Mizpah - Enigmas of the Existence and Non-Existence : an exploration through art
Mizpah is an interactive installation, and it was exhibited first time at the degree exibition Memetrancism, Jakobstad 2023.
The physical work consists of two main parts: a corridor with transparent white curtains - leading to a white-painted, private room with a bone-black pigment-painted coffin, an old Bakelite telephone and a black chair to sit on.
Mizpah is an interactive installation, and it was exhibited first time at the degree exibition Memetrancism, Jakobstad 2023.
The physical work consists of two main parts: a corridor with transparent white curtains - leading to a white-painted, private room. Inside of this mistily lighted room, were placed a bone-black pigment-painted coffin, an old Bakelite telephone and a black chair to sit on.
The telephone cord was plugged directly into the coffin, and the telephone line was open. If you spoke into the phone, you experienced a quiet, abstract, whisper-like answer from the coffin back to the phone.
Mizpah was the degree thesis work of The Bachelor of Culture and Arts, and was also realized as a written thesis "Mizpah - Enigmas of existence and non-existence : exploration through art".
Abstract
Do you still wish to see the deceased, or do we close the lid before last goodbye?The physical remains of the human soul received their last observers, the shell that had preserved consciousness exhaled its emptiness. The lid of the coffin sealed the departure of our last journey on earth.
In my final work, Mizpah - Enigmas of the Existence and Non-Existence : an exploration through art, I immersed myself in an examination of my own perception of death, existence and non-existence, and the implications of the metaphors, reflections and thematics created by these concepts in my own artistic work.
How the already non-existing, continues to exist throughout an artist's life - contributing and constantly shaping the artist's understanding and worldview - while the void created by absence echoes with questions that, despite searching, have no ready answers.
Mizpah - Enigmas of the Existence and Non-Existence : an exploration through art, provides a window into the longing and yearning created by the void, opening up the involvement of loss and the mourning process through my creations of art.
Veera Rislachius
Mizpah - Enigmas of existence and non-existence : exploration through art
Degree Thesis, Bachelor of Culture and Arts, Fine Arts
2023
LAByrinth
LAByrinth was a joint exhibition with an installation kind of nature; It was built mainly from material found around the Campus Allegro, where the Gallery Whitebox is located. Instead of staying only inside of the Whitebox, we decided to fill the empty campus area between the gallery and library with a whole art experience.
Nicole Hjelt, Ivana Milosavljevic, Veera Rislachius | Galleria White Box 8.3 - 31.3.2022
“LAByrinth is an exhibition jointing three young artists, in which each of the artists presents the works independently, without limiting the themes or concepts - with the installation-like nature of the exhibition linking the artists' works into a coherent whole.
As an exhibition, LAByrinth reflects artist’s ongoing laboratory with the mind and materials; exploration, experimentation and curiosity, development, a process through an endless labyrinth. Intersections, decisions, dead-ends leading towards the new directions - every route of the labyrinth still connected to each others.
The exhibition includes works presented in more traditional formats, such as paintings, drawings and sculptures, as well as video and performance works and installations.”
LAByrinth was a joint exhibition with an installation kind of nature; It was built mainly from material found around the Campus Allegro, where the gallery White Box is located. Instead of staying only inside of the Whitebox, we decided to fill the empty campus area between the gallery and library with a whole art experience. Physical building of the labyrinth started 8 days before the vernissage, with painting the originally planned walls and starting to get them standing.
During the building, we realised - we want to get it bigger, we need more walls. We went around the campus, looking all of the possible storages and scrap plates we could find - and with some walls, we had to get a little bit creative to correct them straight and stable. At some point, we even screw off our own studio walls to continue the labyrinth.
From every route you took at the labyrinth, you could find your way inside of the Whitebox. Inside-space of the gallery came out to be one kind of an image of a living room; installation with four televisions and two computer screens, showing our video works - and old couch, chairs and living room table. With these, we had two separate, independent installations placed at both ends of the space.
After intensive working, long days and long nights, we were happy to see the vernissage full of curious people to experience the LAByrinth.
Special thanks for my fellow exhibiting artist Nicole Hjelt and Whiteboxer Alexander Granqvist for sacrificing their night sleeps for the LAByrinth.
Österbottenstidning © Kevin Åkerlund
LAByrinth versnissage, videostills. Videography by Kevin Åkerlund.
Illiquefactus, Acrylics on canvas, 2022 | Deactivated, Oil on canvas, 2022
LABYRINTH IN THE MEDIA
https://www.osterbottenstidning.fi/Artikel/Visa/564339
https://www.keskipohjanmaa.fi/uutinen/635234
“Making of/behind the scenes” material from LAByrinth you can see from Gallery White Box Stories HERE.