Metsänpeitto (Cover of the Forest)

What remains when a human being ceases to be an instrument? Cover of the Forest examines the erosion of civilization and the fading of the individual into the margins of society. The exhibition offers a calming portrayal of getting lost, of somatic care, and of the human condition when abandoned by systemic structures.

In Finnish folklore, metsänpeitto (the forest cover) was a mythic space where one became trapped as a consequence of broken ecological peace, vulnerability, or arrogance. It represented a fundamental breakdown in communication: while the surrounding world continued its course, the person covered by the forest became invisible and incomprehensible to others.

I translate this mythic phenomena into our contemporary reality. The exhibition originated from a radical experience of detachment during pregnancy and early motherhood—a threshold moment when I, as an individual, either refused or slipped away from the capitalist logic of productivity. The work explores a space that is unquestioningly cast as a woman’s traditional domain, yet turns it into an act of political departure.

Civilization lost in its own noise

The exhibition is not merely a reflection on motherhood; it is a political commentary on societal segregation and the state of modern culture. When populism and polarization shatter our shared language, an entire nation enters the forest cover. Such a community marginalizes individuals, creating a pervasive sense of detachment where human disconnect becomes normalized. Yet, as the social order begins to crack, something essential is revealed: perhaps the problem is not the individual’s inability to fit in, but the very system they are expected to adapt to.

When objects refuse to serve

In the installation, cast-glass moss reclaims neo-rococo furniture. These objects—historically symbols of civilization and status—refuse to obey everyday logic or serve human utility. They dissolve into nature's own suspended timeframe. For me, there is profound comfort in contemplating that something will exist here after us.

Utopia beyond the illusion

Decomposer fungi occupy the gallery space, consuming dysfunctional institutional structures and restoring a natural state. Although the origin of my work stems from pain, its atmosphere is one of solace. I construct a utopian liminal space where human utility steps aside—a space where getting lost is not a failure, but the threshold of something new.

Folk traditions suggest performing something irrational or unconventional to break free from the forest cover. Perhaps we simply need to turn our clothes inside out, live according to our intrinsic sense of justice—and let the decomposer fungi flourish.

The physical realization of this spatial installation relied on dedicated collective craftsmanship. The hot glass components were blown and crafted alongside the Glass Studio Mafka & Alakoski team, featuring Kari Alakoski, Minna Tyrväinen, Helga Sirola, Mira Ollila, Suvi Pulkkinen, Klaus Martin, Anna Niinimäki, and Alberto Castellanos. The textile execution was realized by Luda Leather Clothes, Leena Ahonen, Minna Huttunen, and Galina Hepo-aho, with woodwork crafted by Mauri Siikaluoma, an immersive soundscape composed by NOITAVATION, and photography by Juhamatti Vahdersalo.