Born in 1964 in Helsinki, Finland. Lives and works in Berlin, Germany.
Education
1999 Master of Arts in Photography, University of Art and Design Helsinki
(now Aalto University – School of Arts, Design and Architecture)
1988-1992 University of Helsinki, Department of Journalism
Solo Exhibitions (selected)
2017 Ola Kolehmainen, Helsinki Art Museum, FI
2017 Sketches of Spain, Galeria Senda, ES
2017 Sketches of Spain, Studio Session, Gallery Forsblom FI
2017 It Never Entered My Mind, Galleri Brandstrup, NO
2017 Sinan Project, Borusan Contemporary, Istanbul, TUR
2015 Purdy Hicks Gallery, London, UK
2015 Sense of Volume, Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, FI
2014 Reason and Intuition, Museum Pitzhanger Manor Hause and Gallery, London, UK
2014 Geometric Light - including color installation by Sauerbruch-Hutton Architects, Haus am Waldsee Museum, Berlin, DE
2012 Enlightenment, Alvar Aalto Museum, Jyväskylä, FI
2012 Gallerie Brandstrup, Oslo, NO
2011 Rohmaterial: Saubruch-Hutton, Gallery TAIK, Berlin, DE
2010 Deutsche Werkstätten, Dresden, DE
2010 Alvar Aalto, Galeria Senda, Barcelona, ES
2010 17th Biennale of Sydney, AUS
2010 Colour Urban Structures, Galerie Artfinder, Hamburg, DE
2010 Galerie Vanguardia, Bilbao, ES
2010 Galerie Brandstrup, Oslo, NO
2010 A Building is not a Building, KUNTSI, Museum of Modern Art, Wasa, FI
2009 A Building is not a Building, KIASMA, Helsinki, FI
2009 A Building is not a Building, The National Museum of Photography, Copenhagen, DK
2009 A Building is not a Building, New Art Gallery Walsall, UK
2009 Ola Kolehmainen, Jyrki Parantainen, ACE Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
2008 Ola Kolehmainen, PurdyHicks Gallery, London, UK
2008 Ola Kolehmainen, Galerie Senda, Barcelona, ES
2007 Mirrors and Windows, Sint-Lukas galerij, Brussels, BE
2007 Ola Kolehmainen and Pertti Kekarainen, Galleri Brandstrup, Oslo, NO
2006 Espace des deux arbres, Artothèque de Caen, Caen, France, FR
2006 Fraction, Abstraction, Recreation, Galería Salvador Díaz, Madrid, ES
2006 Arquitectura en dos dimensions, SEA, Castillo de Santa Bárbara, Alicante, ES
2005 Space is Unknown, Galerie dominique fiat, Paris, FR
2004 Search for Mastery, Museum Waldhof, Kunstverein Bielefeld, Bielefeld, DE
2004 Construction II, Galerie sphn, Berlin, DE
2003 Construction, Galerie Anhava, Helsinki, FI
2001 The Yellow Staircase, site-specific public work commissioned by Helsinki Festivals, Helsinki, FI
2000 Golden Hall, i8 galleri, Reykjavik, IS
1999 Pyramid, gallery installation, Zinc Gallery, Stockholm, SE
1998 Portaikko-Trappan, gallery installation, Galleria Kari Kenetti, Helsinki, FI
Group Exhibitions (selected)
2017 Lichtblicke – Zeitgenössische Kunst aus Finland, Kunstverein KunstHaus Potsdam, DE
2014 Swedish Grace, Jacksons Desgin, Berlin, DE
2014 Le vol en provence d’Helsinki, Le19 Centre Régional d’Art Contemporain, Montelébiard, FR
2014 Art from Elsewhere, Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, UK
2014 Summer Group Show, Gallery Bryce Wolkowitz, New York City, USA
2014 Topological Constellation Art and Architecture I, DNA Galerie, Berlin, DE
2014 Within / Beyond Borders, European Investment Bank & Banco de Portugal, Lisbon, PT
2014 Encounters with Aalto, Jacksons Desgin, Berlin, DE
2014 Spuren der Moderne, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg, DE
2013 Inside Outside Architecture, Nasjonalmuseet for Kunst, Oslo, NO
2013 Now and Then - the first five countries of the ECB’s exhibition series,
European Central Bank, Frankfurt, DE
2013 If Walls Could Speak, Huize Frankendael, Amsterdam, NL
2013 Stadt in Sicht - Werke aus der Sammlung Deutsche Bank, Museum Ostwall im Dortmunder U, Dortmund, DE
2013 Metropolis: Reflections on the modern city, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery,
Waterhall, Birmingham, UK
2012 The First Kyiv International Biennale of Contemporary Art, Arsenale 2012, Kiev, UA
2012 Alles nur Fassade? Architektur als Abstraktion. Galerie Beck & Eggeling, Düsseldorf, DE
2012 Helsinki Abstract, Galerie Ruzischka, Salzburg, AT
2012 Segment 1A. Borusan Collection, Istanbul, TR
2011 Helsinki School, Christophe Guye Galerie, Zurich, CH
2011 Purdy Hicks Gallery, London, UK
2011 Facade: Through a Glass Darkly, National Glass Centre, University of Sunderland, UK
2011 Verortung. Die Frage nach dem Raum in der zeitgenössischen Kunst.
Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, DE
2010 Export – Import, Kunsthalle Helsinki, FI
2009 Auf der Spitze des Eisbergs – Neue Fotografie aus Finnland, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, DE
