Exposición en Finalandia, "Handmade politics"

The decision by textile

Published 11:22, 7 August, 2015 by Andrea Södergård

 

MEMORIES OF MOM. Susana Nevado is the artist 
behind this installation. For klädena with memories of mom have been collected from all over Europe. The lyrics are in three languages. PHOTO: ANDREA SÖDERGÅRD

On Thursday opened the exhibition "Handmade politics" in the Gallery Titanik Turku. The exhibition takes its origin in the ongoing political debate and links to demo for multiculturalism on Saturday and the gay train in a week.
Katve-Kaisa Kontturi is curator of the exhibition. It is part of her research at the University of Melbourne, Australia. According to her is activism through handicrafts a soft and silent form of activism, but it is also a stance against today's hectic spirit of the times.
– Craftivism is a low key and time consuming form of manifestation. Craft takes time and it is also a stance against the spirit of the times. Craft need not only be women's needlework, "she said.
An example of such a time consuming work is the knitted paintings of Kate Exactly. The paintings represent Pussy Riot group action of the Church in Moscow.
"It is about creating from mesh to mesh. We are talking about 80 hours of work, says Kontturi.

HEIDI LUNABBA. PHOTO: ANDREA SÖDERGÅRD

With the exhibition are also Heidi Lunabba and Smart Gunilla Persson's art project "clothes line in the colors of the Rainbow".

The project got its start when Helena Pride in Pietarsaari last year. Pridefesten was preceded by a rancorous debate in newspaper letters columns.
"It was a reaction against the negative reaction to Helen Pride. A way to highlight to the public at large is open and welcoming. It is a question of people can take part by hanging up colorful fabrics to show their support for HBTIQ-people, says Lunabba.

Lunabba also offers the general public to participate in Turku Pride next week.

– Anyone can participate by uploading a picture of their colorful clothes line under the hashtag #tvattlina, "she said.

– The project is about to swing on the concept to come out and create a common language in order to relate positively to minorities. All might not want to be active on the letters pages, "she said.

LAURA LILY. PHOTO: ANDREA SÖDERGÅRD

Even Laura Lilja is one of the artists on the show. In addition to the work "Sankareita" she has sewn a prideflagga in black. With it, she wants to raise the debate on minorities within the minority. She considers that the debate on an equal marriage law focuses too much on family formation.
— The discussion on equal marriage law has focused very much on the right of homosexuals to marry and raise a family. But there are also other issues that are important.

– In the discussion has overlooked minorities in HBTIQ such as transgender.

But how big is the effect on the political debate craftivism? According to curator Katve-Kaisa Kontturi is art more to change people's personal experiences and ways of thinking.
I would say that the direct impact on the political debate is not large, but through this art, we can change opinions.

As an example, she takes the embroidered handkerchiefs by Mó Iturribarría. Instead of floral motifs are handkerchiefs adorned by embroidery of newspaper clippings about the drug war in Mexico. The artwork was censored by the Mexican Embassy because they considered that they did not give the correct picture of Mexico.
It is based on one's self. For example, the Mexican embroideries affect drug war in Mexico in a different way than when one reads the newspaper, "said Kontturi.

Handmade Art exhibition runs until August 30.

http://www.abounderrattelser.fi/news/2015/08/de-tar-stallning-genom-textil.html