Le marquis Armand du Covéro d'Havrincourt

 photographié par A-C V, août 2015

 

The von Gröningen, my mother's side of the family, Mediaeval coat-of-arms - and my two preliminary modernizations of it. To my mind, they beautifully portray the sublime Apollonian and the  exuberant Dionysian sides of our Family

 

Spades denote Nobility

Château d'Havrincourt

Apollo and The Nine Muses

24 July 2013 - photograph: A.-C.V.

January 2015 - photograph A.-C.V.

Paris April 2016

With juuust a bit of Attitude... - as the Maharaja of Kerala in the Night of the Arts 25.8.2016 in Villa Gyllenberg, Helsinki

Seurasaari, Helsinki, October 2013, photography by Monsieur Denis Désiré

One of my symbols: haricots verts, French or fine beans, pronounced [aRi' kove'R] ;-)

My animals, both pronounced [Ari], Hebrew and Japanese:

       ארי                                                               アリ

          γνω̃θι σεαυτόν, γνω̃θι κόσμον, γνω̃θι θεόν

    My patron saint Hagios Georgios The Victor (Saint George), and a Western version to the extreme right, by Peter Paul Rubens - in the middle Saint Ari ;-)

My favorite instrument:The Grand Concert Harp!

 ...but I also like the Organ quite a bit... ;-)

...and the Grand Piano. ;-)

 These three beautiful instruments portray part of my worldview in the following way: The Body is the Instrument; the Soul, or Spirit if you like, plays it - and any possible Music comes from Heaven.

 I was born in 1964 in Joensuu, Carelia, Finland - and proud of it; my ancestors have lived and worked in the Duchy of Carelia for centuries. Carelia has been a disputed border-region between Finland and Russia for a thousand years.

 - And by the way, I've been told that the position of Duke of Carelia is vacant at the moment... ;-)

The coat-of-arms of the Duchy of Carelia           

* Member of the Orthodox Knighthood of the Holy Maccabean Martyrs  *         

 "So did you not know that only the Czars of Russia and the Fools for Christ rule Finland?!" - somewhat paraphrasing a famous quote from Ivan the Terrible's time, I believe  - see below... ;-)

* Member of Societas Patristica Fennica *

Cathedral of St.Basil Fool for Christ, Moscow

You can reach me at:

tel.+358 (0)45 678 48 46
or aari.koveroo@gmail.com

 Significant sojourns abroad in chronological order

 - Västerås, Sweden

 - Columbus, Ohio, USA

 - Vienna, Austria

 - Saint Petersburg, Russia

 - San Rafael, California, USA                                           

 - London, United Kingdom

 - Stockholm, Sweden

 - Alanya and Antalya, Turkey

 - Tiberias, Israel

 - Rome, Italy

 Altogether, I have lived a total of more than ten years abroad, a fact that has been highly significant for the formation of my personality and art.

 Formerly (November 2001 - May 2012) a proud resident of Töölö, Helsinki, Finland:

The celebrated but misplaced Venetian palazzo Ca' Covero from 1934 by the architect Jalmari Peltonen, Töölö, Helsinki - the finest art deco house in all Finland, if you ask me...  - This is a view on a sunny day...

...and this on a cloudy day

The Ca' Covero lies on the street named after count and field marshal Johan August Sandels, 1764-1831

- Presently a proud resident of Il Palazzo Nuovo, also known as Il Palazzo Salino or rather Palazzo Chischi or Palais Qui-Est-ce-Qui? (Kiiski) of Kallio, Helsinki, donated by the great philanthropist Greta Olin, with construction finished just before the Winter War in 1939, here seen on two different days:

 I hold a Masters degree in international relations, 1995, Åbo Akademi, Turku, Finland, including studies of art history at the Universität Wien, 1986-89. Continued studies with the aim of a Ph.D. in political science and history with the subject The Role of the Monarchy in Contemporary Europe. I also took the simply invaluable and absolutely unique one-year course in apologetics at the CredoAkademin, Stockholm, Sweden, 1996-7.

Eadem est scientia oppositorum - The Helix nebula

יְהוָה נָתַן, וַיהוָה לָקָח; יְהִי שֵׁם יְהוָה, מְבֹרָךְ

 Currently I am, hopefully, an eternal divinity student at the Theological faculty of the University of Helsinki and the Orthodox section of the Theological faculty in Joensuu at the University of Eastern Finland - both under the discreet guidance of the monk-priest S.S., Professor of Patristics, study of the Church Fathers, my main field of interest along with the Classical languages of Greek, Latin and Hebrew that I have now worked on for a few years - what an Ocean to delve in!

