Kaisu Koivisto
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Uutta / News 2019-2020
Afrikanda - havaintoja koneista ja laiteista / - On Machines and Devices. Turun taidehalli, Turku, Finland 2019
Location/Dislocation. Between remembering and forgetting. Art Station Dubulti, Jūrmala, Latvia 2019
Topophilia. Yukon Arts Centre Art Gallery, Whitehorse, Canada 2019
Capriccio. Gallen-Kallela Museo, Espoo, Finland 2018
Nuuk, Greenland, 2018
Maisema riisinjyvässä / Landscape on a Rice Grain 2018
Der lieben Mutter [volkskunst] Axel Obiger, Berlin
Viterbo - Miltä keskiaika näyttää nyt?
Porvoo Triennial, Porvoo
A Clear Day. Nääs slott, Lerum, Sweden
Hiilisatu / Coal Fairy Tale. Galleria Orton, Helsinki 2017
Teoksia myytävänä / Works available
Ultramarin. Bortom Havet / Beyond the Sea. Gocart Gallery, Visby, Sweden.
Jossain muualla / Elsewhere. Kirja / book
Jossain muualla / Elsewhere. Galleria AMA, Helsinki 2015
Piirrän kartat uudelleen / Drawing Maps Anew. 2015
Think : North
The End of The End
Northern Soul: Landscapes of Longing
Liquid Spaces. Linnagalerii, Pärnu, Estonia 2015
Environmental Art in Fall, Söndre land, Norway, 2014
Kesä / Summer 2014
Maiseman kaipuu / Longing for a Landscape. Galleria Harmaja, Oulu; P-galleria, Pori
Techno Nature. Schuebbe Projects, Düsseldorf 2013
The Arctic Circle 2013
Intersezioni / Intersections. Claudia Peill and Kaisu Koivisto. Rome, 2013
Kesä / Summer 2013
Äänekäs hiljaisuus / Loud Silence. Vaasa 2013
Äänekäs hiljaisuus / Loud Silence. Turku, 2012
Perfect Circle. 2-channel video installation, 2011
Rakennettu, unohdettu / Built, abandoned
Urban and Forest 2011-12
Kesä / Summer 2011
Tasavallan presidentin kutsunäyttely Kultarannassa 14.6.–28.8.2011 / The President of Finland’s Invitational Exhibition at Kultaranta
Toisessa valossa / In a Different Light. Forum Box, Helsinki 2011
Hurmiollisessa tilassa, tanssiteos / In an Enchanted State
Bambiesque - Monsters and Cuties
Jalostettu laji / Cultivated Species. Tampere 2010
Index 2010
Mansikkapaikka / Strawberry Patch, Turku 2010
Richtung Norden. MAERZ, Linz
Changelings, 2009-2012
mURBAN. Artborg, Sipoo 2009
Turku Biennial 2009
Vaihdokkaita. Galleria Harmaja, Oulu 2009
Galleria Sculptor, Helsinki 2009
Työhuoneella / At the studio 2009
Observatorio / Observatory
Vaihdokkaat 2007 - 2009
Sisäkuvia / Interiors, 2007
Pintapyydyksiä / Surface Traps. Galleria Heino, Helsinki 2006
Mid-Career Retrospective, New York City, 2004
New Yorkin lehmät: lajin palauttaminen / Cows in NYC: Reintroducing the Species, 2000
Rakenteita / Structures
Tilateoksia / Installations
Piirtämisestä / On Drawings
Links
Arkisto 1 / Archive 1 2006 - 2009
Arkisto 2 / Archive 2, 1993-99
Arkisto 3 / Archive 3, 2000-05
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Northern Soul: Landscapes of Longing

During the past seven years I have I have photographed abandoned military areas, above all nuclear missile bases, mostly in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine and Belarus, left by the ex-Soviet army. The buildings, once the focus of military and ideological struggle between superpowers appear now as bare and vulnerable. The forces of nature invade the buildings: vegetation takes over, devouring man-made structures.

What began as curiosity towards the remains of recent history evolved into in-depth exploration of the Cold War period.

Austere missile hangars. Lots of them, most of them made of similar, pre-fabricated elements. L-zones, which were storage areas for nuclear warheads. Missile launch pads with their distinctive, geometric iron parts. Missile silos, now silent, over 30 m deep into the ground. But, also buildings which were used for recreation: canteens, sports halls, culture centers, swimming pools, saunas. One of my interests has been the ways in which the aforementioned spaces have been decorated. In addition to the soviet propaganda-imbued murals there is an abundance of images which refer more to an intimate, quotidian sphere, distanced from the militaristic and heroic iconography, often combined with text.The social function of the spaces in the military areas is visible through the imagery.

I have been curious to see so many representations of landscapes in the areas dedicated to recreation or office use. These paintings, often made directly on walls, have been made mostly with very simple means.

One can see that, nevertheless, they convey a sense of longing for another place somewhere else, melancholy. Something which brings solace in the harsh reality of military life. There is a whiff of northern romanticism to the paintings. Another approach of the landscape theme is the application of photo wallpaper at the missile bases.

I merge documentary and conceptual approaches to image-making, focusing on the ways in which geographical, historical and political situations are inscribed on the earth's surface. One can see that the places I photograph are in a state of abandon. Soon they will not exist.

For a more extensive selection of images see
http://kaisukoivisto.pictures.fi/kuvat/Northern+Soul/







Sarjasta Kaipauksen maisemia / From the series: Landscapes of Longing

Pigment print, 2014


From the series Landscapes of Longing. Pigment print, 100 x 150 cm, 2015

G11 Galerie Former Power Station: Exhibition space for LANDSCAPE - METROPOLIS in Berlin Schöneweide. 10 July - 8 Aug 2015. Photo: John Power

 
  YLLÄPITO © Karotti Oy .:. 2006