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The Latin words arcana and borealis mean “hidden knowledge” and “the north”, two elements at the heart of the Finnish National Gallery’s latest exhibition.
“Arcana Borealis – Northern Women and Esotericism” is the first large-scale museum show to examine how female artists from across the Nordic region and Sápmi have engaged with esotericism, spirituality and alternative systems of knowledge from the 19th century to the present day.
The exhibition brings together more than 200 works by 50 artists and features both well-known and overlooked artists, including Hilma af Klint, Tyra Kleen and Tove Jansson.
Previously the connection between modern art and esotericism, occultism and magic has been explored mainly through famous male artists, according to Dr Marja Lahelma, Chief Curator at Ateneum Art Museum and co-curator of the exhibition.
“For quite a long time art history has been dominated by narratives focusing on male artists and on this notion of the individual genius. Our focus is on women and we also draw attention to this idea of communality and working together,” Dr Lahelma explained to Euronews Culture.
Art, spirituality and handicraft
“Arcana Borealis shows how the boundaries between art and spirituality, fine art and craft, object and process, individual authorship and collective making begin to blur when viewed through the lens of artist women and esotericism” added Dr Nina Kokkinen from University of Turku, co-curator of “Arcana Borealis – Northern Women and Esotericism” .
The range of materials featured in the exhibition is exceptionally wide, including textiles, ceramics, metal engravings, and traditional media from sacral art, such as stained glass and mosaics.
Handicraft involves matrilineal transmission of tradition, that is, passing down knowledge and skills from one woman to the next. Sámi duodji, the traditional Sámi craft tradition, brings together spirituality, the tacit knowledge passed on from one generation to another, and values related to nature.
Some of the artists gathered on the exhibition were saying that they were guided by some kind of non human agency whether it was angels or guiding spirits, or in some cases a source of nature.
Halloween or Kekri
“This is a perfect exhibition to visit for Halloween, or Kekri as we say in Finnish. Esotericism is about light and darkness. We can explore themes such as death in art through this esoteric theme and sometimes the hidden knowledge, the secret knowledge that esotericism is all about, can be found through exploring darkness rather than light,” explained Dr Marja Lahelm.
Arcana Borealis – Northern Women and Esotericism at Ateneum Art Museum, Finnish National Gallery is on open until 28 February 2027.