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Intervista a Terike Haapoja, l’artista che ha reinventato il Padiglione dei Paesi Nordici alla 55a Biennale di Venezia

La Finlandia è protagonista quest'anno alla Biennale di Venezia. Curatrice del Padiglione dei Paesi Nordici ai Giardini, ha invitato l'artista di Helsinki Terike Haapoja, classe 1974, a reinterpretare il grande spazio di vetro e cemento. Nonostante i numerosi impegni e l'altissima affluenza al Padiglione riscontrata all'inaugurazione, Cultfinlandia.it è riuscita a intervistarla (le risposte dell'artista sono in inglese).



C.it : Terike, puoi dirci qualcosa sul tuo vasto lavoro nel Padiglione dei Paesi Nordici?



TH : The project is built around the thematics of nature and technology. My approach is to investigate ways in which our
understanding of nature is mediated by technology: technology becomes part of the experience of nature. In our techno-scientific worldview is a strong undercurrent of domination and control towards nature. But at the same time the same technology and science shows as how in many ways our being is connected to the being of the nonhuman world. This double exposure is interesting to me.

Svärre Fehn's building is designed around the idea of blurring the boundaries of nature and human-built environment. My exhibition makes a strong intervention to the space architecturally, but continues to develop the idea further. I will show several works that make visible the normally invisible processes and connections between human and nonhuman bodies. The trees and surroundings of the pavilion become part of the works.



C.it : La tua ricerca si incentra sulla natura e l'interazione con l'uomo. Quando hai cominciato ad interessarti a questi temi?



TH : I first became interested in technology, when I was studying sound and lighting design a long time ago. I became interested in how technology constructs our reality and what we know. I also always had a strong connection to what we call nature, and an environmentalist activist background. Slowly these started to link.

My approach is more existentialist than natural science-oriented. I try to look at how we experience the world that goes beyond our reach : how we understand our own mortality and corporeality in the world. When I talk about nature I never talk about something external to human, but about something that we are part of, not only physically but also mentally.



C.it : Hai avuto il sostegno di qualche istituzione finlandese?



TH : I have been collaborating with Helsinki University and especially with the Department of Forest Sciences. There is a lot of internationally top level research on carbon flow and related fields. There is starting to be a very active and fruitful field of collaboration between artists and sciences in Finland.



C.it : Se ti chiedessimo il nome di un artista contemporaneo finlandese che apprezzi particolarmente, chi citeresti?



TH : I should of course say Antti Laitinen, who is one of my favorite artists and with whom I am honoured to represent Finland in the Biennale.





Terike Haapoja


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