In my dissertation, I study the audience reactions to the climate art pieces. My aim is to find the impressive features of art. What is affecting in art, ( if that something is affecting)?
The climate- themed art pieces, whose communication properties I am clearing out, have been made in the practical part of my study, The Climate channel project, in collaboration with organizations and artists. The project was produced by Jatkumo ry.
My role in the project was: initiator, producer, spokesperson, social media communicator, public relations representative, graphic designer, curator, director and interviewer.
I have been a doctoral candidate and doing research in the University of Lapland since 2018.
2018-2021 I had the honor to work with a three-year grant from
The Finnish Cultural Foundation.
2023-2024 I am doing my doctoral research at
/ The house of science and hope, Puistokatu 4.
The route is clear!/Spillage in winter wonderland/Yule bock in the swamp
Tufted rug 2022
Mean while using more traditional research methods I am testing my own abilities in the same experimental challenge that was posed to The Climate Channel artists. In the Climate Channel, artists had to make art pieces of pre-defined climate-themes. These art pieces had a communicative objective: to touch the audience, convey climate facts and even possibly change the thinking of the audience, at least for a moment. To make a crack in the reality that allows change, as Rancière would put it.
In the artistic processing of the research theme I give precedence to the esthetics and intuition over filling up the art pieces with facts. Nevertheless the art pieces reflect the themes of the practical part of my study: disappearing winters, bioenergy problems, run-down of fossil energy, anthropocene, climate anxiety, climate and economy etc.
In addition to being related to the dissertation, the art pieces are also an independent artistic entity.
Through art, new surprising orders can be created between things.
Eliminating confusion in one sphere of activity, such as an art piece, can contributeto eliminating it elsewhere (Vuorinen, 1997)
I have implemented the Farewell fossil Utopia!- art pieces with embroidery and felting techniques on eight old traditional heavy woven rugs, called raanu. Raanus that I am using are made in the 70s. I update them artistically with the vastly changed reality of my own lifetime (1977- ). Delusional abundance and the era of limitless resources have changed into a time of strange contradiction, in which, as climate change progresses and in the midst of an ecological catastrophe, finnish everyday life still goes on within the fossil utopia reality.
is a concept created by Sonja Salomäki and it is the operational part of her doctoral research at the University of Lapland. The aim of the research is to produce information about the potential effectiveness of art activism. During the year 2018 the Climate channel brought together eight artists and organizations with mutual aims & concerns. The artists task was to create easily understood current art pieces commenting on the background of, and links to, climate change.
April 24
A woolly reach into the future Article
coming to Kide (University of Lapland) magazine
20.12.22
Why should art be used to teach sustainable development?
YK-liitto Uutiset & media
2022
Reactive Eco Crisis artwork guide book
30.10.20
Climate art can touch and take a stand at the same time
Ilmiö Media
17-18 The Climate channel
Jatkumo ry
(SS: original idea, curation, coordination, production)
24 People and Planet conference, Lahti/Finland 13-15.2.
20 ECOFE, Ecofeminism and Education, Online TUNI/ Finland 19–20.11
19 Aboagora Symposium, Turku/Finland 21.8.
19 Floating Peripheries Conference, Rovaniemi/ Finland 14- 16.1.
23- Planetbic community performance, Puistokatu 4 17.8., Maunulatalo 8.9.
21–24 Farewell fossil utopia! Galleria Rajatila/ Tampere, Stoa gallery/Helsinki, Gallery Hämärä/Rovaniemi
17-18 Has the endless November Come? rug series, Creat space/Helsinki, Gallery Hämärä/Rovaniemi
23 Panel discussion Maunulatalo environmental week, helsinki 9.9.
23 Turku University of Applied Sciences, Turku 7.3.
23 Puistokatu 4, Presentation of the study, Helsinki, 2.3.
20 Circus and ecocrisis: presentation and panel discussion, on-line 8.12.
20 Climate menu panel discussion, Hyvinkää 27.10.
19 World in the village festival, Helsinki, 24.5.
19 Lift event, presentation of the Ilmastokanava project, Helsinki, 24.10
23 Jaana Simula/ Globe Art point, 22.8.
23 Milla Mertanen, Sofia-Charlotta Kakko/Art Promotion Center 21.6.
23 Saara Saarela/ Sitra, leading expert in social education, 15.6
23 Petra Piiroinen/ Our festival executive director, 16.5.
20 Satu Tuomisto & Anna Piskonen, 24.2.
20 Saara Korpela/ Eco-coordinator of Ihme festival, 10.2.
12.2.24 Radio Helsinki
Link to Recording (in Finnish)
11.4.19 Kultuurivihkot: Art joined climate activism
4.8.18 Kansan Uutiset
Artists' project on climate change connecting science and art
24.9.18 YLE Radio 1, Kulttuuriykkönen:
Moral choices are made with emotion - that's why artists create hopeful visions of climate change
Link to Program Info (recording offline)
31.1.18 YLE Radio Puheen Aamu
A snowman dying on a ski slope - Climate Channel creates art on climate change
Link to Recording (in Finnish)
1.12.2017 Suomen kuvalehti
Wool, slush, songs
Sonja Salomäki makes rugs and makes M. A. Numminen sing
Climate Channel Producer Kukkis (left) and Sonja in the Kansan Uutiset piece. Photo: Suvi Suvereeni
Green gold, 150x220cm, detail of a sketch for a jacquard, 2020
