Teno illustrates the aquatic ecosystems of rivers, streams, and rapids in the northernmost part of Finland. Its surface functions as a hydrographic map, tracing major rivers of the Lapland region such as the Inarijoki, Utsjoki, Lemmenjoki, and Teno. Engraved around them is a collection of animals, insects, mushrooms, and algae that live symbiotically in and with this ecosystem. As documented by the Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility, many of these species are now considered endangered. The vessel is coiled using Somero earthenware sourced from southern Finland, and decorated with kaolin soil slips gathered from Puolanka, in central Finland.
In early May 2023, together with the Soil Laboratory Research Group, Teno travelled through and was immersed in rivers near Utsjoki, Lapland. The vessel functioned as a prototype, aimed at understanding the entanglement of different species and, in doing so, moving toward a deeper awareness of ecological interconnections.
Exhibitions
Species, curated by Maarit Mäkelä and Outi Turpeinen, Marsio Space, Espoo (Finland), 2025, group exhibition
Soil Laboratory – Exploring the Dialogue between Humans and the Earth in Utsjoki / Maalaboratorio – ihmisen ja maan välistä dialogia tutkimassa Utsjoella - Galleria Kellokas, Äkäslompolo, Lapland (Finland), 2026, group exhibition
Links
https://www.lapintaiteilijaseura.fi/events/maalaboratorio/
https://www.aalto.fi/en/news/soil-laboratory-one-solar-cycle-in-utsjoki
https://empirica.aalto.fi/news/exploring-a-dialog-between-human-and-land-in-utsjoki?rq=utsjoki
https://workingwithsoil.aalto.fi/artistic-research-project-on-local-espoo-soil/
