Yesterday a new webshop for Finnish art called “Taiko” opened to the public. The idea was born when the founders visited an artist that had hundreds of unsold works on stock. Any effort to make it easier for both the artists and the general public to find each other is already a laudable effort. After all, Finland is a small market and space for exhibitions is highly sought after. But the site is also very professionally and nicely done, including a feature to upload a photo from your living room to test how the work looks at the wall…
Works from over 250 artists are now on display. The selection has been curated and is of high quality. The range of works on display goes from paintings and graphics to (yes!) photographs and sculptures. And, as you are asking me already (cough), of course yours truly is there with (for now) ten photographs. That includes also the “Dragon” shown at the top of the post. Once I find the time, I might add some more works. So, if you are still looking for the little extra Christmas present, there is still time!
For me, however, it is also a nice aspect that behind the scene at Taiko are really nice people at work. People who are enthusiastic and knowledgable, the kind of let’s-do-it-and-do-it-right kind of people. In times where my country makes headlines in art mainly with the Guggenheim Museum disaster it is refreshing to see that Finnish art is alive and kickin’.
If one looks at art only from a market perspective, all these artists and works seem to compete for your attention, wallet and wall space. But that is not at all how I see myself or the site. I think the site is a beautiful window into the creativity that blooms in this country. So I really enjoy to just browse the site and look at and admire the work my colleagues have done. And we are all so different! I mentioned it recently, but it is worth repeating. Art is no sport or competition. Even if we have this urge to rank and valuate everything, the real value of art for all of us lies in its diversity. “Who is the greatest, Bach, Mozart or Beethoven ?” is in the end a meaningless question. I am just glad we have all three of them.
So, even if you are not into buying right now, you might go treat yourself and have a walk through the art garden at Taiko. Because that is what collectively art is: a garden full of wonders that in the end will leave you refreshed, inspired and enriched.