Exhibition “Signs of Power”

Power in society does not only manifest itself through laws, orders and prohibitions. Often, it takes place in more covert ways and expresses itself also in the space around us. Our physical environment reflects our cultural and socio-political choices and the ideological views and preferences of the ruling social groups.  

The university assembly hall is a notable example of a remarkable public space that was deliberately decorated with the desire to perpetuate the ruling ideology and in which elements and understandings of different eras have been gradually passed on or replaced. Be it works of art, ideological symbols, furnishings or the layout of the space.  

We examine the ways in which the ruling powers’ values and attitudes have been presented in the hall during four political eras. We ask what means have been used to emphasise the political importance of the hall, how the signs have changed over time and how we perceive them today.

The exhibition is not limited to looking at the past. Artists from the Ajuokse group bring an alternative set of symbols to the exhibition hall with an installation that dreams of a more conscious society. After the exhibition presents us with choices made in the past, the installation raises the question of what kind of space and society we want to create around us today. What are the signs of power surrounding us that we may not notice, and how can we recognise them in the future?