Hearts denote Clergy

 For three academic years, 2009-2013, I was Cultural Secretary of the association Teologian Nestorit (don't worry, the age limit is only 30...), a club you can find in Facebook too. In November 2010 I was also elected, for a year, into the Teologian Ylioppilaiden Tiedekuntakuntayhdistys, the oldest student representative body/fraternity in Finland, founded in 1853, with a simply embarrassing and humbling amount of votes.

 I was part of the planning team of the ecumenical pilgrimage of the Teologian Nestorit to Rome in May 2011 under the leadership of bishop emeritus Eero Huovinen - the pilgrimage included a visit to the heart of the Vatican's ecumenical work under His Eminence Cardinal Kurt Koch and an audience with His Holiness Pope Benedictus XVI.

O docta ignorantia humorosa! ;-)

 Apophasis: Hear Nothing, Say Nothing, See Nothing

(Read for example this article: http://assets.cambridge.org/97805218/17189/sample/9780521817189ws.pdf)

 I have a degree in painting from May 2008 from the professional line of painting at The Free Art School, Helsinki. The School was founded in 1935 in the spirit of richesse oblige - and makes it possible to lavish wealth on Art - by Maire Gullichsen (one of the main supporters of the world-famous architect Alvar Aalto, for example) in the tradition of the French académies libres and is one of Finland's premier art schools; perhaps the leading one in painting. The School has many times been at the very pinnacle of the avant-guard in Finland; it was instrumental in for example bringing abstract art to this country. See for yourself: www.vapaataidekoulu.fi - the school offers a four-year diploma in painting. It is the coolest School, trust me!!! Not least the School's Administrative Director Tarja Djateu (Oui!!) and the School's Secretary Sanna-Maria Salmi-Robertson (Oh YEAH!).

 The last year of my studies was a so-called atelier year during which I painted all on my own without a teacher, although I was able to request for comments on my work from anybody inside or outside the School. I chose the painter Pekka Hepoluhta, principal and artistic director of The Free Art School, as my tutor in the Spring of 2008.

 My teachers in the previous years 2004-7 were the illustrious painters Janne Räisänen, Tarmo Paunu, Kimi Pakarinen, Kari Aapro, Paula Holopainen, Heidi Romo, Pekka Hepoluhta, Veikko Saarivaara, Markku Keränen, Tuula Velling, Anna Retulainen, Osmo Kivimäki, Erkki Pirtola and Anna Tuori, all of whom have googleable names.

 During 2006-2007 I was student representative on the School's board.

 In September 2011 I returned from a 4½-month stay in Rome, where I chiefly resided in the Villa Lante, Institutum Romanum Finlandiae, see www.irfrome.org, from June to September 2011 - what a Privilege and Joy!! I loved it!!! Grazie Italia!!! Here at work in my room in the Villa Lante:

(Photographs by Veli Entelä)

 Villa Lante also forms part of the Finnish Embassy to the Holy See - CANDOR ILLESVS - 'Virtue is unassailable', the device of Pope Clemens VII written in the Salone of the Villa Lante, a good star for all of us to follow! In Rome, I painted a 37-piece series of oil paintings called Vedute di Roma - da dentro (Views of Rome - from the Inside) + about 50 paper works with the same theme in which I, mainly using the Dome of St.Peter's as a model and source of inspiration, studied the relationship between natural sciences - observation - and the Transcendent - inner experience of consciousness and selfhood - a hotly debated issue today. My claim is that a work of art is a physical bridge, indeed a living χιάσμα, (chiasma), between these two spheres; something everyone can see, experience or touch, but which no one, in the end, can define. The Vedute includes an artist's diary, written almost every day, just like in the olden days...

 - My project Vedute di Roma - da dentro was supported by Svenska kulturfonden, Helsinki, Finland

 The Vedute di Roma - da dentro-project also included a kabbalistic meditation on the Hebrew alphabet

which I made one letter a day reflecting carefully on the significance of each letter, the continued practice of which I highly recommend; it really opens one up to higher spheres of consciousness including creativity and a sense of being guided in a special way. The letter project took into account the Japanese concept ma,

間

defined in the West, rather inadequately at that, as 'negative space' or 'un-space'; thus, for example, the white space around the black letter is also to be perceived as a form in its own right.

