Art exhibition on nature and poaching moves visitors to tears in Lapinlahti

An art exhibition at Taidemuseo Eemil in Lapinlahti, North Savo, has moved visitors to tears, with some leaving in emotional states, according to museum director Riitta Marin.

The exhibition, titled Eränkävijän luonto (Nature of the Wilderness Wanderer), explores themes of nature, hiking, and hunting. The subject is particularly sensitive in Lapinlahti, where Finland’s largest poaching case was uncovered over three years ago. The case, involving the illegal hunting of protected species such as wolves and swans, was recently addressed by the Eastern Finland Court of Appeals in early July.

Raili Virranta, secretary of the museum’s support association, Taidemuseo Eemilin ystävät, said the exhibition allows visitors to reflect on the poaching events through art without direct discussion. “Here, you can look and ponder things without conversation,” Virranta noted, adding that the display might even help “clear the atmosphere” in the community.

Virranta was particularly struck by photographs and videos of the Sani wolf pack by Katja and Seppo Ronkainen.

The exhibition was developed in response to requests from the public and artists, according to museum curator Hannu Heikkilä. The idea took shape after the poaching scandal came to light, and discussions with colleagues from other Eastern Finnish art museums further influenced its formation.

The display features works from over 20 artists, including loans from the Kuopio Art Museum Kumu, Mikkeli Art Museum, and Varkaus Konst. Heikkilä described the process of selecting the pieces as “detective work,” aiming to include both older and contemporary works that offer diverse perspectives on the theme.

Research revealed that most Finnish artists who depicted hunting and wilderness lived in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The museum also explored how contemporary artists engage with nature, finding inspiration in both tangible landscapes and myths, stories, and imagination.

Heikkilä highlighted Alwar Cavén’s Metsästäjän kotiinpaluu (The Hunter’s Return) as a personal favorite. Most visitors to Eemil come from the Helsinki metropolitan area and the Kuopio region, a trend Heikkilä attributes to the museum’s location along the busy Highway 5.