Dalí in middle of nowhere

As I mentioned in the previous post, I and my family visited Salvador Dalí exhibition in Kivikeskus, a Finnish centre for rock and stone industry (not rock and roll industry :).

The centre is located in the rural Eastern Finland, quite near the Russian border — from perspective of a foreigner. Locals would say that Juuka is on the western border of North Carelia, far away from Russia.

The exhibition was surprisingly big; there were several statues and most probably over hundred sheets of graphic of different techniques. The collection is owned by a patron, who has some housing industry plant in the Middle Finland.

The settings were properly surreal. The vast, private collection of not-so-easy art of Dalí, was exhibited in the rural Finland, 70 kilometers from the nearest city (of 50,000 inhabitants). The place was surprisingly packed with people, most probably from the nearby Koli national park and hotel.

It was pleasurable visit, driving small dirt roads (Iain Banks would say great wee roads) through idyllic Finnish countryside — mostly forest and some fields here and there — and then ending up to a sleek, modern exhibition space filled with enjoyable art. We visited also the soapstone quarry, the ground zero for all stone related activities in Juuka.