Eeva-Mari Haikala

My exhibition at Hippolyte Korjaamo presents two photographic series: The Only Happiness I know is Sad Happy, part of which has been previously exhibited in Belgium, and Verloren in vertaling / Perdu dans la traduction, a new series prepared specifically for this exhibition.

Originally, the series The Only Happiness I Know is Sad Happy included a live performance. Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, the performance cannot be carried out at the Hippolyte Korjaamo exhibition. My interest towards somatic body movements – which has been the starting point for the live performance – is, however, present in the exhibited photographs. I am interested in the language of movement and being in front of the camera in a way that the physical expression/being stems from personal, inner feelings rather than being a conscious performance in front of a spectator.

The photographs in the series Verloren in vertaling / Perdu dans la traduction deal with being in between two different languages and cultures. The technical point of departure in both series has been a performance conducted with a camera. The works of the two series are also interconnected by an attempt to place the body in space and time, and by the idea that we communicate by other means than just speech, language or writing. Melancholic humour travels through all exhibited works. As Charlie Chaplin, whom I admire, has stated: “Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot”.

I live and work in Belgium and Finland. My artistic practice is interdisciplinary and most of my works are performative, whether they are photographs or video pieces, which I mostly work with. Most of the works at the exhibition are digital photographs, but there are also a few polymer gravure prints, as well as photos that have been taken on polaroid film and later digitalised.

Thank you, Finnish Cultural Foundation, Arts Promotion Center, Frans Masereel Centrum.

Eeva-Mari Haikala
21 January – 12 March 2022
Hippolyte Korjaamo
Töölönkatu 51 A-B, 00250 Helsinki

Open according to the opening hours of Korjaamo.

Photograph: from the series Verloren in vertaling / Perdu dans la traduction