2008 Mois de la Photo, Galerie Baudoin Lebon, Paris, FR
2008 En Privat 1, Esbaluard, museu dʼart modern I contemporani de palma, Palma de Majorca, ES
2008 Artistas y Fotógrafos – Imágenes para una colección, Museo de Madrid Arte Contemporáneo,
Madrid, ES
2008 Nessuna onda può pettinare il mare, Fotografia Italiana, Milan, IT
2007 Drei Farben – Weiss, Thema: Equality, XIV. Rohkunstbau, Schloss Gross Leuthen, Spreewald, DE
2007 The Helsinki School of Photography, Purdy Hicks Gallery, London, UK
2007 Photo Finnish: The Helsinki School, The Stenersen Museum, Oslo, NO
2006 Intersection—Between Past and Future, Pori Art Museum, FI
2006 Ideal Cities—Invisible Cities, Zamo, PL
2006 Vad är fotografi?- The Helsinki School, Borås Konst Museum, Borås, SE
2006 Nordic Cut- The Helsinki School, Art Pavilion, Zagreb, Croatia, HR
2006 Opterracuna: Anton Henning, Ole Kolehmainen, Sven Kroner, Anj Smith, Robert Miller Gallery,
New York, USA
2005 Premio Extraordinario de Fotografia, Fundacion Aena, Madrid, ES
2005 The Helsinki School—A New Approach, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, DE
2005 The Helsinki School—A New Approach, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, SE
2004 Galería Salvador Díaz, Madrid, ES
2004 Contemporary finnish photography, galerie | christian roellin, St. Gallen, CH
2002 Le Bâti et le Vivant (The Built and the Living), Chapelle du Rham, LU
2002 Brussels—Helsinki, La Maison dʼArt Actuel des Chartreux, Brussels, BE
2002 Helsinki—Brussels, Valkoinen Sali, Helsinki, FI
2002 New Pictures—Brotherus, Kella, Kolehmainen, Lajunen, Parantainen, Helsinki City Art Museum, Helsinki, FI
2001 Magnetic North, The New Art Gallery Walsall, Walsall, UK
2001 Finnish Photography, Gallery Christian Dam, Copenhagen, DK
2000 100 Show: 90 Designers-10 Artists, Helsinki, FI
1999 Tila-Espaces, Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris, FR
1999 Spaces, Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki, FI
Awards
2014 Awarded RIBA Honorary Fellowship 2015 at the Royal Institute of British Architects.
Artist Residencies
2013-2014 Goethe Institute, Istanbul, Turkey
Publications (selected)
2014 Helsinki School - From the Past to the Future. Hatje Cantz, DE.
