The exhibition “Forest talks to us” opens up perspectives on sense of nature and community. The exhibition is based on an experience of a community that includes people and nature. Human nature and non-human nature are in constant contact, cooperation and dialogue.
Katja Juhola’s installation comments on the use of forests. The artwork contains excerpts from discussions in which local and forest industry representatives talk about their forest relations and experiences of forest disputes.
The exhibition is based on the International Art Symposium ISEAS 2020 held in Äkäslompolo in August 2020
The Forest Within Us
Katja Juhola 2021. installation The Forest Within Us is based on a community art project carried out in Äkäslompolo in August, involving three artists and a forest researcher. This collaboration between art and science explored the meanings we attach to forests, the pressures of their multifunctional use, and the deeply personal and emotional relationships people form with them. At the heart of the installation is sound: a continuous audio presence emanates from a fireplace, creating a grounding atmosphere. In addition, the interactive sound piece invites visitors to sit on wooden logs arranged in a wide circle. Each log triggers a recording in which participants from the project share their personal connection to the forest, turning the space into a collective reflection on nature and identity.
Paper Forest (2021)
Katja Juhola
Installation, toilet paper and ink Paper Forest emerged from conversations held during the ISEAS symposium. The words and phrases written by Juhola on toilet paper rolls are drawn from dialogues between scientists, nature activists, artists, and Wilderness Guide students, reflecting on the state of our northern forests. The work captures a spectrum of emotion—both fear and hope—regarding humanity’s impact on natural resources and the future we are shaping.
Katja Juhola 