FIELD OF FIREWEEDS AND AMPLIFIED WHISPERS – Maria Kojonen, Enni Suominen
Rocky foot, ancient myth, PVC plastic, GPS navigation
Breath, dry hay, bent steel, touch
In the joint exhibition by Enni Suominen and Maria Kojonen, nature and the artificial, humans and technology stand side by side. As artists, they work with very different techniques and from different starting points, but the works are united by the artists’ interest in the surrounding world.
Suominen explores the layers between materials in her works and reflects on the environmental and ethical questions surrounding materials using sculpture and installation techniques. Her works touch upon cosmological thinking, which, rather than human-centric, includes non-living matter as a experiencing entity. The materials used vary from those traditionally seen as durable to those that are decaying: from stone to silk, metal to acrylic, linen to PVC. Organic and inorganic materials coexist in the works. She also treats the gallery space surrounding the pieces as an equal material.
Kojonen, on the other hand, reflects on the relationship between humans and technology through metaphors and stories. The starting point for her works has been the media theory concept of technology as an extension of the human body. She approaches this idea by interpreting stories of absence and loss related to the body, voice, communication, and technology in her essay-like video works. The stories reflect more the experiences and emotions of people than they do about technology itself.
Both artists are about to graduate as Masters of Fine Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki. Maria Kojonen (b. 1989) also has a degree in fine arts from the Academy of Fine Arts, Turku. Enni Suominen (b. 1982) has previously graduated as a painter from the Free Art School and has also studied fashion design. The work in this exhibition is supported by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland.
Academy of Fine Arts
Translated with ChatGPT