Last year a new Finnish Tom of Finland archive with partners Wäinö Aaltonen Museum in Turku, and Åbo Akademi University.

Now created is a cooperative project involving Tom of Finland Foundation, Los Angeles; Åbo Akademi; Wäinö Aaltonen Museum and Homotopia, Liverpool.

Helsinki has a key role, as Tom lived and worked here a long time. It began on Saturday with the establishment of a new Tom of Finland Society (Tom of Finland Seura).

Two audio interviews in English tell what is going on.

Tom of Finlandin perintöä vaalitaan Los Angelesissa Tom of Finland –säätiössä. Siellä on suuri Tomin taiteen kokoelma. Turkuun perustettiin viime vuonna uusi suomalainen Tom of Finlandin arkisto, ja Väinö Aaltosen museo kokoaa Tomin taidetta. Nyt lauantaina oli Tom of Finland –seuran perustamiskokous. Seuralla tulee olemaan erityisiä tehtäviä varainkeruussa ja Tomin elämäntyön ja ihanteiden vaalimisessa.
Suomessa vierailulla olevat Gary Everett Liverpoolista ja Durk Dehner Los Angelesista kertovat seuraavissa kahdessa haastattelussa, mitä on käynnissä. Haastattelut on tehty tänään. Mielenkiintoisia näköaloja tarjoaa Durk Dehner, kun hän on ehdottanut mm. taideopiskelijoiden vaihto-ohjelmia Suomen ja Los Angelesin säätiön välillä.

Gary Everett on Liverpoolista ja hän johtaa Homotopia-nimistä kulttuuritapahtumaa, joka järjestetään vuosittain. Mukana on teatteria, tanssia, performanssitaidetta ja visuaalista taidetta. Se on aina marraskuussa. Homotopia luo kansainvälisiä kontakteja, ja niistä yksi esimerkki oli Tom of Finland –näyttely Turussa viime vuonna. Tulevan syksyn festivaali marraskuussa kestää koko kuukauden. On 35 tapahtumaa ja kolme näyttelyä. Kansainvälisiä tähtiä on mukana. Nyt täällä Suomen vierailun aikana käytiin myös Turussa, kun siellä on käynnistetty Tom of Finland –arkisto –projekti. Partnerina on Väinö Aaltosen museo Turussa, samoin Åbo akademi. Nyt on siis syntynyt yhteistyöhanke, jossa ovat mukana Los Angelesin Tom of Finland –säätiö, Åbo akademi, Väinö Aaltonen –museo ja Homotopia.

Tom of Finland

“Tom of Finland” Through December 18 at Logomo Exhibition Center Turku, Finland

As part of a highly successful year as European Capital of Culture, Turku, Finland, has been hosting this one-of-a-kind retrospective celebrating the work of local bad boy Tom of Finland (né Touko Laaksonen). Featuring both early sketches and later greater works, the show is curated by Gary Everett, artistic director of Liverpool’s Homotopia, and features pieces from Tom of Finland Foundation’s permanent collection in Los Angeles.

Queerty

[Tom's voice being heard to this day in contemporary Finnish politics.]

Prospect of dancing gays keeps MP away from Independence Day reception

True Finns MP Pentti Oinonen has announced that he will not attend the President’s annual Independence Day reception on December 6th this year. Oinonen said that he would not be comfortable at a party attended only by people who are well off.

Another reason why Oinonen is staying away from the reception is the prospect of homosexuals dancing at the reception. At last year’s reception, controversy was raised by the sight of actor Jani Toivola (who is now a Green MP) dancing a waltz with Kenneth Liukkonen, winner of the Mr. Gay Finland 2010 competition. At least three other same-sex couples were spotted on the dance floor that night. He explained his decision by quoting a recently-deceased war veteran. “He said that he would not have fought on behalf of Finnish independence if he would have known that homosexuals would be dancing at the Independence Day celebration. That is a shocking experience for a veteran.”

