EXHIBITIONS
Nordic Northwest hosts historical, archival and fine art exhibitions in our Gallery Hall.
Browse our archives for information on past exhibitions and events!
Sauna is Life: Sauna Culture in Finland
January 10 – April 24, 2024
From the start of life to final days, saunas are integral to culture in Finland. Sauna are an old phenomenon with its earliest versions believed to be from 7000 BC. It is marked on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. This is a high honor that indicates how vital this tradition to the Finnish people is: at home and abroad. This exhibit will introduce visitors to the history and tradition of saunas while exploring the future of contemporary urban sauna as well.
“Having sauna is sacred in the sense that it connects you to the world. It’s a place where you find yourself and this peaceful joy of life. And the bareness that the sauna allows. It’s so natural that it reconnects you with nature. There’s no shame, no stress, no tensions there and truly sauna is life.” -Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
We are proud to be collaborating with Finlandia Foundation National for Sauna is Life.
See the virtual exhibit here: https://app.lapentor.com/sphere/sauna-is-life
Photographer Lars Tunbjörk
April 28 – July 7, 2024
Photographer Lars Tunbjörk saw Sweden like no other. His camera eye was sharply revealing and ironic, but not without tenderness. He saw the country from the perspective of the periphery. Always Borås. His gaze was new because he showed what was invisible to us: the image of ourselves and our society.
From Borås, Lars Tunbjörk's career spanned the entire world. His way of seeing became so powerful that people spoke of a ""tunbjörkare"" as if it were a separate genre.
The images that raised so many questions have been integrated into our collective memory. It is photography as story, documentation and outstanding art.
Lars Tunbjörk (1956-2015) has been exhibited extensively in Sweden and abroad. He is represented in collections around the world, including at Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris, and The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Tunbjörk also published more than 10 photography books. This exhibition was produced by Embassy of Sweden in Washington in collaboration with Lars Tunbjörk Foundation.
Honoring Craftmanship in Silver
July 13 – November 13, 2024
Sylvsmidja is the leading manufacturer of silver jewelry in Norway. For more than 80 years Sylvsmidja has perfected their work to honor Norwegian Culture and heritage with products with origin from the 700s to beautiful contemporary jewelry with inspiration from the Nordic nature. Sylvsmidja is Norway’s largest producer of Bunad Silver. The work is rooted in long traditions of high-quality craftsmanship in addition to broad knowledge of the history and traditions necessary. The skilled craftsmen have for nearly a century perfected the production of authentic bunad silver for all regions of Norway that will last for generations.
The Norwegian national costume is called Bunad - a sign of identity and a profound statement of tradition. Each piece of fabric has a history, a meaning, and a group of people that it represents. Each piece of jewelry, or Bunad Silver, from the brooches to the silver clasps on the vests, has just as much meaning and care put into it.
In the exhibit, you’ll learn more about the history of Sylvsmidja. The exhibit will highlight a range of traditional Bunad Silver styles that correspond with the various regional folk costumes in Norway. It will include the well-known Sølje, and other the pieces of Bunad Silver with filigree and dangling silver spoons.