ABOUT

Ars Art Factory, Tallinn, ESTONIA

Project Space Gallery

Quo Vadis – Finno-Ugric Mental Landscape 

Satu Kalliokuusi

from March 2-March 26, 2024

The central material of Satu Kalliokuusi's exhibition was the topics of folklore about the relationship between human and nature, where the difference between human, other nature and the lives of nature has been flushed. The Kalliokuusi raised the traditions and themes of this area into the language of contemporary art so, that experiences had the opportunity to reach a sense of cultural continuity and connection to cultural heritage. The works created a Finno -Ugric mindset, its heritage and thinking about question where we are going? Or are we – do we recognize our roots anywhere?

Kalliokuusi has developed its own way of working in visual arts for decades, investigating, among other things, natural pigments. The paintings of the exhibition are more and less made from recycled and natural materials. The exhibition also featured Kalliokuusi's media-art work Quo Vadis, whose music was provided by Estonian folk musician Kairi Leivo.

The opening of the exhibition was on Saturday, March 2, 2024 from 2 pm to 4 pm. The exhibition was opened by Hanah Lahe, MP, Air State activist and a member of the Estonian Parliamentary Environmental Affairs Committee.

ABOUT

HOLY TREES IN FINNO-UGRIC CULTURES

The ritual worship of trees has been a part of our ancestors' lives for centuries. Sacred trees were gateways between people and the spirit world. There could be an elf living in the tree, which was not to be angered. Trees were also needed, for example, for healing with traditional magic poems. A sacred tree used to grow of almost every Finno-Ugric families yard, whose fate has been considered to be connected to the fate of the house's inhabitants.In addition to the sacred tree in the home yard, Finns have had other sacred sacrificial trees and, for example, sacred groves. Finno-Ugric sacred trees were for example Spruce, Birch and Oak.

SPRUCE has served as a sacrificial tree for many Finnish sages and healers. Also, many houses and even whole villages have had their own sacrificial trees. Spruce trees that grow horizontally, i.e. Tapios’ tables, ended up being the ”offer trees”. In the Finno-Ugric world of plants spruce has been a common tool of magic in Finland and a channel to the underworld to the dead. Spruce wreaths and branches are still placed on graves, which goes back to the desire to create a connection with the underworld with the help of a spruce.

BIRCH Birch was considered the link between life and death. Many northern peoples have considered the birch tree as a world tree, whose roots are in the underworld, but whose crown is above with the gods. The main tree of many Finnish houses has been specifically birch, which grows all over Finland. Birch trees produce sap, sap, tea and wine. All of these have been beneficial to humans, so it's no wonder that birch has been perceived to radiate strength and health.

OAK has also been considered as a tree of connecting the worlds of the living and the dead. The oak hid magical power inside. Oak has the possibility to offer a person eternal happiness or, for example, eternal love. In a Finnish legend of is telling that the Milky Way has born from the acorns of a felled oak tree.

Sources example: kolmassilma.net