Kenneth Bamberg’s filmed survivor testimonies and Ville Vuorenmaa’s surreal watercolours open at Laikku

According to the City of Tampere, two solo exhibitions open at Culture House Laikku in Tampere on 14 November. One is by Kenneth Bamberg and documents five Nordic men who survived suicide attempts, while the other, by Ville Vuorenmaa, blends everyday scenes with absurd humour.

Bamberg's installation features filmed monologues by five men who speak directly to camera about their pasts, how they live now and what helps them keep going. Each testimony is a single uncut take, subtitled in English and shown alongside photographs. Bamberg is from Åland and dedicated the project to his brother Christian. His earlier work has examined masculinity and male violence, and he received the A Man’s Work prize from the Advisory Board for Equality in 2022.

Ville Vuorenmaa presents comic-like watercolour paintings in which inanimate objects and everyday moments slip into the surreal. The works mix personal emotion, fictional characters and occasional self-portraiture. The exhibition title references Jane Marple and Nico’s album The Marble Index, and Vuorenmaa brings experience as both a visual artist and a songwriter to the show.

The openings follow earlier autumn exhibitions at Culture House Laikku, including two October shows exploring drawing and everyday materials Laikku’s October programme and an August pair that looked at memory and art made from salvaged materials the August exhibitions.

The exhibitions run from 14 November to 20 December 2026 at Culture House Laikku (Keskustori 4). Admission is free. Opening hours are Tuesday to Friday 9am to 8pm, and Saturday and Sunday 10am to 6pm.