Sometimes our fate feels like a chocolate bar that was forgotten in the car on a warm summer day, perhaps falling under the seat and turning into a gooey mass inside the outer wrapper, never to return to its former shape. But who believes in such things?

In KISMET, Finnish artist Niina Lehtonen Braun shows a selection from her extensive series of drawings and collages entitled These Foolish Things Remind Me of You (2014 – present). Since 2014, Lehtonen Braun has been collecting things that remind people of someone special. She asked friends, relatives, and exhibition visitors for their very personal and individual memories. Objects, tastes, sounds, smells, situations, seasons, lyrics, etc. came together, and Lehtonen Braun created a corresponding drawing or collage for each contribution. In this way, a huge archive of small monuments encourages the viewer to reminisce about loved ones. The process of collecting foolish things … continues.

In addition, the artist collective JOKAklubi, consisting of Tellervo Kalleinen and Mirka Raito with Lehtonen Braun, presents three humorous and heartwarming audio works that collect phrases such as I Almost Said (2016), I Shouldn’t Have Said (2020) and I Will Never Forget When You Said … (2021).

Niina Lehtonen Braun studied fine arts in Finland and Paris and has lived and worked in Berlin since 2000. Her artistic work includes collages, painting, installations, and performances. Kerber Verlag has published two artist books about her work, Mother Said (2014) and These Foolish Things Remind Me of You (2016). Since 2015, Lehtonen Braun has been co-director of the project space HilbertRaum, Berlin. Her artistic works have been exhibited extensively in Germany and abroad. www.niina-lehtonen-braun.com

JOKAklubi was founded in 2009 and combines performance, music, and installation in entrancing low-tech performances, videos, and exhibitions. JOKAklubi is inspired by people and invites them to participate – both on stage and in the artworks themselves. JOKAklubi’s art touches the absurd and existential aspects of human life. http://jokaklubi.blogspot.com/