017 The Square Elephant 2012 Wishful Thinking

Bio

HEINI AHO (b. 1979) combines elements of sculpture, installation and the moving image into works addressing issues of space and perceptions of the environment. Aho is interested in what happens when one surrenders to the unknown to sense the world with an open mind. She observes her everyday environment, such as the branch of tree that has grown into a fence of metal netting by a roadside or how one’s hand fits just perfectly into a pocket made to measure.

In Heini Aho’s works, the analytical meets the intuitive, and the material meets the immaterial – offering alternative, insightful and even humorous interpretations of reality. Her method is always based on observing a concrete phenomenon and the law-like characteristics of the material. The moving image, in turn, introduces a performative dimension. A subtly light-hearted tone typical of the artist is present in them; it may be a touch of humour, wonderment with an element of joie de vivre to it, or a surprising feeling of freedom before ordinary matters.

Heini Aho is a member of the international Videokaffe artist collective.

CV

download as pdf

H E I N I A H O

Born 1979 in Turku, Finland

STUDIES
2009–2015 Academy of Fine Arts, MFA, Helsinki
1999–2003 TUAS Arts Academy (Turku University of Applied Sciences), Degree Programme of Fine Arts, Turku

AWARDS
2016 Main prize of the William Thuring Foundation
2009 Young Artist of the Year, Arts Council of Southwest Finland
2005 Artist of the Year, Turku Artists’ Association

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2020
- Pastel Lemon Yellow Soft Passive Aggressive, Galerie Anhava, Helsinki
2017
- Square Elephant, Galerie Anhava, Helsinki
2016
- The Primary Force Behind an Everyday Experience, Titanik Gallery, Turku
2015
- Playing with the Dragon, Forum Box, Helsinki
2014
- Caveman, Alkovi, Helsinki
2013
- More Black, Small Projects Gallery, Tromsø
2012
- Thought Leans on Another, MUU Gallery, Helsinki
- Gravity Monster, Academy of Fine Arts Gallery, Helsinki
2011
- Wishful Thinking, Project Room, Galerie Anhava, Helsinki
- Parallel Realities, Gallery Kakelhallen, Mariehamn, Åland (with Tamara Piilola)
2010
- Learning Some Freedom, Titanik Gallery, Turku
2009
- Alive, Old Town Hall Gallery, Turku
2008
- Illusion, Finnish Paper Art Gallery, Kuusankoski
- Crime of Passion, Photographic Centre Peri, Turku
- Crime of Passion, MUU Gallery, Helsinki
2007
- Put Tea in My Burns, Mältinranta Art Center, Tampere
- Will You Live with Me On a Fire Mountain, Quartair Gallery, The Hague
- Beasts, Plants & Porcelain White, Quartair Gallery, The Hague
2006
- Camping with Indiana, Parasit3, Helsinki
- Camping with Indiana, B-gallery, Turku
- Melted Paradise, Myymälä2, Helsinki (with Sebastian Ziegler)
- White Sand Smuggler, Gallery Jangva, Helsinki
2005
- Melted Paradise, Gallery Just, Turku (with Sebastian Ziegler)
- Riket och Nostalgi, Gallery Kakelhallen, Mariahamn, Åland (with Tamara Piilola)
- Made in China, Rauma Art Museum, Rauma (with Päivi Kastemaa)
2004
- Wanderlust, Rajatila Gallery, Tampere (with Tamara Piilola)
2003
- Tailored Mind, Titanik Gallery, Turku
- Leap Day, Brinkkala Gallery, Turku

