A new art exhibition opened to the public at the University of Helsinki’s field station in Juupajoki, Pirkanmaa, on 21st June, 2023. Periferia – Forest Art Lab is a collection of works of art at the Hyytiälä Forestry Field Station, which has a strong tradition in Finnish forest management and environmental research. Consisting of works of environmental, sound, video, textile and conceptual art, the exhibition has been curated by Ulla Taipale.
You can access the map of the exhibition here. The exhibition is open 24/7 until during snow-free season. The works are located in the woods and a peatland around the station. You will need sturdy shoes suitable for walking in the terrain and forest trails. Mosquito repellent may be necessary in spring and summer time. To experience the artwork of architect Juhani Pallasmaa at the peatland you might need high rubber boots.
“The exhibition provides a new dimension to being in nature. As the works are experienced in the environment, they appear different on each visit,” notes the curator. The exhibition has been put together under the Climate Whirl Arts Program of the Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR).
The works are associated with the cutting-edge scientific research conducted at the 100-year-old station or with the nature surrounding it. Those featured in the exhibition are sound artists Band of Weeds, visual artist Terike Haapoja, media artist Agnes Meyer-Brandis, architect Juhani Pallasmaa, textile artist Kustaa Saksi, IC-98 and a working group, and the nature conservation association Wild Zone (Villi vyöhyke ry). All the works are site-specific and based on a multi-arts and research-driven approach. They are staged in the station surroundings or permanently installed in the buildings. The works by artist and designer Kustaa Saksi, Agnes Meyer-Brandis and Siobhan McDonald will be opened as part of the exhibition no later than spring 2024.
The main funder of the exhibition is the Alfred Kordelin Foundation, which provided funding under its Major Cultural Project scheme in 2021.
The Hyytiälä Forest Station is located in the heart of the Finnish countryside. The peripheric location offers space, time and the freedom to explore, experience and dig deeper. In addition to being an engaging combination of nature and art, the exhibition provides experiences that increase our understanding of where and how research on climate and forests is conducted. It gives behind-the-scenes insight into the long-term and research-based nature of both academic and artistic work.
This permanent exhibition is open to visitors during snow-free periods, starting from summer 2023. In addition, the station will host various events on art and science this autumn and in the coming years, with details to be shared through the social media channels of the Climate Whirl Arts Program.
In addition to the artists and their teams, the project has involved Antti Uotila, Director of Hyytiälä Forest Station, INAR Professors Jaana Bäck (forest-atmosphere interactions) and Timo Vesala (meteorology), research coordinators Anna Lintunen and Pauliina Schiestl-Aalto (Hyytiälä SMEAR stations), curator Ulla Taipale (project manager), ACTRIS leader Eija Juurola, Hyytiälä Forest Station service coordinator Hanna-Mari Uusi-Piuhari, exhibition coordinator Valpuri Talvitie and numerous other station staff. Technical expertise in the realisation of the works has been provided by Heikki Laakso, Toivo Pohja and Jarkko Saarimäki, among others.
The picture is a detail from Kustaa Saksi' tapestry "Forest answers". The large-scale work was hung in the new canteen of the Hyytiälä Forest Station in October 2023.