The Mikkeli Art Museum’s final exhibition of 2026 takes us back to Kuopio in the 1980s, when the city became a vibrant center of visual arts that attracted nationwide attention. Young, recently graduated visual artists moved to the city, and the press began referring to them as the “Kuopio School” or the “Kuopio Art Movement.”

The “Kuopio rebels” revitalized the local art scene with their disruptive, provocative, and at times disturbing style. Whereas Kuopio had been primarily a hub for amateur artists in the 1970s, these young professionals took control of the local art scene in the following decade. The exhibition focuses on the key figures of the era: Markku Kolehmainen, Pentti Meklin, Pauno Pohjolainen, and Teemu Saukkonen.

The exhibition has been organized in collaboration with the Konsti Museum Center in Varkaus and the Kuopio Art Museum.

The exhibition will be on view at the Mikkeli Art Museum from September 25, 2026, to February 14, 2027.

The art museum’s opening hours during the exhibition:
in September, Tue–Sun 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; in October–February, Wed–Sun 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Closed on the following holidays: December 6, December 24–26, 2026, January 1, and January 6, 2027. On the eve of these holidays, the exhibitions close at 4:00 p.m.