A sensory world where art, technology and biology merge
This fall, Stroom Den Haag proudly presents Ave bossa, bow ole, the first solo exhibition in the Netherlands by Finnish artist Jenna Sutela. With this immersive presentation, Sutela invites the public to step into a world in which everything is connected; from microscopic life to self-built technologies, from intuition to compost.
In Ave bossa, bow ole, an immersive environment unfolds in which Sutela explores systems that feel, respond, and continuously renew themselves. Her work constitutes a tribute to interconnectedness and alternative forms of intelligence – both human and non-human.
The starting point for this exhibition is the concept of Tech Povera, a makeshift genre coined by Sutela to describe her current approach to technology. In contrast to the often detached and tightly controlled technological world, Tech Povera is raw, experimental, and vibrant. It is a nod to the 20th-century Italian Arte Poveramovement, in which art was seen as a living process rather than a finished product.
A powerful example of Tech Povera is Sutela’s work Vermi-Cell (2023), an underground installation located in the basement of Stroom. In large mounds of flower compost, worms move freely, while an earth battery generates sound through wind instruments powered by the energy of decomposing organic matter. Sutela raises questions about consciousness and intelligence: what if these properties are not only reserved for humans, but also present in earth, fungi or machines?
Ave bossa, bow ole is more than an exhibition – it is a sensory experience and an invitation to look, listen, and feel differently. An experience that encourages reflection on our relationship with technology, nature and everything in between.
The exhibition is made possible thanks to Frame Finland, the Mondriaan Fund, the Creative Industries Fund NL, the Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux, and the Municipality of The Hague.
Stroom Den Haag, Hogewal 1-9, The Hague
Opening: Saturday 4 October 2025, 17:00 hrs
Featured image: Jenna Sutela, Vermi Cell 2023, photo: Dirk Tacke