ARTIST RESEARCH: Platforma 9.81 (August 2010)

Dinko Peracic, Miranda Veljacic and Tomas Träskman (moderetor)         photo Lotta Petronella

After the discussion on Economy in Korpoström Dinko Peracic and Miranda Veljacic continued their long weekend in the archipelago. We took the five hour journey, in the darkness of the Autumn evening, to Utö and experienced the commuter boat at its busiest. The last weekend on the islands for many visitors and part-time residents before the quiet winter season.

As members of the Croatian architect collective Platforma 9.81 Dinko and Miranda were here interested particularly in the built environment, its development, conventions and regulations. For example, the private ownership of waters and shores was in stark contrast to Croatian coast. With an insight into the Croatian islands and what they termed the logic of archipelago, they found tourism to be a big topic in the discussions about the future of Turku archipelago while in practice it still appeared very small scale. Yet in the misty November landscape of Utö, with only a handful of bird watchers around, it was hard to imagine 500 people on the small island during the height of the summer. The intense high season of only 6 weeks has its benefits both for the locals and the off-season visitors.

Hanna Kovanen guided us in the lighthouse again, while her mother Solveig treated us to an unbeatable fish soup and pancake lunch and her father Topi served us coffee at Hanna’s café. The chair of the island association Mats Bergman was luckily home this weekend and took Dinko and Miranda around the museum and other buildings the association takes care of and continues to develop. Mats also kept us company on the long journey back on Sunday through the grey and foggy seas. But before departure we managed to test the most southern indoor swimming pool in Finland, in the 70’s built military base turned hotel.

Dinko Peracic and Miranda Veljacic at the Ekonomy diskussion       photo by Lotta Petronella

The artist Sussi Henrikson and Johan Skibdahl of Lanterna in Nagu presented their personal take on tourism on this so-called party island of the archipelago. Katja Bonnevier (Biosphere Reserve) gave Miranda and Dinko an overview of the ecological issues of the area before their discussion with Katriina Siivonen (future researcher) at the CAA lecture series at Turku University and a very speedy tour of Turku.