KONEPUU-TARHASSA/ THE APPARATUS IN THE  GARDEN / UTOPIAS LAHTI 2023


CARL VICTOR WINGREN, LIINA AALTO-SETÄLÄ,
MAIJA ANNIKKI SAVOLAINEN, SAULI SIRVIÖ JA NOORA SANDGREN

THE APPARATUS IN THE GARDEN BRINGS TOGETHER A GROUP OF FINNISH ARTISTS WORKING WITH PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES. EACH OF THE FIVE ARTISTS SHARES A RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MATERIALS THEY USE IN DIFFERENT PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES IN THEIR WORK. THE MATTER IN THESE PROCESSES MAY BE COLLECTED FROM THE MIDDLE OF DECAYING INFRASTRUCTURE, INCINERATED WASTE OR BEACH SAND AND GETS WORKED ON IN COLLABORATION WITH NATURAL LIGHT, WEATHER CONDITIONS OR MORE-THAN-HUMAN ENTITIES. THE WORKS THAT RESULT FROM THESE WORKING PROCESSES DO NOT ALWAYS ATTEMPT TO CONSERVE THEIR MATERIAL FORM, BUT ARE OFTEN IN A CONSTANT PROCESS OF CHANGE THAT TAKES PLACE WITHIN AND AFTER THE EXHIBITION.

A CONSTANTLY ACCELERATING IMAGE CULTURE NECESSITATES DISTANCE BETWEEN IMAGE MAKERS AND MATERIALS USED IN IMAGE MAKING. THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF THESE IMAGE CULTURES, SUCH AS SMARTPHONES AND DATA NETWORKS, CONSIST OF CHOPPED, MINED AND DRILLED MATERIALS THAT ARE EXTRACTED INTO PRODUCTION CHAINS. IN THESE CHAINS, MATERIAL CONNECTIONS AND THE CAPITALIST MODES OF RESOURCE EXTRACTION THAT UNDERPIN THEM ARE OBSCURED FROM VIEW. MANY OF THE WORKS IN THE EXHIBITION EXAMINE THE FOUNDATION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC CULTURE AND SEEK TO RECONNECT IMAGE MAKERS BACK INTO DIFFERENT MATERIAL NETWORKS.

SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE WORKS POSITION THEMSELVES AGAINST TRAITS THAT ARE COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH PHOTOGRAPHY – SUCH AS PERMANENCE AND ACUITY. THE EXHIBITION POSES THE QUESTION - HOW CAN WE BREAK TIES WITH ESTABLISHED MODES OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PRODUCTION AND CAN SUCH ACTIONS LAY A GROUNDWORK THAT WILL BLOSSOM IN THE FUTURE?

THE EXHIBITION IS OPEN 10.5.–4.6.2023

THE EXHIBITION TAKES PLACE IN THE HALLS OF THE FORMER LAHTI ART MUSEUM AT VESIJÄRVENKATU 11, ACCESSED FROM THE ENTRANCE OF THE CETORI SECOND HAND MARKET THROUGH THE COURTYARD.

https://utopiaslahti.com/Konepuutarhassa