Kasper Bosmans Presents Legend Paintings and Installations at Kunsthalle Kohta in Helsinki

Belgian artist Kasper Bosmans, born in 1990 and based in Brussels, is holding his first exhibition in a Nordic country at Kunsthalle Kohta in Helsinki. The show features a range of works, including smaller legend paintings executed in gouache and silver point on poplar panels, as well as immersive painting installations, sculptures, and larger paintings. A central theme involves the interplay between visual and verbal elements, with Bosmans exploring ambiguity in translating images into words. Key pieces include the diptych 'Tails' (2022), which references Paul Thek's 1969 work 'Dwarf Parade Table', and 'Odinn Always Winking (One Blue Eye)' (2024), an enamel painting depicting the Norse god Odin with stylized outlines. Bosmans, hailing from Limburg, a Dutch-speaking Belgian province, expresses fascination with Odin as a liminal figure, portraying him in bed with ravens Huginn and Muninn. Other notable works address themes like hibernation and history, such as 'Drowsy and Torpid for Love' (2022) and 'History in the Making' (2024). The exhibition includes newer paintings like 'Great Shoes to Fill' (2026) and 'Ass' (2026), which incorporate motifs like pea pods and references to classical antiquity. A mural titled 'Folds (Sea, Outside, Plow, Bunk)' (2026) wraps around the gallery walls, integrating landscape elements with blanket motifs. Bosmans's practice emphasizes detailed storytelling through images, though he notes contemporary challenges in interpreting visual cues. The works are on loan from Gladstone Gallery and Mendes Wood DM in Brussels, along with the artist himself. The exhibition highlights Bosmans's engagement with legends, queer perspectives, and the tension between form and narrative in contemporary art.