Lagoons, The ground rises, In the reeds - series of works
Visual artist Janna Syvänoja
The series of works created for the H Building of the Vaasa Central Hospital by the visual artist Janna Syvänoja comprises the works “Laguuni” ( Lagoons), “Maa kohoaa” (The ground rises) and “Kaislikossa” (In the reeds) . Syvänoja collected the material for the works from beaches. For her, the material in itself constitutes an important point of departure for the content and visual expression of the work. The original materials, familiar to everyone, remain themselves in the work, reminding of their past.
Janna Syvänoja has a diverse presence in the field of visual arts
Janna Syvänoja is an artist from Helsinki, with a diverse presence in the field of visual arts. She creates works of various sizes, including collages, sculptures, textile art, art jewellery and installations. Materials that she has used in her works include phone books, dictionaries, news papers and other old paper, horse hair, bird feathers, birch bark and second-hand eye glass lenses.
Photos: Sami Pulkkinen
Making the series of works
Part of the wider series of works, Lagoons “Laguuni” is split into five parts. It is located on the first floor, on the wall of the corridor that starts from the elevator lobby. The turquoise colour of the wall serves as a background and inspiration for the idea. The shapes of the work refer to land uplift, which creates lagoons along the Vaasa coastline. The work is constructed from pieces of glass smoothened by the sea, collected from beaches. Visually the work brings up images of the sea, the shapes of beaches, the glimmer and movement of water, seaweed, rock, ice and snow.
" Maa kohoaa" is located on the second floor, on the wall of the corridor that starts from the elevator lobby. The work is encased in an acrylic showcase on a blue wall, integrating the wall, visible through the transparent acrylic case, as part of the work. The idea behind the work is to depict the changes that land uplift causes on the Vaasa coastline. The work was created using leaves collected from coastal wetlands. The most used plant is rumex, which is known as a old medicinal plant. The imagery is reminiscent of a wavy water surface, which slowly fades into earth and vegetation.
Making of the series of works.
" Kaislikossa" is located on the third floor, on the wall of the corridor that starts from the elevator lobby. “Kaislikossa” is placed on a green wall and this work, too, makes use of the colour of the wall. Kaislikossa" The work is made of feathers of aquatic birds. Attached rhythmically upright, they create a vibrating surface that transforms as you move through the space. The birds that live in the reeds and the swaying atmosphere of the reeds are both simultaneously present.
“I hope that the works will connect with the viewer’s own memories as well as a wider context. The overarching theme of this series of works is the unique characteristics of the Vaasa coastline. The land rises, the coastline moves and the scenery lives, changing constantly.”
