The Face of Ambition

Kalle Kultala, Paavo Väyrynen, 1976. Hopeagelatiinivedos. Suomen valokuvataiteen museo / Kalle Kultalan kokoelma.

Minister of Education Paavo Väyrynen was only 30 years old, but already an experienced politician. He was President Kekkonen’s trusted ally, and his career was predicted to continue its meteoric rise. A prediction, which later became reality as Väyrynen has held eight different minister’s portfolios. Kalle Kultala was ‘Kekkoslovakia’s’ number-one photographer, and his camera followed the President along forest tracks and on long-distance journeys. Press photographer Kultala was at his best when working among politicians and other wielders of power. So it is hardly a surprise that he was rewarded for his achievements with the Pro Finlandia medal, or that 200,000 of Kultala’s photographs were archived on the initiative of the Ministry of Education.

Collection pick
Photographer Hanna Weselius (b. 1972) wanted to challenge our antiquated notions of age, and our expectations of what elderly life is all about.
Collection pick
Two photographs printed in the magazine bear witness to the megastar’s visit. Negatives found in photo agency Valokuvaamo Foto Jatta’s archive reveal how these pictures were made: photos of an unknown assistant and of Elvis Presley were combined using reprography, cutting and pasting.
Collection pick
Carnivals are rare in Finland, but on May Day people go out into the streets and squares in droves. Dressing up and wearing masks is all part of the fun, as this Merja Salo's photograph proves.
Kokoelmat
The collections of the Finnish Museum of Photography include more than two million photographs. The collections focus on 20th-century Finnish photography, and are made up of both selected works by photographers and images from extensive photographic archives. The museum's collection of objects includes thousands of photography-related artefacts. The museum also has a paper archive and a photographic library.
Address
Kämp Galleria
Mikonkatu 1, 00100 Helsinki
See on the map Kämp Galleria
Opening hours
Mon–Fri 11am–8pm, Sat–Sun 11am–6pm
Tickets
16/6/0 €
Museokortti
Under 18 y.o. free admission
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The Cable Factory
Kaapeliaukio 3, staircase G, 00180 Helsinki
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Opening hours
Tue–Sun 11 am. – 6 pm. Wed 11 am – 8 pm
Tickets
12/6/0 €, 16/6/0 € from January 1st 2024
Museokortti
Under 18 y.o. free admission