Oinonen’s comments led to a flurry of activity in the social media, where many pointed out that one of Finland’s internationally known gay figures, Touko Laaksonen, better known as the artist Tom of Finland, was a decorated war veteran. Researcher Kati Mustola points out that there were gays fighting for Finland in the war. She also noted that in the exceptional conditions of the war, even some heterosexuals had homosexual relationships. “He [Oinonen] insults gay veterans and all homosexuals”, Mustola says.

The Finnish Association of War Veterans says that it does not want to take issue with the opinions of individual citizens, “especially in a matter like this”. “We have been involved in defending freedom of speech, and now freedom of speech prevails in Finland”, says the association’s chairman Aarno Strömmer.

One veteran, Niilo Läksy from Iisalmi, dismisses Oinonen’s objections to same-sex dancing as “propaganda.” “People my age and older still look askance [at homosexuals], but Oinonen is so much younger that one would imagine that he would have a more liberal view”, says 86-year-old Läksy.

True Finns MPs have voiced criticism at President Tarja Halonen after she commented on the results of a survey by Helsingin Sanomat on Finnish attitudes toward racism. “People who recognise racism in themselves have ended up voting for the True Finns”, Halonen said in the interview. “Feedback from voters has been overwhelming against Halonen’s statement”, says party chairman Timo Soini. However, Pentti Kettunen, deputy chairman of the party’s parliamentary group, does not feel that there has been any increase in anti-Halonen sentiment among the True Finns. MP Pentti Oinonen agrees, although he says that the racism comment was irritating.

HELSINGIN SANOMAT – INTERNATIONAL EDITION

The world premiere of Mies Mikkonen’s film will be held at the Vinokino Film Festival  where it will have the priviledge of being the opening film of the festival (ahead of the feature TAXI ZUM KLO).

Ticket prices: 7/5€, lower price for members of Seta and Seta’s member  organizations.  Four tickets for 25€, when bought together.

Ticket  sales open one hour  before first screening. Tickets also sold in advance through this site from the 26th of September onwards.

Vinokino täyttää 20 vuotta, tervetuloa mukaan juhlimaan!

Turun seudun Setan järjestämä Vinokino on Suomen ainoa vain lesbo- ja homoelokuvia esittävä elokuvafestivaali. Vinokinon festivaalikaupungit 2011 ovat Turku, Helsinki, Oulu ja Jyväskylä. Vinokino on tarkoitettu kaikille hyvistä elokuvista kiinnostuneille. Ihan kaikille.

Vinokino celebrates its 20th year, join the party!

TuSeta’s Vinokino is Finland’s only lesbian and gay film festival. In 2011 the Vinokino festival cities are Turku, Helsinki, Tampere, Oulu and Jyväskylä. Vinokino is meant for all those interested in great movies. Each and everyone.

The director, Mies Mikkonen, thanks the director of photography Rami Airola, editor Katja Niemi, sound designer Petri Erkkilä, production manager Alina Peussa, Tom of Finland Foundation, Homotopia Arts-Festival and everyone connected to the film.

We are very pleased with your enthusiasm in bringing this exhibition to Turku Finland. There are many roads we can speak of as time passes , yet what I am here to tell you is that exhibitions from Toms Foundation that are exhibited within Finland brings forth a passion that will be evident in this exhibition. I think the world of Mr Everett and all that his Homotopia does in the world of culture of the queer communities of the world. The exact exhibition that traveled to Liverpool has sense then been dismantled and so with the sense of this new one traveling to Turko , a city close to where he was born and raised, and Scotland where Toms men would be hewn by a cruder blade, yet mind you the men do were skirts. Always keeping the jest in it as Tom taught us well, laughter only makes the sex all the better. You will have a most remarkable exhibit and so let us now begin to discuss sizes and quantity. I think if we examine the previous exhibit and its size that will also make the new task somewhat simpler.