Exhibition opening on Tuesday January 6th 2026 from 5-7 p.m.

The boat has sunk, only the structures of the house remain, the sauna roof has collapsed and the stove has disappeared. The Finnish countryside has undergone major changes in recent decades. In search of work, people have moved to towns, big cities and abroad, and many small villages that were once vibrant have withered. As a consequence, abandoned yards and deserted houses have been left behind, whose residents have moved elsewhere or died. Traces remain, even though the people are gone.

In his staged photographs, Johan Eichhorn brings to life times gone by, while showing that these times are over and will never return. Eichhorn depicts everyday situations from the 1950s, but the background and surroundings of the images tell us that the images lie. Times gone by can be staged, but their return is impossible. The photographs remind us that in the end, our time will pass, and one day we too will be just memories, which can be staged as in the images, but returning to our time is impossible.

Eichhorn created the staged photographs between June and December 2024. The exhibition was on display in four galleries in Northern Savo area during 2025, and now it will be shown for the first time in Southern Finland. Eichhorn realized the Lähteneet project with the support of an artist grant from the Finnish Cultural Foundation.

About the photographer:

Johan Eichhorn is a Finnish-German photographer, theatre director and playwright. His works have been exhibited in museums, galleries and theatres both in Finland and abroad (e.g. Paper, Finnish Museum of Photography; Gift Sivistyksen lahjapaperi, SINKA opening exhibition; Minä en kaunis tahdo ollakaan, Theatre Museum). In 2026, Eichhorn will carry out a photography project at the Finnish Museum of Natural History called Creative Destruction, which will be on display at the museum from September to December 2026. In photography, he focuses on staged photographs in order to utilize his skills as a storyteller and director.

In addition to his artistic work, Eichhorn taught at the University of Art and Design Helsinki/Aalto University from 2005 to 2022, and has been awarded TAIK's best teacher of the year.