Some new work and a few thought on old work

I alway find it a challenge to talk coherently about current work, work in progress and even older work. It is possibly because they are so close to me and often instinctual in their messages and creation. In this post I want to talk about the my current exhibition From Karelia Now and Before.

Balancing Tango from Anna Puhakka on

The exhibition finishes this coming tuesday, I am happy i came to invigilate the last few days as it has given me a chance to be in direct contact with the viewers. Able to answer questions and to hear their stories. In many cases hear their own personal views and feelings about being a Karelian. I have experience a closeness and openness with these people that is truly refreshing after many jaded years of wondering why am i doing what i do and if it is important. Today i have received 3 hugs from exhibition viewers i have never met before. They have thanked me for their experience, given me a feeling of purpose. I feel truly grateful to them for this. Yesterday I was asked to take part in a viewers research on Karelians from both sides of the border Writing Cultures and Traditions at Borders to give it a current visual context. She is coming tomorrow to interview me and discuss the visual representations of “my Karelia”. I will write more on this after the event. This is the link to her work research website http://www.uef.fi/wctb.

The Angelus from Anna Puhakka on Vimeo.
The exhibition has been well received i have had four positive reviews. In a way i feel as though i am already moving towards the next thing and am having a hard time being excited about this ending show and the works in it. They have already changed in to the past for me and I itch to get started on the next thing. 

Video Edit from Anna Puhakka on Vimeo.

The videos in this post are new works. They are small performative video pieces the first two have been made at the summer house and using the same props. In them I was looking at the relationship between nature and prayer. The third video is a bit of a mad moment work where I am looking at the way women are portrayed in films and other media, this short video plays with notion of serious content versus the tabloid. It is both funny and sad with the eerily sung "i edited the video" trying to give its subject some control of the situation.