HELSINKI
The Borrow photographic art service (Lainaa valokuvataidetta) arrives at the Töölö Library in Helsinki on January 17, 2020. A Helmet library card will allow you to borrow 24 works from the collections of eight different photographers.
The artists of the works at the Töölö Library are Lina Jelanski, Ulla Jokisalo, Jussi Kivi, Heli Rekula, Aura Saarikoski, Noora Sandgren, Heidi Strengell and Otto-Ville Väätäinen.
The collection of 24 works was compiled by photographic artist and writer Hanna Weselius. The theme of the collection is the nowness of photography and how it seeks and produces information about the world.
“I have selected works by both young and older photographers, with interlocking documentary and conceptual aspects, photograph and text, as well as different kinds of materiality. Political and social messages may also be present, not by preaching but by showing and asking questions,” says Hanna Weselius in a statement.
The works can be borrowed, returned and reserved in the 2nd-floor library hall of the Töölö Library. The loan period for one work is 28 days and the loan can be renewed three times. The works can also be purchased online.
“The library is a natural place for access to culture and art. The library is also a low-threshold place where everyone is welcome. Extensive opening hours allow access to culture seven days a week,” says Anne Ala-Honkola, chief librarian at the Töölö Library.
Borrow photographic art is a joint service of the Arts Promotion Centre Finland, the Association of Photographic Artists and the Helsinki City Library that experiments with the lending of serial art as a part of library services. The trial will run until the end of 2020. The service has previously been tested in Turku, where photographic works were available for loan at the Turku Main Library.
