YÖ FEST: KAMMIO
Kamila Śladowska
Altar for Greta Thunberg
5.-15.8.2021
KAMMIO
Lapinlahdenpolku 2
00180 Helsinki, Finland
About "Altar for Greta Thunberg":
Far right groups and catholic church in Poland with their retoric reject existence of global warming. They also disrespect with their words and proceedings young fighters for the future (there was of course a lot of hate towards Greta Thunberg and her Polish fan, Inga Zasowska, who has followed her way). As an atheist I don't hope for the paradise life after the death and I am not able to expect a miracle truly but the global warming is a situation where I would like to be able to expect a miracle, some helpful hand from the sky that would just stop deforestation, pollution, droughts, fires and the great extinction. That is why I have painted an idealistic portrait of Greta Thunberg referring to iconography of Mary in catholic church as I have needed a person that I could hope to in this crap situation. Human started to identify itself with the image of superspecies (that's why christian iconography involves so many portraits of humans), but in fact, is a naive and lost animal. In the portrait you can see the symbols which are connected to Greta's adventurous and brave travel to Americas. In this site specific Altar for Greta Thunberg I am going to use the reproduction of oil painting (which was painted with traditional painting technique) as it is in the practice of building little chapels/altars next to roads, mountains, fields or even inside block of flats' backyards in Poland dedicated usually to "virgin Mary". Around this I am going to build an altar so that Kammio's space would become a little chapel where you can contemplate, hope or even pray to Greta.
Additional information:
reiman.arja@gmail.com (inquiries concerning KAMMIO)
info@yory.fi (inquiries concerning Yö Fest / Artists' Association Yö)
KAMMIO is an open-air gallery located in the park of Lapinlahti Hospital in Helsinki. The space, excavated in the rock and built of brick, was originally used as a basement by the chapel and a morgue by the hospital.