KITA - Kineettisen taiteen talo

This sauna has public shifts

The story of the KITA gallery began when the building of Restaurant Huttula on the Joutsa Nelostie road and on the shore of Angesselkä had been abandoned since 1998, without heating, plumbing or sewage. In 2021, artist Tuomo Vuoteenoma proposed the idea of converting the building into a gallery of kinetic art and started volunteer work to clear and clean it out.  At the beginning of 2022, the project progressed with LEADER funding: the interior spaces were modified, rooms were opened up to connect with each other, and gallery and exhibition activities were established. A mural called "Jaws of Dimensions" was painted on the outer walls in collaboration with graphic artist Jari Johannes, Restaurant Huttula and the Coloria paint factory. The dugout sauna located in the KITA gallery's garden was brought back to life after decades of dormancy as part of the restoration work on the gallery's surroundings. The gallery has since hosted several summer exhibitions and special events.