Kattebel // Kissankello
Helmi Nieminen & Milou van Vlijmen
I wish I heard you tell a lie
I wish I heard a mosquito cry
I wish I were a duo, hmmm you know
I wish I were inside your pocket, I would make nice sounds
I wish I were the moon, I’d eat it with a spoon
I wish I were some hatching eggs
of creatures with long hairy legs
I wish I were a tiny bell
I wish I were a bunch of claws
almost in their menopause
I wish I were a creature, adjusted to the future
I wish I were you all along
I wish I were a magician, raised my arms and poof I’m gone
I wish that we could merge to one
The exhibition Kattebel // Kissankello reflects the long-standing collaboration and friendship between Helmi Nieminen (1997, Helsinki) and Milou van Vlijmen (1984, Amsterdam). For Maa Tila they’ve developed an installation starring one dragon, two apples, a cat choir, three bells, some vine-like creatures and a collection of words and images shaped into a poem and a zine.
Kattebel // Kissankello grew from their shared interest in objects and characters that reflect human qualities. Through hybrid human-animal-object figures that embody a spectrum of emotions, the duo collectively explores how human identity can be stretched and reimagined. Through these alter egos they want to make space for repressed feelings.
Helmi created large soft sculptures made from recycled fabrics and materials, employing a patchwork-like technique. These tactile works invite interaction, drawing viewers into their world. Milou developed the second part of a trilogy loosely inspired by The Cat, a fairytale by Marie-Louise von Franz, in which a woman transforms into a cat and must complete a series of tasks to integrate her feline self before returning to human form. This narrative served as the starting point for a sonic encounter that explores cat-like human sounds - hissing, meowing, purring, and growling.
Throughout the process of assembling the exhibition, the artists created a zine containing short stories, drawings, and email conversations, offering a glimpse into the ideas and exchanges behind the work.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Helmi Nieminen and Milou van Vlijmen started their collective practice in 2018 at the Royal Academy of Arts, The Hague. Working with language (poems, stories, email exchanges), ceramics, and textile-based practices, they explore otherworldly and absurdist narratives as a way of reflecting on the present. By moving between mediums—and between reality and imagination—they aim to cultivate a space of sensitivity and intimacy, inviting us to imagine new worlds in turbulent times. Their previous collaborative project was exhibited at Trixie, The Hague, as part of From Dawn Till Dusk (2023) program.
Helmi Nieminen (1997) is a visual artist currently based in Helsinki. Helmi works with drawing, ceramics, metal, paper mache and textile. Through colorful installations her works come together and invite the viewer to step inside her universe. Helmis’ world is inhabited by animals, dragons and other imagined characters. With her installations Helmi wants to create space for sensitivity, playfulness and imagining new worlds.
Milou van Vlijmen (1984) is an artist based in Amsterdam. She studied Fine Arts (BA) at the Royal Academy of Arts, The Hague. Everyday rituals, encounters and stories are at the core of her practice. Her video works can be read as contemporary fairy tales or metaphors, in which she uses humor and playfulness to investigate the world around her. In the universe she brings to life, she just as easily turns a lump of gold under the sunbed into her father as she turns an elderly lady into a handbag.
Making of this exhibition has kindly been supported by:
