The work of the artist duo Iiris Kaarlehto and Inka Kynkäänniemi focuses on structures and manifestations of power that are created and reinforced through a variety of stories and everyday practices, and their deconstruction. These themes take on a visual form in their newly completed video artwork All Connections Are Boundaries. In this work, the artists play a variety of characters, some of which resemble them, for example, in the form of cloth-doll figures.

The themes of the video work revolve around topical issues, such as coexistence and sharing; grief and fear; the self-absorption of the individual; lifestyle and wellness talk; the nature-culture division; and questioning the myth of the original, creative artist.

Improvised performance on camera has become an essential working method for the artist duo. This method of performance enables Kaarlehto and Kynkäänniemi to touch on topics that could otherwise be difficult to express in words. Humour plays a key role in this work. “We hope that the spontaneous and awkward way in which we perform on video, most importantly, makes us relatable co-experiencers, which seems relevant for our work”, says the duo. “Through our work, we would like to share things and to ease anxiety, both our own and that of others. However, even if we succeed in this, our aim is not to promote productivity and efficiency in individuals, at least not in the sense meant in the current discourse on ‘health benefits of art’, but it is to bring about joy, gentleness and resilience.

Videography: Matti Harju
Audio recording and sound design: Roope Mantere

The exhibition is supported by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland and the Paulo Foundation.

Excerpt from All Connections Are Boundaries.

Iiris Kaarlehto (s.1987) and Inka Kynkäänniemi (s.1992) are a visual artist duo based in Helsinki, Finland. They work with sculptures, object collages, moving image, text, and installations comprising of these elements.

The exhibition has been selected in the annual open call for exhibitions at Project Space. The Finnish Museum of Photography's Project Space is intended for exhibitions and projects that use photography or other lens-based media as tools for art or research. The space shows stimulating exhibitions by both fresh talents and more established artists.