Heidi Piiroinen’s solo exhibition, exploring love and longing, opens at the Rauma Art Museum on October 12th
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In October, the Rauma Art Museum will open an exhibition by artist Heidi Piiroinen titled “In Case of Loss / sitten haluaisin laulaa (then I would like to sing)”. The exhibition combines experimental film, poetry, soundscapes, and bodily expression. It delves into the artist’s personal experiences, as well as those of people she has encountered, exploring themes of love and longing, feelings of invisibility and not belonging, as well as anger and rage—both within oneself and others. The collection will premiere at the Rauma Art Museum and will be open to the public from October 12, 2024, to January 26, 2025. The exhibition is curated by the museum’s intendant, Heta Kaisto.
A film experienced by walking through rooms
Heidi Piiroinen is a multi-award-winning photographer who worked as a photographer for Helsingin Sanomat for nearly 20 years. She began full-time artistic work in 2022.
– I was inspired by the phrase ‘in case of loss,’ which appears on the first page of notebooks and is followed by the name of the person to whom the book should be returned. The exhibition is about the journey of losing oneself and being found. It addresses universally recognizable painful experiences, such as the longing for connection and the difficulty of confronting anger and fear within oneself and others, Piiroinen explains the theme of her exhibition.
In her new works, Piiroinen combines both new and old materials, which she has processed using techniques such as mordançage in the darkroom. Returning to the world of analog photography has meant pausing, exposing oneself to mistakes, and re-examining her own work.
– We approached the entirety from the perspective of process art. Over the course of two years of work, Piiroinen’s exhibition began to take the shape of a flowing performance or a spiraling narrative, also inspired by the round, interconnecting rooms of the museum’s lower floor. It became a film experienced by walking through rooms, explains curator Heta Kaisto.
In the exhibition, Piiroinen turns the documentary lens on herself as well. The beautiful, tumultuous visual world evokes emotions from hidden places and tells a story of change, liberation, and letting go of burdens. Although this is the most personal work of her career, Piiroinen has also wanted to create a collective voice in the exhibition, developed through communal writing workshops in collaboration with organizations such as Maria Akatemia and MLL Turvaverkko Helsinki.
– I have collaborated with organizations specializing in recognizing and treating women’s internal distress and violence. Together with women, we have reflected on themes such as unrecognized and suppressed emotions, the difficulty of setting boundaries, and intergenerational trauma using methods like blackout poetry, improvisation, and experimental sound art, Piiroinen says.
The exhibition will feature a dance performance, which Piiroinen has created in collaboration with the Raekallio Corp dance group, with dancers Natasha Lommi and Elke Schroeder performing. The dance piece is part of Raekallio Corp’s series of co-productions. An open performance for the public will be held on Friday, October 11, at 3:00 PM, with a maximum audience of 30 people. Reservations for the performance can be made in advance at taidemuseo@rauma.fi. The performance is included in the museum’s admission fee, and registration is binding.
The exhibition has also involved sound designer Salla Hämäläinen, composer Heli Hartikainen, poet Aura Nurmi, and graphic designer Ilona Ilottu. The exhibition is produced by PALO Art Productions.
