Same Moment of Pleasure
9 May–1 November 2026
A bright yellow SUV and staring cats. A sculptural fire filling the room with smoke. This summer, the Gothenburg Museum of Art presents both earlier and newly produced works by the Finnish artist Hanna Vihriälä. The exhibition marks Vihriälä’s first solo show in Sweden.
Using everyday materials such as plastic beads, candy and sand, Hanna Vihriälä creates sculptures that surprise and intrigue. By threading candy or beads by hand onto steel wires, she builds installations that can consist of thousands of elements. Together, they form an illusory whole in works that are complex, playful and sensuous.
The exhibition features both previously acclaimed works and entirely new pieces created specifically for the Gothenburg Museum of Art. Through light, translucency and unexpected material choices, Vihriälä explores how we perceive the world around us. Subtle shifts in scale, direction and materiality challenge our perception.
Hanna Vihriälä (b. 1974) lives and works in Tampere, Finland. She graduated in sculpture from the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki in 2003 and holds a degree in sculpture from the Estonian Academy of Arts. Vihriälä is primarily known for her large-scale works in public spaces, but is also represented in several major museum collections, including Kiasma, Amos Rex and the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art. In 2026, she was awarded the prestigious Ars Fennica Audience Award in connection with an exhibition at the Helsinki Art Museum.
A richly illustrated catalogue with newly commissioned texts will be published in conjunction with the exhibition.
Top Image: Hanna Vihriälä, Mercedes-Benz G-klass, 2022. Photo: HAM/Maija Toivanen.