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2020
- Anniversary Exhibition of the Turku Artists’ Association, Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova, Turku
2019
- OpenART biennial, Örebro Sweden
- When is now?, Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art, Turku
2018
- VIDEOKAFFE: LIFT, Cable Factory, Helsinki
- Pori Biennale III/Centennial, Pori
- OBJEKTI 4, Espoo
- Cure of All, Turku Art Museum, Turku
2017
- HÄH – sculpture path, Taarasti Art Center, Nastola
- HEINI AHO & SEBASTIAN ZIEGLER, Andtire gallery, Bremen
- ET4U – MEETINGS video and performace festival, Central and Western Jutland
2016
- FIN_BETWEEN, Arena 1, Santa Monica Art Studios, Los Angeles
- VIDEOKAFFE, Galerie Anhava, Helsinki
- Ornament & Beauty, Gallery Titanik, Turku
- VIDEOKAFFE: Stress and Strain, One Art Space, New York
- VIDEOKAFFE: Parasites & Prototypes, Open Source, New York
2015
- Sika Gallery, Bali
- meta/data/morphosis, Or Gallery, Berlin
- VIDEOKAFFE: Standing Alone, Gallery Huuto, Helsinki
- VIDEOKAFFE: Time Flies, Jumps and Crawls, Gallery Luda, St. Petersburg
- Research Lab, Parsons the New School of Design and Fashion, New York
  (with Leena Kela, Mari Krappala & Sebastian Ziegler)
2014
- The Hunters Group: Heart Side Up, Kunsthalle Helsinki
- Fluxations – flows and currents in the city, Turku
- The Hunters Group: House Games, Jyväskylä
- Heponauta, Hyvinkää Art Museum
- Restlessness, Salo Art Museum
2012
- Artists – The 117th Finnish Artists’ Exhibition, Kunsthalle Helsinki
- Fluxations – festival of site-specific art, Turku
- Collage, Hyvinkää Art Museum
2011
- Kuvan Kevät – MFA Degree Show of the Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki
- Maximum City, Survey or Escape, 14th Jakarta Biennale
- International environmental art event Flux Aura, Turku
- Annual Exhibition of the Finnish Art Association, Cable Factory, Helsinki
- Unreal World, Live Herring, Keuruu Art Museum
2010
- Erased Walls – Mediations Biennial, Poznan & Berlin
- Kuvan Kauniit, New MA Students of the Academy of Fine Arts, Gallery Fafa, Helsinki
- Hauska Tutustua, Holden Gallery, Manchester
2009
- Sculpture Triennal, Poznan
- Recycling, Riihimäki Art Museum
- Turhan tärkeys, Turku Art Museum
- Ecology of Emotions – Mänttä Art Festival, Pekilo, Mänttä
- CUT Contemporary Collage, Platform Gallery, Seattle
2008
- Live Herring, Jyväskylä Art Museum
- KiC NordArt, Germany
- New Painting, Lahti Art Museum
2007
- Passion of Mankind – Luleå Summer Biennial, Luleå
- Art of Bassware, Sanoma House, Helsinki
2006
- Art of Bassware, Sanoma House, Helsinki
2005
- Trialogi group: Titanik Gallery, Turku
- Trialogi group: MUU Gallery, Helsinki
- Trialogi group: Platform, Vaasa
- Annual Exhibition of the Finnish Art Association, Porvoo Art Factory
- Art of Analyste, Sanoma House, Helsinki
2004
- Annual Exhibition of the Finnish Art Association, Rovaniemi Art Museum
- Rajaton – exhibition of young Finnish artists, Taidekeskus Ahjo, Joensuu
- FORREST, Poriginal Gallery, Pori (with Sirkku Ketola & Tamara Piilola)
- Turku Artist’s Association’s 80th Annual Exhibition, Old Town Hall Art Gallery, Turku
- Elämä, Victor Barsokevitch Photographic Centre, Kuopio
- Art of Analyste, Sanoma House, Helsinki
- Citymind, Platform, Vaasa
2003
- Young Artists, Kunsthalle Helsinki
2001
- Me – Object, street exhibition in Reykjavik
- SIE project, Museum of Modern Art Chaplin, Pärnu

SELECTED SCREENINGS

2015
- Lux Helsinki Festival, screening by AV-Arkki, Helsinki
- Kinos Film Festival, screening by AV-Arkki, Lahti
2012
- Cyberfest 2012, St. Petersburg
2011
- Voyage – Performance 2011 Festival, MUU Gallery, Helsinki
- Fluxations – flows and currents in the city, Turku
- Riga International Short Film Festival 2ANNAS, Riga
- FRISE Kunstlerhaus, Hamburg
- KUMU Art Museum, Tallinn
2010
- Time Is Love 3., Werk-Raum, Berlin
2009
- 80+1 Kilpisjärvi / A Journey Around the World, Linz
- Constructed Realities, FRISE, Hamburg
- subvision.art.festival.off., Hamburg

RESIDENCIES AND SEMINARS

2020
- VIDEOKAFFE: C.A.P residency and exhibition, Kobe Japan
2015
- Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
2014
- KONE Foundation: Saari Residence, Mynämäki
2013
- Pro Artibus: AIR residency, Ekenäs
2012
- Sfakiotes residency, Greece
2010
- Residence program of the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York
2009
- TAC – The Arctic Circle
2008
- HIAP: Centre d´Art i Natura de Farrera, Catalonia
- Väinö Tanner Foundation: Mazzano
- Villa Karo, Finnish-African cultural centre residency in Benin
2006
- Finnish Artists’ Studio Foundation: Centre Meduse, Quebec City

PUBLIC ARTWORKS

2021
- TREEHOUSE, TYKS T-Hospital, Turku
2020
- Meditative Clock, Finnish-Russian School, Helsinki
2006
- Ancient Battlefields, TYKS T- Hospital, Turku

WORKS IN COLLECTIONS
Art of Analyste
Finnish Art Society
Helsinki Art Museum
Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art
Saastamoinen Foundation Art Collection
Turku University Hospital/T-Hospital
The Finnish State Art Collection
Wihuri Collection / Rovaniemi Art Museum

MEMBERSHIPS
The Arts Council of Southwest Finland (2013–2014)
AV-arkki
Turku Art Association
Artist Association MUU
Association of Finnish Sculptors
Arte ry
Kuvasto