 The physical result of the meditation can currently be seen at Suomen Teologinen Instituutti, Kaisaniemenkatu 13, Helsinki:

(Kulmakivi 2/2016)

 - The main painting in connection with the project Vedute di Roma - da dentro seen below was commissioned by a Finnish art-lover and is now somewhere in the Costa del Sol, Spain, where it was transported to in a luxury Bentley... ;-)

- Behold the Magic Numbers and the Prophetic (Ominous or Auspicious) Comet....

(Photography: Professor Anna-Maija Yli-Maula, the size of the painting is about 130 x 100 cm, oil on canvas)

  In connection with my project, I was also accorded the enormous Honour of having an exhibition called Le tette di San Pietro (The Nipples of Saint Peter - The Vatican and Sexuality) in the Loggia of Villa Lante, overlooking tutta Roma. The exhibition opening was held on my 47th birthday - quite a setting for that humble occassion! The theme of the party was 4711, so it smelled quite nice in the Loggia... ;-)

The Villa Lante al Gianicolo, Rome, Italy - my room was to the right on the piano nobile

The Villa was designed by Giulio Romano, a pupil of Raffaello Santi, and stood completed in 1531

φ

Phi - The Golden Ratio - the Divine Number 1.618

 Residences in the future, perhaps... :

 - Ein Hod, Israel

 - Villa Caro, Benin  

 - Paris

 - New York

 ...and last but not least:

 - Finnish Lapland!

 Wonderful Places:

Versailles

Sans Souci

Drottningholm

 My favourite country:

 My favorite culinary and linguistic experience:

 ...and one of my favorite Cities there:

A Country one can only admire and envy... ;-)  :

Borders of 1658

 My dear God-child lives in this ancient land:

 This is the symbol and hallmark of a certain Helsinki-based rainbow-spirited group that I was commissioned to design in the Spring of 2012:

 The rainbow consists of the sunfan of colours created when a prism, or a 'schicksalschwanger' (my favorite German word...)pyramid if you like, breaks 'invisible' light first into the three prime colours visible here and then further on. I added a lightning striking through the colours as a special sign of empowerment for this group. Added are also hints to celestial, terrestial, fiery and aquatic spheres. - This is the actual size of the logo.

Fooling around on Helsinki Pride 2015 with a truly Grande Madame (Photographs N.S.)

 Paintings by Ari Kovero can currently be found in public and private collections in:

 - Algeria

 - Austria

 - Belgium

 - China

 - Denmark

 - France

 - Germany

 - Greece

 - Italy

 - Morocco

 - The Netherlands

 - New Zealand

 - Norway

 - Russia

 - Saudi Arabia (photographs of the works withheld by request of the owner)

 - Spain

 - Sweden

 - United Kingdom

 - United States

  and

 - Finland, of course!

 Ari Kovero is grateful for and privileged indeed to work as a guide at the following institutions:

- Ateneum Art Museum, the Finnish National Gallery (www.ateneum.fi)

Photography: Susanne Österlund-Pötzsch                                         Photography: Anja Olavinen

Ready for a guided tour in Ateneum, December 2007         Next to the only van Gogh in Finland

Helsingin Sanomat, 1.7.2008:

In The Antique Museum of Gustavus III in the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, June 2013

Photography: Jaana Rantanen      

- Sinebrychoff Art Museum, The Finnish National Gallery (www.sinebrychoffintaidemuseo.fi)

The Museum contains among other treasures the only Rembrandt in Finland

Here posing as Paul Sinebrychoff, January 2016, photography Eija Pekkanen, artistic remodelling à la de Vries Leena Hannula

The Didrichsen Art Museum, see http://www.didrichsenmuseum.fi/eng/:

Villa Gyllenberg, see http://gyllenbergs.fi/en/villa-gyllenberg-en/:

The Dining Room of the Villa                                                               Harpist Lili-Marlene Puusepp playing in the New Side of the Villa

The Agatha Christie-trained Anglo-Indian Detective Parvati has finally found the Diamond Koh-i-Kerala with the help of the children - and the Maharaja of Kerala has dug out another diamond out of his pocket just to keep the children happy... ;-) - photograph by T.S. - Night of the Arts, Villa Gyllenberg, Helsinki, 25.8.2016

In solemn nirvana with Babar.... - Night of the Arts 2016

In regal pomp.... - only the Diamond Koh-i-Kerala is missing on the turban.... - where is it?! - Night of the Arts 2016

