8.4.2011-31.8.2011 in Cafe Wäinö

Self-wash 30 Pennies and Other Atmospheric Pictures in the Exhibition On a Sauna Path

On a Sauna Path is a mini-exhibition in which people are seen both in the sauna and by water bodies. 
The exhibition opens up vistas on the sauna culture of bygone eras and their rituals.

From the Binding of the Bath Whisk to Merrymaking

The exhibition displays pictures from the sauna path of former times: from sauna interiors to people cooling themselves down with water. The pictures have an idyllic quality but also much humour.

A sauna path begins with the making of a bath whisk from birch branches and continues through the actual sauna itself to diving into water. The exhibition also offers a glimpse into the profession of the bath attendant, which is nearly an extinct position. The pictures allow you to immerse yourself in sauna culture through small details, such as in Ismo Kajander’s photograph which reveals the service pricelist of a public sauna stating  the price of 30 pennies for a “self-wash”.

Treasures from the Photographic Archives

This mini-exhibition uses the extensive photographic archives of the Museum Centre of Turku, which contains more than a million pictures, negatives and slides. Among the images there are samples of Ismo Kajander's various cityscapes from Portsa, the wooden house area of Turku as well as works of art relating to the theme, which come from Turku City’s art collection. The photographs mostly belong to the period between 1930 and 1970. 

On a Sauna Path complements to the theme of the main summer exhibition for 2011 at Wäinö Aaltonen Museum: WATER – Sense and Sensation. The exhibition is part of Turku culture capital’s SaunaLab project in which the public can have a sauna in the art saunas built by different artists.