2011 Some aspects of Contemporary Finnish Photography. Uitgelicht / Highlighted. Exhibit. Cat. (Bertheux, Maarten), Nieuw Dakota, Amsterdam, NL
2011 Spot On. Nr. 1. Fictional Realities. Ola Kolehmainen, Exhibit. Cat. Essay by Necmi Sonmez,
Borusan Contemporary, TR
2010 Daegu Photo Biennale 2010. The Helsinki School, Daegu, KR
2009 Ola Kolehmainen: A Building is not a Building, Hatje Cantz Verlag, DE (Texts by David Elliott, Alistar Hicks, Arja Miller, Taru Tappola)
2009 Auf der Spitze des Eisbergs / Helsinki School – Neue Fotografie aus Finnland,
Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg & Hatje Cantz, DE
2009 Photography matters: Helsinki School. Statoil Hydro art programme, Oslo, NO
2009 Export-Import, Exhibition Catalogue, Kunsthalle Helsinki, FI
2008 Nessuna onda può pettinare il mare, Exhibit. Cat. (Fassi, Luigi), Fotografia Italiana, Milano, IT
2008 En Privat 1, Exhibit. Cat., Esbaluard, museu d´art modern I contemporani de palma, (Salva, Christina Ros),
Palma de Majorca, ES
2007 Ola Kolehmainen: Abstraction, Fraction, Recreation. Martina Fuchs, Mark Gisbourne., Hatje Cantz Verlag, DE
2007 Drei Farben — Weiss, Thema: Equality, XIV. Rohkunstbau, (Gisbourne, Mark). Exhibit. Cat. Spreewald, DE
2007 Boogie Woogie – Kuvataide ja Jazz, Pasanen, Kimmo., Helsingin Taidehalli, FI
2006 Ideal Cities — Invisible Cities, Zamosc, Poland and Potsdam, DE
2005 Molina Pilar Cimarra. Premio Extraordinario de Fotografia, Exhibit. Cat, Fundacion Aena, Madrid, ES
2004 Ola Kolehmainen: Search for Mastery. Honnef, Klaus and Ferdinand Protzman. Bielefeld: Kunstverein Bielefeld, DE
2002 Le Bâti et le Vivant (The Built and the Living), Exhibit. Cat. Semaines Européennes de l´Image and Editions Café-crème, L
2002 Kuvitelmia/Fantasies. Mäkelä, Asko, Exhibit. Cat. Sara Hildén Art Museum and Finnish Museum of Photography. Tampere and Helsinki, FI
2001 Magnetic North – Current Installation Photography in Finland, Faure Walker, Caryn. FI
1998 Me, Myself and I, Exhibit. Cat. University of Art and Design. Helsinki, FI
1996 Ola Kolehmainen, Exhibit. Cat. Lintonen, Kati. European Photography 17, no. 60/2, DE
1994 Qinterro, OPUS 26, gravure portfolio
Bibliography (selected)
