O O is a combination of letters, two marks drawn on paper that stare at the viewer like bewildered cartoon eyes. They repeat the shape of a hat placed on the gallery floor and the yellow centre of a daisy. They form an exclamatory or sighing sound, and a circle – a symbol of enlightenment. O is an open mouth. O is a hieroglyph referring to the eye, symbolising sight. The gaze of an idiot sees what is, without preconceptions, purely in wonder. It has the patience to stop and look again.

While preparing works for Photographic Gallery Hippolyte, Mikko Kuorinki photographed daisies, melted beeswax, collected round objects, and bowed thin wood into circles. He studied the history of Shaker furniture, listened to artist lectures, watched YouTube tutorials, and waxed pink awnings. He traced the relationships between shapes and materials by touching and watching, observing and moulding. Folding tables have been arranged into islands and clusters. Complex collections of objects accumulate atop them, only to be dismantled and cleared away without a trace. Some areas of shadow have been illuminated, while others remain dim.

The collection of works in the gallery combines processed and unprocessed objects and photographs. Materials meet, overlap, blend, and shape one another. The photograph transforms into an object among objects. Straw hats are filled with beeswax, and the spheres are the size of an eyeball or a pupil. The space is a central partner to the works, with the final form of the exhibition defined in relation to it. While the combination of materials may appear random, it has undergone a complex dialogue with other materials and the artist’s wondering gaze. The almost performative choreography that preceded the exhibition remains hidden from the viewer. Instead, visitors encounter the presence of the objects in all their complexity.

Mikko Kuorinki (b. 1977) studied photography at the Turku Arts Academy and holds a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Art and Design Helsinki. His work combines various techniques, creating exhibitions composed of objects, texts, sounds, and photographs. Kuorinki’s approach is both material- and space-oriented. His practice reflects a broad understanding of contemporary art, with a particular interest in experimental poetry and sound art. In addition to exhibitions, Kuorinki’s works may take the form of events or publications. He has participated in numerous solo exhibitions, notably at HAM Gallery (Helsinki, 2017), Vermilion Sands (Copenhagen, 2016), and 1646 (The Hague, 2013). His work is included in the collections of The Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Saastamoinen Foundation, Helsinki Art Museum, Turku Art Museum, Nomas Foundation, and the Finnish State Art Collection. Kuorinki was awarded the Raimo Utriainen Foundation Prize in 2018 and the William Thuring Prize in 2021.

The exhibition has been supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation and the Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike).

Mikko Kuorinki
O O
4–27 October 2024
Photographic Gallery Hippolyte

image: Mikko Kuorinki, O O, 2024