On All Fours – Expressing Babyhood

The exhibition is an experiential spatial installation designed particularly for infants and their families. Visitors can enter the exhibition on all fours through a baby door. In a video projected on the wall, babies can be seen moving and interacting with each other, and the patterns of their motions are paralleled by an sculptural installation on the floor. The sculptural pieces are like cushions, and the audience is free to crawl on and manipulate them. The pieces have lines on their surface that echo the movements of babies, and they also include components that produce sounds and feel different to the touch. The motions expressed by the lines are based on recorded movements of participants in the Experiential Colour Workshop for Babies.

The show references a previous exhibition at Pori Art Museum, Yukinori Yanagi’s Wandering Position from 1998, in which the artist followed the movements of an ant. On All Fours puts the baby in the centre as the subject, starting point and object of the exhibition. How does an infant experience art?
The exhibition revolves around the concept of co-authoring. The featured artists Annina Cerón, Kirsi Jaakkola, Sanna Pajunen-Kyynäräinen, Annukka Olli, Päivi Setälä, Veijo Setälä are all professionals and experts who work in the Pori Centre for Children’s Culture, babies are experts in babyhood and heroes of their own motion.

Some aspects of the exhibition can only be experienced by infants. Grown-ups need to be willing to immerse themselves in play that may yield new insights. Let the babies guide you!

The exhibition is produced by Pori Centre for Children’s Culture.