Sonja Salomäki

Moido Fossiiliutopia! Farewell fossil utopia!

at Gallery Hämärä ,  10.1.-25.1.24, Rovaniemi

The tapestries reflect the current incoherent mental landscape, where various protection mechanisms help to withstand harsh news about disappearing species and ecological disasters that are raging everywhere. It is difficult to bear the guilt of Western man for conquering and destroying the earth. At the same time, keeping the Earth viable depends on homo sapiens' ability to admit that they are a small and relatively useless part of the complex natural system. 

The imagery of the works aims to reach beyond the normal of this moment to a better future.
The works are made using embroidery and felting techniques on old hand woven traditional raanu- tapestries, which were probably made in the 70s and 80s. The works show the human-centered world in which, in contrast to everyday reality, other animals and organisms have appeared to join. ​The visual language of the works is lending experimentally the means of building new worlds of soviet avant-garde, adapted according to my own view and updated for the 2020s reality.  

The seven felted and embroided raanus  were completed during 2021-22.  Embroidery technique used in raanus is respecting the figurative language of weaving.  Felting allows the production of painted like surfaces. Updating the raanus into works of art corrects the perception of them being stuffy and old-fashioned textiles.

It is possible to change mental images and reality.The next few years will show what kind of chain reactions, recessions or aspirations towards a more sustainable future thehuman species accustomed to the cozy fossil utopia will produce with the ongoing energy crisis.​Will we get to bid farewell to the fossil utopia?