Järvenjää/Lakeice
The interaction between man and nature has a long history in Finland. Over the past decades, Finland has experienced an unprecedented rate of economic, technological and social change. The whole way of life is now completely different from how it was only a few decades ago. However, the need to connect to the tranquility of nature remains.
Järvenjää/Lakeice explores interrelations between people and their immediate environment; reflecting on diverse uses of natural landscapes within the city during the Winter. I spent every day walking and travelling by local bus around Jyväskylä to the many lakes in and around the city. Initially, I’m working like a street photographer – nothing is predetermined; the series is built up by spending time out there experiencing changes in the weather and responding to what I see and the people I meet. Later I spent time with the groups of ice swimmers who meet several times a week to relax, take a sauna and swim in a hole in the ice.
I was fascinated with how the frozen lakes had transformed the city and they had become a temporary urban park. The division between the land and water had disappeared.
Järvenjää/Lakeice is part of the Connections North international residency exchange programme and is supported by Arts Council England.