Join us for a visit at one of the least know private museums in Helsinki to see the wonderful Didrichsen collection.
The collection was created by a couple, Marie-Louise and Gunnar Didrichsen who married in the 1930’s and started collecting art as a family hobby. Mari-Louise came from a well travelled Finnish family and Gunnar had moved from Copenhagen to Helsinki and established his own company.
Their initial focus was on Finnish visual arts from the years 1880–1910 with Pekka Halonen’s “Meal” being their first joint purchase and in the 1960’s they moved towards modernism in the collection. Their ashes are buried on the museums property with Arvo Siikamäki's sculpture Empty Grave marking their resting place in the garden.
When you come to the museum you will see that the museum building was constructed in two phases, both sections designed by Viljo Revell. The first building was completed in 1957. Part of the collections, the estate and building were donated to a foundation and the museum was opened in 1965 making it possible for art lovers like you and me to see the wonderful collection.
The museum’s accessibility was greatly improved in 2014 and we are pleased to note that today, the museum is fully accessible. Mind you, it may be a bit cumbersome to move in the garden to see the statues. One of the loos has specifically been made accessible.
Behind the reception, there is a small museum shop where you can find exhibition catalogues, post cards, posters and many other exhibition-specific products in the shop. You can also acquire these from the museum’s webshop.
There is also a small café that treats you to coffee, tea, refreshments and pastries. If you come in the summer, you can also sit on the the museum’s lovely seaside terrace enjoying the best Helsinki can offer. Mind you, if the wind blows directly from the see, it may be pretty strong!
Visit and Photos by Vesa Turunen
Didrichsen Art Museum
Kuusilahdenkuja 1, 00340 Helsinki
https://www.didrichsenmuseum.fi