Art Attack: Coco Chanel Meets Marilyn Monroe at Kämp Galleria, Helsinki

K1 Kämp Galleria Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki 

20 August- 20 December 2020

 

Due to the majority of art events in Helsinki have been canceled after the lockdown since March 15th, the debut photography exhibitions open to the public in August at the renewed Kämp Galleria offer the residents a lovely magic. The new space of the Finnish Museum of Photography is located on the ground floor of Kämp Galleria (K1 for Kämp and in Finnish Kerros 1 as Floor 1) presents the legendary fashion designer Coco Chanel and Hollywood actress Marilyn by the Canadian photographer Douglas Kirkland (b. 1934). Kirkland had a long career in Hollywood and he photographed Marilyn Monroe and Coco Chanel when he was working for LOOK magazine in New York at the beginning of the 1960s.

 

These photographic series introduce two very different iconic women who understood the power of the visual in creating impressions. After the photo shoot for the legendary series An Evening with Marilyn, Marilyn Monroe, furiously, cut all the negatives into pieces that did not live up to her high expectations. Coco Chanel, on the other hand, already at a mature age, did not let Kirkland observe her at the Paris Fashion Week until the young photographer had proven his skills in fashion industry.

Viewed from post-modern perspective, the photo shoots of Marilyn and Chanel give an intriguing glimpse into an era in which large-circulation magazines and advertising had transformed the photograph into an essential promoter of modern global consumer culture. The two narrative photographic series dating back 60 years embody both Hollywood’s adoration of movie stars and the history of Parisian fashion. The entrance of K1 Kämp Galleria placing a large bed covered with off-white bed sheets, stimulates the An Evening with Marilyn shooting setting, for the wall of Marilyn, the crimson hue indicates the rouge she loves to apply, or, the indication of her mysterious death. Coco Chanel created the iconic the ‘Little Black Dress’, released the bag from mere hands to shoulders and tailored the padded jackets into tweeds; her black-and-white signature design inspire the monotone of K1 Kämp Galleria exhibition. 

 

With rich memoir of Marilyn and Chanel, the curators of K1 fail to illustrate more detailed information of each Douglas Kirkland’s photography. The visitors can easily pass through a simply 100 square-meters exhibition space and terminate the whole journey within 15 minutes, spending 12 EURO admission fee, in mind without loading any further informative knowledge. K1 as well forgets the insightful introduction to Doulas Kirkland’s education background, his contribution to LOOK magazine in New York, or the process and ‘quotes’ to work with Chanel or Marilyn, puts the photographer an invisible being; though K1 Kämp Galleria fiercely promotes the photographer’s name at entire Helsinki centre for the whole summer 2020. 

 

At rear section of the exhibition, Finnish multi-media artist MUNALISSU mocks the British royal family, plays the fashion outfits in a rather humour way and develops Trump era yet to another funny satire level. I have a lot of fun and discover Munalissu highly comic.