Sermon II, 2024
Juhana Moisander: Sermon
Usually the aim of a sermon is to evoke thoughts and feelings about the texts of the Bible and to comment on the prevailing situation of the community. The approach is similar to works of art: both comment on the prevailing time and its phenomena. In the Sermon series, my starting point has been a critical examination of people and their actions in relation to each other, to the surrounding world, and its objects. At Forum Box on view will be two most recent parts of the series, Sermon II and Sermon III.
Sermon II is a fable dressed in the form of a video installation. A fable is often an animal tale in which animals or plants are given human characteristics. In my work, the narrator is a skinless pig, who directs its song to the viewer. Visible is just flesh and bones. The character is a reminder and a sum, which also refers to the figure of the guardian in the esoteric tradition. In the figure of the guardian, the seeker faces their own fears. In my work, the figure takes the form of collective karma: a pig that is stripped of its skin. The pig urges listeners to realize a characteristic of the human species: the possibility of making moral judgments. This is a unique human characteristic and an opportunity improve the living conditions of all living beings.
The pig has been close to humans through domestication and the meat industry that developed from it. Our physical encounters with the species in living form are rare these days. Outside the meat industry, we mainly encounter the animal on farm tours and on the shelves of grocery stores. However, the pig is abundantly represented in various cultural representations and images. Folklore, language images and various audiovisual means of expression have created cultural and place-related meanings on the subject. The aspirations of my work are based on posthumanist thought, where the life and being of all species are inherently valuable, and we as humans should recognize and acknowledge it.
The production of the works, my work and the rationalization of the exhibition have been supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Center for the Promotion of Art, AVEK and the Olga and Vilho Linnamo Foundation.
Juhana Moisander (b. 1977) lives and works in Karkkila. Moisander studied Fine Arts at the Tampere University of Applied Sciences and obtained a master’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Fine Arts (Helsinki). His works are often dark-toned media works in terms of themes and color schemes. His focus is on fitting the video, sound and physical elements into a complete whole within the architecture of the exhibition space. The themes and contents of the works stem from art history and literature as well as human aspirations. His works are are included in both Finnish and abroad art collections, and Moisander has also created several public works of art.
Panu Rytkönen: Assorted Love and Hate Songs – Sculptures
On a Statue of Heracles
I marvelled seeing at the cross-roads Jove’s brazen son, once constantly invoked, now cast aside, and in wrath I said: “Averter of woes, offspring of three nights, thou, who never didst suffer defeat, art today laid low.” But at night the god stood by my bed smiling, and said: “Even though I am a god I have learnt to serve the times.”
PALLADAS of ALEXANDRIA
The exhibition has been supported by the Art Promotion Center.
Panu Rytkönen (b. 1983) is a sculptor living and working in Helsinki. He graduated with a Master degree in Fine Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts in 2007. He has held several solo exhibitions in Helsinki and has in addition participated in group exhibitions around Finland. This is his second exhibition at Forum Box Gallery.
Jan Ijäs: LÄHTEELLÄ – “At the Spring”
In September 1930, a human thumb was found in a spring in Helsinki’s Tattarisuo. The following autumn, a total of 51 human body parts of 18 different people were found in the same spring; severed hands, feet and heads. The police were puzzled by the case for a long time, and it finally took almost two years to solve it.
The perpetrators were revealed to be a witch circle of six people. Their leader was a middle-aged man who called himself Noita-Kallio (‘Witch-Rock’). He had received a revelation about a gold treasure hidden in the bottom of the spring of Tattarisuo. In the treasure hunt one had to keep contact with the spirits of the dead, who could help with bringing the treasure to the surface. For this purpose, parts of human bodies, or “seals” as the group called them, were needed, which led to the digging up of the dead from their graves.
The public’s interest in the case was enormous.
In the work LÄHTEELLÄ – “At the Spring” the story is told as seen from the inside of the events and the events are presented in the order in which they were reported – not in chronological order. The script is based on newspaper articles, information letters sent to the police by the public, and interrogation protocols of the accused.
The work has been supported by AVEK, Koneen säätiö and TAIKE.
Media artist and film director Jan Ijäs (b. 1975) studied art education and creative writing in Jyväskylä University and documentary film making at the Department of Film, Television and Scenography at the Aalto University in Helsinki. His work can be described as a blend of avant garde, experimental media art and documentary film making. His films have been screened at more than 270 Finnish and international film festivals and as installations in museums and art galleries. He has won numerous awards, including the Finnish Risto Jarva Prize in 2011 for SWEET MOV(I)E. Raft of the Médusa, film about immigration won Amnesty International Award 2018 at the IndieLisboa film festival in Portugal.
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