Mark & Potta
Herbarium – a Covid Collection
31.8.-24.9.2023
“Herbarium – a Covid Collection” is a series of works that I created between 2020 and 2021. It consists of sewn reliefs and collages. The works on display at Galleria Huuto have been combined with adhesive material. With the help of painted adhesive strips, the works grow beyond their boundaries and present an idea that combines individual works with those painted directly on the wall.
We all have our own experiences and memories concerning the Covid-19 pandemic. Through intensive work, my fears and also my hopes for better times took on a form that is on display for the first time at the “Herbarium” exhibition at Galleria Huuto.
In my art, I strive for spontaneous expression, inevitably and spontaneously creating combinations of overlapping ideas and themes. The way the works are hung forms a kind of a mind map on a timeline, in which the works grow up and down and through the ceiling and floor.
My work process is characterized by recycling and reuse and, in addition to using old materials, I also reuse my own works. My works create layered stories and serve as some kind of diaries. There is a practical reason for my way of working. I want to minimize the number of works my children have to deal with some day.
The adhesive material used in the works is industrial surplus material. With the help of the adhesive material, I have been able to create an installation in which my works serve as building blocks. In my opinion, artists do not always need to create new works for their exhibitions. Instead, they can keep recreating a fresh story.
Mark & Potta is my split alter ego that was born out of my inability to decide what my art should be like as I enjoy working with both a dark and colorful palette and content. Whether the Herbarium series was created by the positive Potta or the gloomy Mark, it is up to each viewer to determine.
In addition to the works created during the pandemic, the exhibition features works from the “Missing Mom” series. The exhibition is dedicated to my mother.
I wish to thank the Arts Promotion Centre Finland for the Covid-19 grant.
