Every year, Finlandia celebrates its roots from Finland through a celebration called Festival Ruska. This annual celebration takes place in the fall and there are many events being held in celebration. There will be a Porvoo Choir in the Calumet Theatre on Sept. 30, a Nordic Film Series on Oct. 12, and a concert by the Hot Pstromi on Oct. 16. Throughout the whole festival, there will be a nature art gallery with deep inspirations drawn from Finnish culture and mythology. This art gallery is open from September 21 to October 14 and welcomes all of the public.
Three different artists, Riitka Ikonen, Taina Kontio, and Satu Miettinen combined their work to create a gallery called “Moved by Nature.” The gallery features various art pieces concerning different mediums, like video, sculpture, and photography.
Riitka Ikonen provided work that is strongly inspired by Finnish landscapes through videos and wearable sculptures. The work draws a parallel between humans and their interaction with nature and environment. She ties together the natural world with imagination, memory and myth. Ikonen also put an emphasis in this exhibit on the oldest pieces of Finnish history: the land which makes up the country such as moss and rocks.
Tania Kontio provides videos that tell personal stories through water which act as a retelling of old Finnish folktales. Both videos are also a part of her “RIVERNESS Saga.” Her video, “My Riverness” pays tribute to Kontio’s mother and the Finnish goddess of air and the creator of the world, Ilmatar. Kontio’s other video, “My Mythology” is about the Tuonela River, the river of passing. She creates videopoetry, which is a genre of poetry displayed on a screen and has a poetic combination of images with text and sound. This beautiful form of poetry is a wonderful addition to the gallery as it complements the personification of nature and helps to explain mythology.
Satu Miettinen displays artwork that accents the beauty of nature and places emphasis on the interactions of current humans with nature as well as the way human ancestors interacted with nature. This artwork particularly is a cause for introspection, drawing a strong line between the way humans act towards nature now, the way we treat it, and the way we used to treat nature.
In addition to these pieces, there will also be six short films being shown which place an emphasis on the culture and history of Finland throughout the years.
Altogether, if you’re looking for a source of inspiration, searching for a way to connect with nature, or if you have some Finnish roots in you, it would be worthwhile to drop in and enjoy the art gallery. It is located in the Finnish American Heritage Center, 435 Quincy Street, Hancock and the gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until October 14.
