A self-portrait is self-expression. You can find almost anything in a self-portrait, because it can also be art. It can reflect the self, it can be a reflection of the soul. Symbolism is important. The emotions conveyed are important.

There are different kinds of self-portraits. Selfies as self-portraits mean different things to different people. Some don’t really take any at all, whereas others capture hundreds during the day. In those cases selfies serve to communicate moods and reactions to situations.

A self-portrait doesn’t have to be a picture of a face, however. Anything that captures and reflects the personality and the self can be one. Background and the surroundings also play an important role in this expression.

In this exhibition we wish to express our own viewpoints to ourselves and to self-portraiture.

Welcome!

Class 9D of the Vuoniitty Comprehensive School (Vuosaari, Helsinki)

Photographs in the exhibition by: Zyrelle Antonio, Joonas Ekman, Beatriz Homik, Nooa Ikkala, Miro Kaukoranta, Tatu Lauren, Otto Liikanen, Ninja Nordberg, Viivi Ojala, Annika Perkiö, Julius Pusa, Miska Rosnell, Aida SeroIina Sivula, Sisu Sonck, Topi Tanskanen, Maksim Tereshchuk, Miika Toikkanen, Ella Toivonen, Jarek Öövel

Class 9D of the Vuoniitty Comprehensive School (Vuosaari, Helsinki) has been the friendship class of the Finnish Museum of Photography from 2017 to 2020. The aim of friendship class activities is to develop the media and visual literacy of young people, and to enable the emergence of young people’s own image culture. The activities also provide an opportunity for the museum to develop new museum education and school cooperation practices together with pupils and teachers.

The exhibition #teenmirror displays new photographs inspired by Vivian Maier's self-portraits and older photographs from previous exhibitions by Vuoniitty friendship class.