2011 Tila on väriä ja valoa. Ekegren, Tuija. Taide & Design Magazine (Helsinki), no. 1
2011 Exposed: artist´s plan to move Opera House to Cockatoo Island amid a biennale blast.
2010 The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney), February 10
2009 Arkitektur ur nya vinklar kan ses i Kiasma. Vasabladet (Vasa), February 27
2009 Arkkitehtuuria uudesta vinkkelistä. Pohjolan Sanomat (Kemi), February 26
2009 Arkkitehtuuria uudesta vinkkelistä. Etelä-Saimaa (Lappeenranta), February 26.
2009 Arkkitehtuurin muodot. Geo (Helsinki), No 2009/3 (14/ Vuosi)
2009 Valokuva Akvarellina. Arrel, Berndt. Glorian Antiikki (Helsinki), No 2009/ 3 (10/ Vuosi)
2008 Retratos Inmoviles. Ketelsen Patricia. Architectural Digest, Espana, March `08
2007 Review: Ola Kolehmainen, Space is unknow[sic]. Gossert, Laurence. Paris-Art, November 2005. http://www.paris-art.com/lieu_detail-2939-fiat-kolehmainen.html
2007 Loving the Grid: Ola Kolehmainen´s Minimalist Photographs. Hicks, Alistair. db artmag, no. 38 (online edition, October-November 2006) and no. 1 (printed edition, forthcoming 2007)
2007 Mirrors and Windows. Luyckx, Filip. Tijdschrift Sint-Lukasgalerij Brussels, no. 2
2006 Ola Kolehmainen. In Ideal Cities—Invisible Cities, Fuchs, Martina. Exhibit. Cat. European Art Projects. Multiple locations in Zamość, Poland and Potsdam, Germany
2006 Art in the Detail. Binst, Jean-Marie. Agenda, July
2006 Fornemmelse for rom. Barth, Malin. No Magazine, no. 7
2006 Review: In View, Opterracuna, Robert Miller Gallery. Neil, Jonathan T.D. Modern Painters
2006 Nordic Art and Design. Auction cat. Christie´s. London
2006 Portfolio: Ola Kolehmainen, Photographie, April
2005 The Helsinki School: Photography by TaiK. Holzherr, Andrea, et al. Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz
2005 Jetsetti tulee ostoksille. Jäämeri, Hannele. Suomen Kuvalehti, June 10
2005 Premio Extraordinario de Fotografía. Madrid: Fundación Aena
2005 Kulturtidningen. Ulander, Maria. Kulturhuset Stockholm 4
2005 Straight in Front. Valjakka, Timo. Ptah. 2005, no. 2
2004 Glänzende Aussichten. Berg, Roland. Der Tagesspiegel, September 17
2004 Valokuvaa elää kultakautta, Anu Uimonen. Helsingin Sanomat, May 4, Helsinki
2004 Museet for Fotokunst Journal of Photography and Video January 16, Friis, Jens, and Finn Trane.
2003 Metropolis Magazine, part 4, Miklos Gaal, Aino Kannisto, Ola Kolehmainen, Timothy Persons, ARTE TV channel, transmitted 22.11. Sabine Willkop.
2003 Landscape, Photographs of Time and Space, Ferdinand Protzman. National Geographic Books, Washington
2003 Ola Kolehmainen. Giulia Vola. JULIET art magazine, Nr 114, Trieste
2003 Aufbruch im Hohen Norden. Boris Hohmeyer. ART das kunst Magazin, Nr 9, Hamburg
2003 Tilan ja pinnan hallittua leikkiä. Anu Uimonen. Helsingin Sanomat, June 5, Helsinki
2003 Vitare vitt, svartare svart. Nina Björkman. Huvudstadtsbladet, July 7, Helsinki
2003 Täydellisiä tiloja. Image, May 2003, Helsinki
2002 Le Bâti et Le Vivant / The Built and the Living. 2nd edition. Pierre Stiwer, Paul di Felice. Contemporary Photography, exhibition catalogue, Cafe Creme, Luxembourg
2002 Kuvitelmia / Fantasies. Asko Mäkelä. Exhibition catalogue, Finnish Museum of Photography, Sara Hildén Art Museum, Helsinki / Tampere
2002 ZOO, Contemporary culture catalogue, number 11, London
2002 Wired Nation. Oliwer Lowerstein. Art Review, May 2002 vol. LIII, London
