keepontheasphalt

WHO ARE THEY?
WHO ARE YOU?
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THEM?
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT YOURSELF?

Exhibition at the Cable Factory
Galleria Käytävä
from 16.5.-1.6. 2003
Daily from 9.oo-19.oo

The Finns are middle height, robust, strong-limbed and stiff. Their movements are steady and they articulate slowly. They are flat-faced and broad-mouthed. They have prominent cheek-bones, small gray eyes and gray skin. The facial gesture is sullen, not sympathetic. The Finns are candid, honest, brave and unsociable. They are patriotic, bellicose and revengeful. They are hospitable but they like to keep the distance to strangers.

Three Finnish-born artists are invited to the XI Biennial of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean. The first phase their mission takes place in the Balkans where they will be pasting up posters on the walls. The posters offer a description of the people of Finland, but also a description of people of Albany, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Greek, Macedonia and Montenegro. For us these nations exist on the map, but how can we be sure if there are only the Albanians living in Albania sharing the Albanian language? Do we even know if every Finnish citizen living in Finland speaks the Finnish language? We don’t know how these people are, but for certain they are hospitable, patriotic and revengeful. Both the Albanians, the Finns and almost every nationality have those same characteristics based on the early 20th century encyclopedias.

The XI Biennial in Athens is hosting the artists from 15 different countries including Finland. For that event we are producing a posters describing the each participating country by their physical and spiritual characteristics based on the written educational facts from the early 20th century.

The entire project will be document on video focusing on the progress of the project on the road and the reactions of people during and after the pasting up the posters.

Riiko Sakkinen
Niko Luoma
Katja Tukiainen