The Infinite Mosaic Galleries assemble fragments of the worlds we live in today, treasured by visual artists from around the globe, so that we take a moment to appreciate the fleeting beauty around us, and experience the vulnerability of all things human.
“My eyes are fixed to the distant point where the mire and the forest meet,
I can see the blue silhouette of Oratunturi Fell arching behind them.
Crooked birches stand on peat islets running through the mire,
I feel the rich smell of the mire in my nose.
The sky is wide, and the earth. And the mind.”- Kaija Kiuru
The works above are part of the Protected Aapa Mire project which deals with the Viiankiaapa nature reserve in Sodankylä municipality in Finnish Lapland, and the mining plans for the area. Since 2004 British-based, globally operating Anglo American has been searching for ores in the protected area. The nickel-copper deposit discovered is considered significant, and the company aims at starting mining operations in the area. Although the company is planning an underground mine, one cannot be sure how it will affect the water balance of the bog and its conservation values.
Through this art project, Kaija Kiuru desires to take a stand on mining plans concerning a nature conservation area. One role of art is to bring about a social debate. Viiankiaapa is near and local, but at the same time also global, as we encounter similar clashes between human activity and the natural environment all over the world. All current serious environmental problems are interlinked and should be treated as a whole. Climate change, biodiversity loss and also pandemics are due to unsustainable land use and over-consumption of natural resources. The origin of Kaija Kiuru’s works of art is in her own mire experiences, scientific research, the livelihood and cultural history of Viiankiaapa, and mining plans threatening the area.
Her previous works about nature are shown below:
Visual artist Kaija Kiuru was born, lives and works in Sodankylä municipality, Finnish Lapland. She is interested in the idea of man as part of nature, but especially in the dominant role of man over the rest of nature. Her body of works ranges from small, delicate piece collections to large landscaping works. An arts-science book about Viiankiaapa, in collaboration with Timo Helle, an ecologist and a nature writer, will be published in March 2022.
Website: www.kaijakiuru.net
We are very grateful to Julie Decker and Francesca DuBrock of the Anchorage Museum who connected us with fantastic women artists and inspired us with the exhibition Extra Tough: Women of the North, among the other great projects they are undertaking.