A Dream in Four Colours presents Rarely-Seen Gems from the Finnish National Gallery’s Collection

The exhibition can be experienced as one might observe a dream – through fragmentary, wondrous encounters. Meanings shift and shimmer, evoking ineffable experiences that resist explanation and linger beyond words.

A Dream in Four Colours continues Kiasma’s series of collection exhibitions, which presents curated selections from the Finnish National Gallery's collection of approximately 43,000 works. This exhibition departs from a single unifying theme, instead inviting visitors to approach art intuitively, without seeking to explain or define it. 

“The exhibition is centred on a selection of works that seem to defy categorisation. Their content cannot be effortlessly summed up in a few key words, and they appear to rebel at attempts at definition. It’s almost as if they reject language itself. The ambiguity that surrounds them, their ability and tendency to lean towards multiplicities of meaning, mean that the audiences that encounter them are more likely to be confronted with questions than furnished with answers. Resisting instant interpretation,  their meaning seems to remain in constant flux. These are works that evade the framing imposed by a theme and run counter to its logic,” writes curator Satu Oksanen in the exhibition catalogue.

The exhibition brings together many works that have not been on display at Kiasma for many years, including pieces by Dara Birnbaum, Louise Bourgeois, and Henry Moore. It also features ensembles of works by Leena Luostarinen, Elina Merenmies, and Olli Lyytikäinen. In addition, the show presents recent acquisitions by artists such as Milla Aska, Minh Ngọc Nguyễn, and Marianna Simnett, alongside a newly commissioned performance-based work by Ville Laurinkoski, which will be included to the Finnish National Gallery's collection. In total, works by 49 artists are included.

A Dream in Four Colours is curated by Satu Oksanen together with Saara Hacklin and Saara Karhunen of Kiasma. The accompanying catalogue features texts by the curators, Kiasma’s Museum Director Kiira Miesmaa, researcher and author Aura Sevón, and art educator and assistant professor Juuso Tervo. The exhibition architecture is designed by visual artist Jaakko Pietiläinen, and the accompanying Kiasma Theatre programme is curated by Senior Producer Jonna Strandberg.

Kiasma acquires approximately 40–60 new works every year  

Kiasma is responsible not only for exhibiting but also for collecting and researching contemporary art. The museum acquires approximately 40–60 new works each year for the Finnish National Gallery’s contemporary art collection. Together, these works reflect a broad spectrum of artistic practices and perspectives, capturing their time and offering narratives about who we are, where we come from, and where we are going.

Featured artists

Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Uzair Amjad, Riikka Anttonen, Korakrit Arunanondchai, Milla Aska, Dara Birnbaum, Dineo Seshee Bopape (Raisibe), Louise Bourgeois, Taru Happonen, Pakui Hardware, Åke Hellman, Ingela Ihrman, Appu Jasu, Alice Kaira, Antero Kare, Pentti Kaskipuro, Shoji Kato, Marjaana Kella, Minjee Hwang Kim, Jussi Kivi, Ville Laurinkoski, Iisa Lepistö, Leena Luostarinen, Olli Lyytikäinen, Kaari Martikainen, Elina Merenmies, Henry Moore, Pasi Myllymäki ja Risto Laakkonen, Marika Mäkelä, Bruce Nauman, Minh Ngọc Nguyễn, Frans Nybacka, Nam June Paik, Laila Pullinen, Sepideh Rahaa, Heli Rekula, Jani Ruscica, Oskari Ruuska, Hermanni Saarinen, Cindy Sherman, Marianna Simnett, Päivi Sirén, Frank Stella, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Mari Sunna, Jenna Sutela, Jenni Toikka, Osmo Valtonen, Annu Vertanen

A Dream in Four Colours 
Kiasma Collection Exhibition 
27.2.2026–10.1.2027