Snugglesafe shows a human taking care of a cat. Something is off though – the cat has their temperature taken, they are taken to the emergency room, they will not eat. They are shrinking. Where is the mother? The care shown is not just tender or pampering. It is also forceful, painful and full of repetitive routines. Keeping and staying alive requires constant maintenance and upkeep. Giving up would be easier.
Reija Meriläinen is a Helsinki based artist working with video, sculpture, and installations that combine the digital and physical. In their work, social tensions and power are linked to physical and material sensations. While visually soft, the pieces often hint at power relations and violence. Meriläinen’s work has been shown in several solo and group exhibitions in Finland and abroad, such as the ARS17 exhibition in Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art. In 2019 Meriläinen was awarded the AVEK media arts prize. The artist has volunteered as a foster home for homeless cats through Kisu ry for several years. Kisu ry is an animal rescue organisation working towards bettering the welfare of cats in Finland. The cats that come through the organisation are mostly from outdoor colonies and are thus often feral and at times also sick.
Music and sound design: Minna Koivisto
Some viewers may find parts of the video upsetting as they depict scenes of force-feeding and death.
Mediabox is Forum Box gallery’s space dedicated to media art. The program is created in collaboration with AV-arkki.
There are three steps to the media art space Mediabox, but the work is also available for viewing on a tablet by request. Please don’t hestitate to contact our staff if Mediabox is inaccessible for you.