Simo Saarikoski
Abandoned Land II
26.10.-18.11.2018
Open as usual on All Saints Day 3.11. and on Fathers Day 11.11. at 12-5 pm.
Abandoned Land II is an experimental, documentary and poetic video about the lost Finland and at the same time about its future. It documents abandoned environments and forgotten lifestyles that have become the periphery of Finnish society and phenomena from today’s perspective. Finland is a metaphor for the social change throughout Europe from the ending of the Second World War up to the present day. The abandoned world is a window to the future, also reflecting the things we may in the future consider worth abandoning.
The video was filmed in different parts of Finland between 2015 and 2018. It is a sequel to the short film Abandoned Land which has so far been screened at 18 different film and video art festivals all over the world, most recently in September at the Love & Anarchy Festival in Helsinki and in November at the Aesthetica Short Film Festival in York, England. The film also received the Sign Award in October 2017 at the Festival International Signes De Nuit (Signs of The Night).
Abandoned Land II has been supported by AVEK and VISEK.
Simo Saarikoski (b. 1980) is a versatile artist based in Helsinki. He works with video, performances and watercolor paintings. In his works he examines the phenomena of our time as well as the human psyche and the impact of humans on their environment. In addition to his solo work, he is part of the group Messiaaninen Visuaalisen Etiikan Tutkimuskeskus and the Pori-based T.E.H.D.A.S. collective. The artist’s works in various forms have been on display in over 20 countries.
