A look inside the Uhanalaiset (Endangered) solo exhibition at Korkeasaari Zoo's Karhulinna in 2015.
UHANALAISET
|| ENDANGERED
Art Exhibition in the Helsinki Zoo, Korkeasaari, Finland
30.7.-14.9.2015
In the summer of 2015, the Karhulinna at Korkeasaari: Helsinki Zoo hosted a unique solo exhibition titled Uhanalaiset / Endangered by visual artist Elli Maanpää. This collection offered a poignant look at conservation by repainting iconic masterpieces from Finnish art history, replacing their human subjects with the endangered animals protected by the zoo.
These works were meticulous tributes that mimicked the original classics "to a tee". One standout piece reimagined Helene Schjerfbeck’s The Convalescent, but instead of a fragile child, it featured a young Emperor Tamarin holding the symbolic green sprig. Another bold work payed homage to the legendary Tom of Finland, but replaced the human figure with a Red Panda, expertly rendered in a greyscale acrylic palette to reflect the original artist's graphite style.
By placing these vulnerable species at the center of such recognizable cultural symbols, the exhibition invited visitors to consider the value of wildlife through the lens of our shared artistic heritage.
Elli Maanpää - Solo Show
Artist Elli Maanpää posing next to the Uhanalaiset exhibition poster at Helsinki Zoo.
A baby admires the animal-inspired art during the 2015 exhibition.
Available paintings from this exhibition in my Holvi Art Shop here.