2002 Regards Croisés Bruxelles – Helsinki. Claude Lorent. La Libre Culture, November 20, Brussels
2002 Art Around Every Corner. Robert Fulford. National Post, May 9, Toronto
2001 Magnetic North. Caryn Faure Walker. Current Finnish Installation Photography in Finland”, University of Art and Design, Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki
2001 The strategic contrasts of scale and subtle juxtapositions of subject create an eminently intelligent and visually engaging spectacle. Roy Exley. Nu magazine 6 vol. III, Stockholm
2001 Magnetic North @ New Art Gallery Walsall. Cathrine Grant. Flash Art, Nov-Dec vol.IV No 221
1999 ZOO, Contemporary culture catalogue, No 2, London
1999 Temple / Ola Kolehmainen. Markus Partanen, Kati Lintonen. FRAMES, viewing Finnish contemporary photography, Päivi Rajakari (ed.). Frame, Finnish Fund for Art Echange, Helsinki
1999 Ne pääsemättömät tilat. Pessi Rautio. Helsingin Sanomat, January 23, Helsinki
1999 Tysta verk kräver tid. Paul Steen. Dagens Nyheter, March 9, Stockholm
1998 Me, Myself and I. Exhibition catalogue, University of Art and Design, Helsinki
1998 New Finnish Photography. Caryn Faure Walker. No 12, Creative Camera, London
1997 Temple, Pauliina Pasanen. Kuva No 5, Helsinki
1997 Musta neliö ja kuolema. Marja-Terttu Kivirinta. Helsingin Sanomat, September 28, Helsinki
1997 Temppeli Kluuvissa. Maarit Seeling. Arkkitehti 5-6, Helsinki
1996 Ola Kolehmainen. Exhibition catalogue. Kati Lintonen. European Photography No 60, vol. 17. issue 2. Andreas Müller-Pohle (ed.), Göttingen
1996 Fotofinlandia, Exhibition catalogue, Valokuva no 2, Kati Lintonen (ed.), Helsinki
1996 Koneromantiikka 90-luvun malliin. Kari Kemppainen. Kaleva, March 15, Oulu
1995 Exitus. Kati Lintonen. Valokuva No 4, Helsinki
1995 Kun elämä kolhii. Anu Uimonen. Helsingin Sanomat, November 11, Helsinki
1995 Kun ihmiset poistuvat, kuvaaja saapuu. Pessi Rautio. Helsingin Sanomat, October 10, Helsinki
Memberships
Union of Artist Photographers in Finland
Works in Collections
The National Museum of Photography Collection, DK
Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg Collection, DE
Carl Gustav Ehrnrooth Collection, FI
Artek Collection, Helsinki, FI
The City of Madrid Collection, ES
European Central Bank Collection, DE
Societé Générale Collection, Paris, FR
Deutsche Bank, Germany, UK
DZ Bank, DE
Fundación Centro Ordóñez-Falcón de Fotografía, ES
Peter W. Klein Collection, DE
Malmö Art Museum, SE
Roland Berger Collection, Munich, DE
The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo, NO
European Investment Bank, L
Espoo Art Museum, FI
Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, FI
Helsinki City Art Museum, FI
Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki, FI
Pentti Kouri Collection, New York, USA
State Art Council, Stockholm, SE
State of Finland, FI
City of Muurame, FI
Saastamoinen Foundation, Espoo, FI
Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Rovaniemi, FI
Borusan Collection, Istanbul, TR
Colección Pilar Citoler, Madrid, ES
Heino Collection, Helsinki, FI
Ari Lahti Collection, Helsinki, FI
Lindell Collection, Helsinki, FI
Nokia Collection, Helsinki, FI
Vexi Salmi Collection, Helsinki, FI
Rafaela Seppälä Collection, Helsinki, FI
SOK Collection, Helsinki, FI
UPM-Kymmene Collection, Helsinki, FI
Private and company collections in Andorra, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey and USA
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