A Glimpse of the Garden – Päivi Setälä

The theme of the A Glimpse of the Garden exhibition is a variation on garden and plant motifs—the lush greenery of a humid greenhouse, a fleeting glimmer of light.

Although the garden theme frequently recurs in Setälä’s images, in this exhibition, it takes a secondary role. The photographs originate from an exploration of different aspects of photographic expression: the interplay between sharpness and blur, and the boundaries of exposure. For example, the series Exercises in Tolerating Blur investigates the attraction to both pleasing softness and sharp precision in photography. The exhibition also contemplates the very act of seeing—how vision focuses, how individuals perceive differently at different ages and times. Sometimes, everything appears blurry and difficult to grasp, while at other times, it is almost too sharp.

Various finishing techniques have been applied to the photographs. The aim is not to create a stylistically uniform exhibition but rather to explore photographic expression through different materials and presentation conventions. How does photographic expression manifest in material, in the moment of capture, in technique, and in display? How diverse is the expressive potential of a garden?

The works in the exhibition were created this year. They cover the cycle of the garden’s seasons from summer to summer and were all photographed in a single yard. The A Glimpse of the Garden exhibition has been supported by the Satakunta Arts Committee and serves as a parallel exhibition to Päivi Setälä’s Soapwort, Rosebud, and Beauty exhibition, which is simultaneously on display at the Korsman House.

Translated with ChatGPT