Air de Paris is like a promenade in the footsteps of gallerist Leonard Bäcksbacka (1892–1963) in Paris. Today a significant part of the art collection he created belongs to the Leonard and Katarina Bäcksbacka Collection at HAM. Bäcksbacka founded the Taidesalonki gallery in Helsinki in 1915, which remains in operation to this day. The gallery provided him with a ringside seat to the art world in Helsinki and the rest of Europe.
Paris signified for Bäcksbacka a lifestyle filled with modern parties and jazz. There he came to know many artist whose paintings he later presented in his gallery.
When you emerge from the metro, turn right: you will find yourself in 1930s Paris.
The exhibition is curated by art historian Laura Gutman.
