TellTale Cities

29/03/2026

24/02/2026

5 years already since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This evening you can show lasting support at the Light for Ukraine event at Senate square. As the buildings are lit up in the colours of Ukraine, 2000 candles will be distributed as of 4.30 pm. Official speeches and songs will start at 5pm.

La place du Sénat se pare des couleurs de l'Ukraine pour marquer le 5e anniversaire du début de la guerre. Ce soir, dès 16h30, 2000 bougies seront distribuées devant la cathédrale pour commémorer cette date et manifester son soutien. La partie officielle débute à 17h. L'occasion de rappeler le soutient qu'on se doit d'apporter à l'Ukraine.

10/01/2026

LUX Helsinki

09/01/2026

Beautiful Vanha Kirkkopuisto in a new light. Check out all the Lux Helsinki installations until 11.1.2026 - magical in all the snow!

04/01/2026

20/11/2025

Gustav Klimt's portrait becomes the world's highest-selling work of modern art

On Tuesday, iconic Art Nouveau/Secession painter Gustav Klimt's Portrait of Elizabeth Lederer (1914-1916) (1) became the world's second most expensive work of art ever sold at auction, behind Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi ($460m, 2017).

Estimated at 150 million dollars, the painting went for $336,4m (€292,1m) at Sotheby's, in New York, to an unknown buyer, thus becoming the world's highest-selling piece of modern art at auction.

Klimt's Lady with a Fan (1917-1918) (2) already broke records in 2023 by becoming, at $108m, the most expensive work of art ever sold at auction in Europe.

The portrait represents the 20 year-old daughter of one of Klimt's main patrons, the wealthy Vienna (Jewish) industrialist August Lederer. Dressed in fashionable and intricately decorated attire covered with Chinese and East Asian symbols. Elizabeth is shown like a butterfly metamorphosing from a chrysalis. Klimt, it is said, was never satisfied nor convinced the portrait was actually finished. The thousands of ornamental details are also reminiscent of micro-organisms seen through a microscope, which is known to have fascinated the artist.

In 1939 the canvas, along with the whole Lederer Collection, was looted by the N***s and almost burnt (many other Klimts did!). Elizabeth Lederer survived the holocaust by falsely claiming, with the help of her mother, that she was Klimt's biological child, of which he is said to have had 14!

Since restitution, the piece has been held in private collections and has hardly been on public view. The masterpiece is one of Klimt's only full-length portraits.

The sale happens just as Helsinki's Ateneum is hosting its major exhibition Gallen-Kallela, Klimt and Vienna which showcases many works by the Vienna Secession, and where you can admire Klimt's Portrait of Amalie Zuckerkandl (1916-1918) (3) which was left unfinished due to the First World War and the artist's death in 1918.

You can read more about the exhibition on my blog on www.telltalecities.com.

07/11/2025

A love of research and architecture takes you to many places... On Wednesday we enjoyed the lovely vernissage of Aline Henchoz's book of photographs "Rencontre" - featuring 200 pictures of La Chaux-de-Fonds, a Swiss town famous for its watchmaking and its 19th-century watchmaking town planning. Over ten years, Aline and I worked together on many projects in La Chaux-de-Fonds, including making a guide book of the city, and I am honoured today to have written the texts for her first personal publication. Bravo Aline!

03/11/2025

Today, in Barcelona, I will give a talk on Art Nouveau in Helsinki as part of the Portal del Modernisme programme of conferences. All are welcome.
Looking forward to it 🌸

Ce soir, à Barcelone, je présenterai l'Art nouveau à Helsinki, dans le cadre des conférences organisées par le Portal del Modernisme. Je me réjouis ! 🏵🌸🌼

12/10/2025

Yesterday was the last tour of the season for shore excursions, showing Helsinki to guests arriving on the cruise ships. It was such a great group, and a bit of an emotional moment saying bye to my lovely colleagues ❤️

TellTale Cities walking tours - minus the cruise ships - continue as usual, whatever the season.

26/09/2025

A new blogpost in anticipation of today's opening!

Un nouveau texte de blog en prévision de l'ouverture de l'exposition (en anglais et en français).

My new blog post in anticipation of today's opening.