Kouvola cultural centre may set visitor record amid Särestöniemi forgery suspicion

A cultural centre in Kouvola, Finland, may break its visitor record this summer, with its Reidar Särestöniemi exhibition drawing around 10,000 people so far, according to director Tuomas Hoikkala.

Hoikkala told Yle that the centre, located by Lake Vuohijärvi, typically attracts about 10,000 visitors in a summer, but last year’s Särestöniemi exhibition brought in some 20,000. This year’s show, open until the end of August, could surpass that.

“It’s incredible that the building and the nearly 100-car parking lot are full again today,” Hoikkala said.

The exhibition gained extra attention earlier this summer when a suspected forgery was removed from the display and sent to the National Gallery for examination. The investigation is ongoing.

Hoikkala suggested that media coverage of the forgery suspicion may have boosted attendance, but he believes the enduring appeal of Särestöniemi himself is the primary draw.

“I think Särestöniemi has become a lasting favourite. People are captivated by the shamanism and vibrant colours in his work,” he said.

The works on display are on loan from the Kirsi and Keio Eerikäinen Art Foundation. The suspected forgery was not part of the foundation’s collection but belonged to a private individual.

Visitors like Eeva-Liisa Malmgren and Veli-Matti Koho said they were drawn by Särestöniemi’s art, not the forgery controversy. “The forgery suspicion was interesting, but it was still a side note,” Koho said.

Talvetar Bloigu, who travelled from Joensuu, praised the depth and breadth of Särestöniemi’s painting style. “There’s so much symbolism and mysticism. You feel like you want to stay with one piece for a long time before moving to the next,” she said.