ARTIST RESEARCH: Arja Lehtimäki (October 2010)

Arja took part in a cross-disciplinary discussion with Katja Bonnevier (Biosphere Reserve) on the topic of sustainable fishing at the CAA lecture series in Turku University. This launched her research for the art project on local food for CAA, the complex situation of fishing as a starting point: why is there no longer much fish in the area, or why are we not eating the fish there are still plenty or even increasing amounts of?

On a quick first visit to the islands we checked out a number of restaurants that were nearly all closed, out of season. And in the end we run out of time to taste pizza with wild local chantarelle mushrooms in the Korpo pub and restaurant Hjalmar’s. Alongside the question of fishing, we discovered a wealth of issues to do with other local food production, in particular on our drive around the island of Wattkast in Korpo. Huge greenhouses are currently being built there, while we visited next door the farm of Thomas Johansson and Johanna Franzen. They shared their experiences and insight of running and developing their farm of up to two hundred beef cattle and hundred sheep. The animals spend their summers taking care of the landscape and its biodiversity on the outer islands, for example on Aspö.

ARTIST RESEARCH: Minerva Cuevas (Sept 2010)

In Utö, the most southern inhabited island in the Archipelago       photo by Lotta Petronella

ARTIST RESEARCH: Monica Narula from Raqs Media Collective (September 2010)

Out at sea with Monica, Antonia Ringbom (artist/animator for CAA) and Taru Elfving             photo by Lotta Petronella

Monica Narula of Raqs Media Collective, from New Delhi in India, came to the archipelago on a very brief visit while travelling in Europe. This was to prove an amazingly productive speedy stop-over, while even allowing for wonderful sense of slowing down. This is the magic of the outer archipelago, such as the small picturesque island of Aspö, where just one evening can feel like a long weekend, under the stars with no light pollution and not a soul around.

Visiting the island of Aspö and the cows gracing there      photo Lotta Petronella

ARTIST RESEARCH: Elin Wikström (Sept 2010)

                                                                                               

A visit to Jungfruskär with fisherman Fjalar Johansson      photo by Lotta Petronella

    

Elin’s second visit begun with a birds-eye view of the islands as she experienced her first of cruise ship between Stockholm and Turku. 

The week in the archipelago allowed for further and more focused research into the underwater ecology of the area. From alien species her interest shifted towards plants and their role in the complex marine ecosystem. The water was exceptionally clear this year and the visibility perfect for snorkelling. We were even greeted by a huge number of jellyfish that had just now appeared in the end of the summer – perhaps a good sign, as they apparently only thrive in healthy sea beds.

In Jungfruskär, an outer island part of the Archipelago National Park             photo by Lotta Petronella

Elin snorkling    photo Elin Wikström

Elin gained an insight into the research on sea grass from marine biologist Christoffer Boström and his team on a field trip around the outer islands of Turku archipelago. Taru joined in on another snorkelling trip, with Trygve Löfroth (Metsä) to Hästö underwater nature trail. We also got more insight about an ongoing research project, led in Korpoström by Heidi Arponen (Metsähallitus), that maps the sea bottom of the Turku archipelago and its various habitats. A visit to the Archipelago Research Institute in Seili and participation in the CAA discussion event on Ecology completed the picture of current marine research done in the area.

In addition to the underwater worlds Elin got to visit the artist Anna Nyreen (also in CAA), her ceramics studio and gallery in a hidden corner of Nagu.

                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                 

                                                                      

ARTIST RESEARCH: Reneé Green (August 2010)

SEAFILM FESTIVAL KORPO presents Tellervo Kalleinen & Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen (July 2010)

Tellervo & Oliver at the Seafilm festival at the Archipelago Centre Korpoström     photo by Lotta Petronella

ARTIST RESEARCH: Nomeda & Gediminas Urbanas (May 2010)

View from the boat       photo by Lotta Petronella

The first visit of Nomeda and Gediminas coincided with the first glorious summer days of the year. Together with the artist Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen we left from Turku harbour in blazing sunshine on a military boat. Commander Tapio Maijala took us on a guided tour of the archipelago, with the first stop by the army base of Gyltö in Korpo, soon to be partly closed down. Riding through mirror-still seas we visited also the outer islands of Jungfruskär and ???, both with military history yet now part of the national park.

From Jungfruskär to Utö                 photo by Lotta Petronella

 Our destination was Utö, which up until 2005 had a large army base. Its closure has had a huge impact on the local community, which now has turned to tourism as well as invites families to move to the remote island for a gap-year or two, in order to keep the little school alive. In Utö we learned more about the development of the local community from Kalle Sjöberg and Hilkka Bergman from the Utö island commitee and regional museum. Hanna Kovanen guided us around the island and. We were also invited aboard as one of the pilots was taken out to a foreign tanker to guide it through the treacherous waters of the archipelago.

Outside Utö on the pilotboat    photo by Lotta Petronella

In Korpo Nomeda and Gediminas were impressed by the project the local school had done with the marin biologist Christoffer Boström (Korpoström, Åbo Akademi). They also learned about the activities of the biosphere reserve from Katja Bonnevier. The visit ended with a dinner in Lanterna together with the local artists involved in CAA, Sussi Henrikson, Pia Rousku, Anna Nyreen and the CAA producer Micaela Jansson.