MÖRKÖ and PÖLKKY in Hietsun Paviljonki 13.-15.8.2024
What happens when hard and soft speak in colors?

The ‘Mörkö and Pölkky’ exhibition brings together two creators and two different materials: Tuula Pöyhönen's Ragamuf rug concept and Saara Renvall's wood sculptures. Although the artworks differ from each other, their creation process has a commonality: both artists are enacting the change that our post-normal times require. They explore and produce new types of objects that reflect on our era, consumption habits, production methods, and, above all, the relationship between humans and materials. The exhibition consists of ‘conversations’ where a revived armchair speaks to wood, being asked a question for the first time. The dialogue is surprising, and the conversation is conducted through colors.

Ragamuf is a concept developed by Tuula Pöyhönen that combines modern design thinking, community, and sustainability. The Ragamuf chair rug updates the look of an existing piece of furniture and gives a new life to a worn-out chair. The material is surplus from the textile industry.

From the very beginning, the central and guiding idea of the Ragamuf concept has been crafting together with hands. In addition to Tuula, the preparation of this collection has involved participants such as Tuuli Ahonen, Minna Alanko, Harri Juutilainen, Hanna Karppinen, Tuija Mikkonen, Elsa Mäkelä, Saara Mäkinen, Asta Pajari, Helka Sariola, Satu Toivonen, Elina Tuomisto, and Päivi Ylistalo.

Ragamuf transforms furniture into characters – they are like living figures, friends. Something appears in the space that has a story to tell. The tactility of the surface invites touch, and its vitality continuously changes its shape.

Objects of Necessity (Tarpeisto) works examine our relationship with the forest, trees, and wood as a material. The pieces emphasize the emotional dimension of wood through its physiological properties.

The works have been created using experimental methods with minimally processed domestic pine, utilizing the wood's capillary properties. In this process, the wood itself plays an active role, not just serving as a passive object of creation and a source of utility. The experiments have resulted in colorful, messy, loud sculptures and objects that assert their own space. Due to the chosen working methods and process, the pieces have become unexpected, unrepeatable, and visually expressive.

The purpose of Objects of Necessity (Tarpeisto) is to delve into our material culture and explore our modern needs. The project centers around the idea of a broader concept of function; how the deeper meaning of an object can arise from the information and emotion it conveys.