Härifrån

The Finnish Museum of Photography is pleased to present JH Engström: Härifrån [From Here], the largest exhibition to date dedicated to the work of the photographer and video artist, born in Sweden in 1969.

The title refers to JH Engström?s definition of his relational practice, as explained by his quotation from the postface of his critically-acclaimed book Trying to Dance (Journal, 2004):

'I very seldom go anywhere to take photos.
I take photographs because I am somewhere.'

Engström?s childhood was marked by his family?s move from the Swedish countryside in Värmland to Paris. The contrast between the countryside and the metropolis offers a variable environment for his autobiographical practice.

This exhibition is the largest presentation of JH Engström?s oeuvre to date, with works from the series Shelter (1997), CDG/JHE (2006), From Back Home (2001-2008), Sketch of Home (2008), Sketch of Paris (2013), Revoir (2016) and Crash (2017). This exhibition also presents two video works entitled Here/Ici/Here (2016) and Ordet/Le Mot/The Word (2017), a four-screen immersive installation showing the artist painting approximately 160 words of importance to himself in the three different languages that he uses in his daily life: Swedish, French, English. This performance was shot in his studio in Värmland, Sweden. The exhibition is also built on connections between JH Engström?s selfportraits, which identify themselves with framed red lights as a metaphor of the artist?s presence.

JH Engström: Härifrån is curated by Elina Heikka and Tiina Rauhala, respectively Director and Chief Curator of the Finnish Museum of Photography, and coordinated by Marie Lesbats.

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The Finnish Museum of Photography
Kaapelitehdas, Tallberginkatu 1 G
00180 Helsinki, Finland