Kuusen kuuleminen - Hear the Spruce Listening
Hear the Spruce Listening was an environmental art piece with a link to a website that tells about past beliefs related to the Spruce Tree. Website texts are in Finnish. The symbols used in the work are signs of the times; day, week, day and night, year and eternity. Artwork made together with Heikki Raudaskoski.
https://express.adobe.com/page/kJbAeGagaliNd/
Pikinen Poloku, Pikisaari, Oulu 2023
Relevant place
Symbols cast from tin attached to concrete structures, environmental art, Pikinen Poloku, Pikisaari, Oulu 2021
The symbols are Hobo signs by which they have indicated whether the place is good or whether they have been treated well. The signs which I chose tell you that the place is good and encourage the visitor to rest and stay overnight at the place. The symbols also tell you which way to continue
Solaris
Kesähetkessä - In The Summer 2019 -
The starting point of the work has been the cohesion of man and the environment. We are one with nature from the microcosm to the macrocosm. Our environment affects us and we affect our environment, big and small.
The work gives sensory stimuli with sound, lights, video and a touch of fabrics hanging from the ceiling. The viewer can walk inside the work. The work activates the senses and gives impulses to the images and thoughts of the connection between man and nature for the experiencer to discover.
Scene Thunderstorm
Video that shows how wiever is able to walk through the artwork
The work is transformable and can be hung in various spaces, such as an empty retail space, art museum or gallery.
Solaris version In The Summer was made for Oulu LUMO Light Festival 2020, that was cancelled because of the corona crisis. It had it's premiere 21.11.2020 in Pikisali of Oulu Theater for limited amount of audience.
The members of the working group jointly participate in the creation of the audiovisual content of the work, the artistic implementation and the development of the script.
- Karoliina Niemelä and Pirjo Lempeä: artistic idea, visual design and implementation, light and video photography, editing
- Jussi Lappalainen: sound design and technical implementation as well as video recording
- Tuomo Kalanniska: projection design and video recording
Alku - The Beginning
The artwork was made in Art Ii Biennial 2020 with a theme The Knowledge of the Earth. Art Ii Biennial addresses current themes, participates in the public discussion through the methods of art and boldly combines the rich cultural heritage of Ii with contemporary art. A pivotal part of the event is to facilitate interactions between the local community and international art professionals.
The artwork was created using a monumental ceramic sculpture technique. The progress of the sculpture’s completion was documented as a time-lapse video, which examines the concept of time and functions as a contrast to the sculpture: the material in contrast to the immaterial, the age-old way of doing in contrast to modern technology, site-bound in contrast to nowhere and everywhere at the same time. The autumn storms destroyed the sculpture.
See the time-lapse of the process
Artists: Karoliina Niemelä and Pirjo Lempeä. See the artist interview
Read more about the idea behind the artwork
https://artii.fi/knowledge-of-the-earth/the-beginning/
Hidas aika - Slow time
Hidas aika - Slow Time, a moss graffiti work as part of the Pikinen poloku environmental art trail cooperation of two artists Pirjo Lempeä and Karoliina Niemelä , Pikisaari, Oulu 2020
Paintings
Olga 2018, acrylic paint and striking metal, 150x150 cm
Alma 2018, acrylic paint and striking metal, 150x150 cm
Walk of Future
Walk of Future is a tribute to youngsters, that are our hope of the future. It replicates the idea of Walk of fame in Hollywood. To the city center of Oulu was painted one hundred of stars. Young people where invited to come and paint their own tag to the center of the star.
Over 120 young people joined the project.
Artists: Pirjo Lempeä and Karoliina Niemelä
Made to order of City of Oulu 2012
Myriad Stories - Lukemattomia juttuja
Myriad Stories - Lukemattomia juttuja is a documentary of Meri-Toppila, also called a ghetto of Oulu, that has became an interesting melting pot of different cultures and social groups. The document makers give the floor to the inhabitants, workers and occasional visitors to tell, what is the driving force of their lives. The film became a song of praise for everyday happiness. it was made in 2013.
Waria productions workgroup:
- Director, scriptwriting and edit: Karoliina Niemelä
- Shooting and scriptwriting: Pirjo Lempeä
- Producer: Marjo Pekonen
- Coder: Esa Hietala
- Project assistant: Mervi Saaranen
- Project trainee: Elias Kiuru
Myriad Stories was produceed with the product development award of Aalto Universtity and Oulu University Dimeke - project.
Photo gallery of works over the years
1-2. Runottaret 1989, 1020 and 980 1993, 3. Bella Bikers documentary film 2010, 4. Gosh fiction film2001, 5. Snow Sculpture Biennal in Luleå 1992, 6. Gosh fiction film 2001, 7-8. Percentage artwork for Madekoski primary school 2006, 9-12. A Place in Me, Oulu Art Museum community art project 2008, 13. New Tube, Oulu Art Museum Community Art Project 2009, 14. Next Tube, Oulu Art Museum Community Art Project, 2010, 15. ’Saa koskea’ - circulating artwork in kindergartens that can be assembled by children 1996, 16. Kaarto percentage artwork for Raatti swimming hall 2010, 17. Siirto percentage artwork for Raatti swimming hall 2010