Haukia, Kestilä & Kuusisto-Lukkari: FROM THE NORTH / Burneo & Kauko: Mysteries of Symbiosis

Reijo Haukia – Niina Kestilä – Kaarina Kuusisto-Lukkari

THE HERITAGE OF THE NORTH

Reijo Haukia

photographer, photo artist and harpist

My black and white photographs deal with the natural heritage that previous generations have left us and how we ourselves treat this heritage. Are we any wiser in our actions?

I see nature not only as objects that can be perceived with the senses, but also as our spiritual heritage. Do we still know how to find silence in the forest and in ourselves?

Niina Kestilä

sculptor and painter

Symbols are an important part of mythologies, spiritual traditions and contemporary art and culture. When looking at a work of art, one's own thoughts and meanings overlap with the historical, cultural or even spiritual meanings contained in or referred to by the work. I consider this to be one of the most central meanings and merits of art; it is not simply a given fact about history or religion, but rather a mirror against which the viewer can reflect their own thoughts, feelings and way of perceiving the world. The mysteries of life and death represent the earliest themes of art. The symbolism of the snake is also related to this. The snake is fascinating in its diversity, it symbolizes Healing and death, both sacred and evil.

Kaarina Kuusisto-Lukkari

visual artist and ceramist

My exhibition complex examines heritage as both a cultural continuum and a responsibility that extends from the mythical past to the ecologically fragile present. The works, based on old ceramic Kalevala sculptures, have been updated for the present day with a tattoo-like pattern made with ceramic underglazes. They reopen the national mythological heritage in a pluralistic way, asking who the heritage belongs to and how we carry it forward. The second work in the series deals with the loss of biodiversity. The black, ceramic forms, resembling the carcasses of a butterfly species that has already disappeared from mainland Finland, rest partially buried in the sand, in a coffin-like black wooden box. The work refers to the consequences of human activity and what kind of ecological legacy we leave for future generations. My work combines artisan tradition, material durability and longevity, and a critical relationship with inherited stories. The exhibition suggests that heritage is not just about

preservation, but also about active re-evaluation – about what needs to be held on to and what is time to let go of.

Claudia Burneo & Jonne Kauko:

MYSTERIES OF SYMBIOSIS

On the subject of lichen (/ˈlaɪkən/, LY-kən): in 1879, biologist Anton de Bary defined symbiosis as "a phenomenon in which two dissimilar organisms live together." In this context, "dissimilar organisms" refers to those of two or more distinct species. Lichens are life forms consisting of fungi living in tandem with algae, or cyanobacteria, or both coexisting simultaneously. Under de Bary's definition, lichens should be understood as mutually beneficial "symbiotic" relationships. This condition is critical for survival based on collaboration rather than competition. 

With this metaphorical speculation, we reflect on the constructed existence of the individualistic human. Under this construct, value systems deem human persons superior. The end result is a separation from what we call the "environment."

This resulting separation is problematic, whether the context is a natural or a human-made environment: everything exists in relation, and context is a series of interactions.

After all, these invisible networks and co-operations are essential for life on earth. Within this artistic endeavor, we highlight the importance of lichens, the value of biodiversity, and the crucial respect for life itself. Many lichens are dependent upon old-growth forests. In fact, as many as one in four lichens found in Finland are endangered, while much is still unknown about this symbiotic life form.

These drawings expose the beauty and complexity of often unseen bodies. With this exhibition we invite the viewer to reconsider the ruling systems of value and engage in new ways of relating; to exist in symbiosis with our world, to lichenize.

Claudia Burneo is a multimedia artist based in Montreal, Canada.

Jonne Kauko is a multimedia artist based in Tampere, Finland.