A TEMPORARY SPACE BETWEEN A FOREST EDGE AND THE GROUND: NINE FERULAS

Inside the church are nine staffs made of brushwood. Like Marja-Leena’s work on Olaiplan – a large collection of branches and twigs that has been moved into the city – the material is forestry residues. The staffs are simple, upright shapes with lathed knobs. They are dedicated to the essence of the forest and the air, placed here to remind us of the interaction we once had with nature. On the last day of the exhibition, the installation will be activated through a procession. In Avskedsritual (Farewell Ritual), a group and guide will walk from the church through the city, each carrying a staff, to the pile of brushwood. The movement joins the places in a shared act. What was previously still will be set into circulation, as a gesture of farewell before the material’s final destination. Marja-Leena Sillanpää’s work brings together examinations of philosophical and existential questions. The material often serves as a carrier of something that cannot be fully explained.