The ABC of Capitalism

Bury Sculpture Centre is delighted to present a solo exhibition by Finnish artist Riiko Sakkinen that considers narratives of Capitalism which includes The School of Capitalism for Kids and Hero’s of Capitalism.

Specially commissioned for Bury Sculpture Centre, The ABC of Capitalism, runs from 12 November 2016 to 18 March 2017.

The exhibition includes new work by Sakkinen and is the Sculpture Centre’s second exhibition featuring Finnish artwork since the popular New Narrative and Reader show in 2015. It continues Bury Art Museum & Sculpture Centre’s long standing practice of bringing international contemporary artworks to Bury.

In his exhibition, Sakkinen looks at the nature of capitalism and its relationship with democracy, freedom, society and culture. He explains: “Capitalism is not a school subject in the UK or other capitalist countries. Children and even many adults don’t understand the mechanisms of capitalism, the world where they live their lives. Through this exhibition I hope to rectify this by teaching the basics of a capitalistic system to visitors.” The show features The School of Capitalism for kids a temporary ‘classroom’ where visitors can imagine being instructed on the ways of capitalism, alongside three murals of Disney figures praising the joys of capitalism.

The main body of work in the exhibition is made up of a series of portraits called Heroes of Capitalism which celebrates people who have shaped and defended capitalism, from politicians and generals to philosophers and business magnates. Sakkinen is painting 13 huge portraits for Heroes of Capitalism, all of them created on site at Bury Art Museum & Sculpture Centre as they would be too large to transport to the UK.

Sakkinen is the founder of Turbo Realism, a 21st century art movement which depicts the globalized capitalism with a mocking verisimilitude. He does drawings, paintings, murals, objects, slideshows, installations and interventions about the consumer culture from fast-food to prostitution and from hypermarkets to drug cartels. His work has been featured in Museum of Modern Art, New York; Camden Arts Centre, London; Musac Museum of Contemporary Art, Leon, Spain; Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki and Beijing 798 Biennale. The ABC of Capitalism will be his first solo show in the UK.

A preview of the exhibition will be held on Saturday 12 November from 1:30pm – 3:30pm and will include a live interactive performance which visitors are welcome to take part in. RSVP by contacting Bury Art Museum at artgallery@bury.gov.uk or on 0161 253 5878.