Kantava maa: Exhibition work: In Relation With Time and Material

In "Relation With Time and Material: Suhteessa aikaan ja materiaan" I concentrate on experiential and performative dimensions in creative practice in my artistic research, working mainly with ceramics. For understanding these dimensions, I examine aesthetic qualities in creative experiences. The first understanding of aesthetic qualities within creative processes often comes through the tactility of the material when engaging with our bodies, primarily through the use of our hands.
I touch, shape, form, and explore materials with my hands moving, caressing, pushing and pulling, repeating the same responsive movements again and again. From this embodied experience on aesthetics, I have continued to explore factory processes. The difference in a factory setting is that the process is part of production other than my own, which creates a distance between myself and the material.
Being with the material within the factory processes offers time and freedom to realise connections, such as the natural origin of the material, environment, culture, and human labour. When I was recording this video material in different brick factories around Egernsund in Denmark, I noticed that there was also a strong connection that I felt in my body. I felt the rhythm of the production, and it was surprising how relatable and close it felt to the movements and capabilities of my body. The closeness of the process gradually sneaked under my skin, and I began to yearn to work as part of the factory production lines.
This video work is about time and the connections that we have with the material world. This work also demands time from the viewer. By being with the shown processes and tuning into the different parts of the production, we can start to understand our personal connections and notice the subtle details that often remain unnoticed with a quick unfocused glance.