Houses of Tove Jansson is the first exhibition of its kind and the largest in central Europe and France to explore the life and career of the late Finnish artist and writer, and Moomin creator – Tove Jansson. The exhibition includes works that have not been publicly on display before, as well as newly commissioned artworks by leading contemporary artists.
Opening in Paris, France, on September 29 during Paris Fashion Week and extending through Paris+, par Art Basel to October 28, the exhibition is curated by The Community, a Parisian art institution, in collaboration with the artist’s estate and Moomin Characters. Houses of Tove Jansson will be the largest exhibition in central Europe and France to explore the artist’s vast life and career. The exhibition is the first of its kind, providing new takes on the artist’s heritage as seen through the eyes of a diverse group of contemporary artists. It also showcases works and ephemera that have not been displayed publicly before.
“Tove Jansson lived an unconventional life and this is an unconventional exhibition. The exhibition is mounted in a townhouse instead of a museum or gallery. It will featue both a wide array of Tove Jansson’s important works as well as works by contemporary artists inspired by Tove’s life. The exhibition will also feature programming, a reading room and capsule collections created exclusively for this exhibition. It’s an attempt to bring the breadth of Tove’s creative output to new audiences and longtime admirers,” says James Zambra, who is creative director at Moomin Characters and part of the third generation of the Jansson family to work at the company.
Tove Jansson, Smoking girl (Self portrait), 1940. Oil. © Tove Jansson Estate
Paris, a lifelong love affair
Opening in Paris, the Houses of Tove Jansson exhibition takes place in a city that played an important role throughout Tove Jansson’s life. Paris was the city where her parents met when both studied art and Tove continued in their footsteps, studying art at École des Beaux-Arts and L’Atélier Holy.
Paris had an important place in Tove Jansson’s heart, and she travelled there repeatedly both in her youth as a young art student and later in life, with her life partner Tuulikki Pietilä, who had several residencies and worked there for months at a time.
Five stories full of Tove’s life
The venue of the exhibition is a five-story Parisian townhouse located at 16 Avenue Foch in the 16th arrondissement of Paris.
Walking through five stories filled with art and objects from the artist’s studio, the audience gets to experience various themes that were central to Tove Jansson’s life and artistic output. The fourth floor of the exhibition space focuses on the archipelago, which can be seen as Jansson’s second home. The sea was a constant source of inspiration for her, as seen both in her paintings and in books like Moominpappa at Sea, where the sea almost becomes a character in its own right.
Moomin in many forms
Starting with the early development of Tove Jansson’s visual language and narrative style, the exhibition will bring together key works of her career, including a selection of Jansson’s paintings, drawings, illustrations, and texts, some of which will be on show for the first time.
Moomin fans will be able to explore how Tove Jansson expanded her Moomin stories into different art forms and commercial products, including theatre, comics, and merchandising.
“Our aim is to keep Tove Jansson’s work alive and relevant, ensuring that her legacy continues to inspire and delight future generations. By partnering with The Community in creating this exhibition, we believe we can offer audiences a new way of seeing and experiencing her work”, says James Zambra.
Houses of Tove opens in Paris, France, on September 29 during Paris Fashion Week and extends through Paris+, par Art Basel, to October 28. The exhibition will be free but require registration.