Tom of Finland (1920–1991) is arguably one of the world’s most celebrated and influential creators of queer-erotic art. TOM House the VR Experience is a documentary virtual reality piece that immerses visitors into the legendary Los Angeles residence of Tom, where he lived over the last decade of his life. The VR-piece features three thematic tours around the house guided by Mr. Durk Dehner, the co-founder and president of Tom of Finland Foundation, and a virtual art gallery, which presents Tom’s work like never experienced before. The VR experience is produced by Donkey Hotel and directed by Márton Jelinkó and Carlos Marroquin.
The VR experience has its world premiere as part of the exhibition ‘Tom of Finland Bold Journey’ on 28 April in the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma in Helsinki. The exhibition presents works from Tom of Finland Foundation in Los Angeles together with works from the collection of Finnish National Gallery and from Finnish and international public and private collections. Alongside drawings, the exhibition features archive material, Tom’s personal clothing and memorabilia, letters, publications, magazines, films, and the new VR-piece.
In the imaginary scenes depicted by Tom of Finland, a world of pleasure, lust and acceptance opens up before us. The exhibition places the artist’s work in a broader context, directly linked to the history of the international LGBTQI+ movement and culture. At the same time, a queer exhibition from Kiasma’s own collections, Dreamy, will open. The exhibition focuses on the historical continuum of attitudes towards LGBTQI+ identities, which helps to highlight the groundbreaking importance of Tom of Finland’s art.
We interviewed Donkey Hotel’s production team in April 2023, find out more about making a VR documentary here .
TOM House THE VR Experience on view as part of the exhibition Tom of Finland Bold Journey at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma in Helsinki 28 April – 29 October 2023 Tue – Fri 10am–8.30pm, Sat 10am–6pm, Sun 10am–5pm, closed on Mondays. Tickets 0–18€. More information https://kiasma.fi/en/exhibitions/tom-of-finland/