Le marquis Armand du Covéro d'Havrincourt relaxing with an Equal (painting by Juhani Linnovaara)

(photograph by Nina Zilliacus during the Night of the Arts at Villa Gyllenberg 20.8.2015)

Le Marquis utterly shocked by the behaviour of a servant (Giselle)

(photograph by Nina Zilliacus during the Night of the Arts at Villa Gyllenberg 20.8.2015)

Il Giullare (Jester) Caspero di Venezia con Ad Astra di Gallen-Kallela e con la Sua Serenissità Tintaretta, Regina di tutta Venezia a Ca' d'Oro (Villa Gyllenberg),

Notte delle Arti 21 agosto 2014 - fotografie: Lotta Nylund - this character received the final touches from Director Paul Garrington of London, United Kingdom

- Kiasma, Museum of Contemporary Art, The Finnish National Gallery, Helsinki, www.kiasma.fi - mostly on extraordinary occasions

- Valamo monastery (www.valamo.fi)

   The old iconostasis...

...and the new one

 If you want to see a movable panorama picture/movie/video of the orthodox church I attend, open this link: http://www.ortodoksi.net/kuvat/panoraamat/tapiola.htm - I doubt you have ever seen anything quite like it....

Article in Heinäveden Lehti 11th July 2007

His All Holiness, BARTHOLOMEW, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch is the 270th successor of the 2,000 year-old local Christian Church founded by St. Andrew. He is also the Supreme Head of the Finnish Orthodox Church.

 I work as a travel companion at www.seniorikurssiyhdistys.com (I'm on reserve now due to so many other obligations) - Educational Tours for Seniors; vice-member of the Board; I'm too young to be a full member... ;-)

Egocentrum

Egocentrum är programmet där du får höra vanliga mänskor tala öppet om sig själva. De kanske berättar om sina livsval, om
vad de brinner för - eller om sina små egenheter... Du kan t.ex få höra om varför just den här mänskan ägnar all sin fritid åt sin speciella hobby- eller hur det kom sig att just de här två personerna valde att leva tillsammans. Eller så kanske nån berättar om några märkliga sammanträffanden som plötsligt gjorde att livet tog en oväntad riktning.

I Egocentrum kan du också få höra andra mänskor berätta om sina favoritböcker eller om vilka filmer de tycker att alla absolut borde se - och ofta får du också höra vilken musik de gärna lyssnar på.

Egocentrum 5.5.07

NÄR TIDEN VAR MOGEN...

I det här programmet hörde vi Ari Kovero, som aldrig hade tänkt bli konstnär.
Han studerde bland annat statskunskap och höll på med sin licensiatavhandling, samtidigt som han hade olika akademiska jobb, men han hade inte riktigt hittat sin plats i livet.
Plötsligt för några år sedan, när Ari redan var närmare 40, började han måla tavlor, och numera gör han det mer eller mindre på heltid. Han säger att konsten för honom inte är ett yrke utan en kallelse. Och han anser själv att han inte kunde börja måla förrän tiden var mogen. Men när tiden väl var mogen "vällde målningarna ur honom," som han säger...

Ari Kovero berättade också om sitt förhållande till den ortodoxa tron, och om hur det kom sig att han blev finlandssvensk...

Lyssna på programmet! (förutom musiken)
 

Musik i programmet i den ordning som den uppfördes:
- Carola: Evighet
- Rysk ortodox körmusik
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Konsert för harpa och flöjt, KV 299
- Desireless: Voyage, voyage, instrumentalversion med gitarr som soloinstrument
- Antonio Vivaldi: Gloria in Excelsis Deo
- Laura Branigan: Selfcontrol
 

veckans tips

KONSTUTSTÄLLNING

Den som befinner sig i Helsingforstrakten kan gå och se Ari Koveros 11:e utställning,
 i Gamlasgården den 9.-19.5.2007

Photography: Yngve 'Ykä' Nylund                                                                                                 

Working on The Equations of a Gender B(l)ender in my atelier in the Cable Factory, Helsinki, September 2007

On my 50th birthday in The Chapel - the wonderful restaurant Kappeli in Helsinki - amidst the Love and Friendship of relatives and friends, 9 July 2014 - photograph: A.-C.V.

* The * Jester - The * Artist *

Photography: S.S.- taken on my 40th birthday on the island of Stora Blindsund, Espoo; theme: the Emperor's New Clothes

- I got to rule the entire island for 24 hours - imagine the chaos... ;-)