Villa Filanda Antonini is pleased to host Mikko Rikala’s informal talk.

On Wednesday, April 5, 2023 7:00 pm, the Finnish visual artist will talk about himself through his most significant works. In particular, he will preview his latest editorial project Four Trees, created together with Maya Byskov, and dedicated to the geographical exploration of “periphery” places. Rikala himself makes his intentions explicit by stating: in the book Four Trees I tried to interpret the theme “periphery” places as a state of mind, not as a geographical location.

Four Trees blends photography, fiction, and magical realism. The book turns a meditative and educated gaze to the natural landscape. Additionally, it introduces the contemplative dimension of Rikala’s bicycle journey through southern Switzerland, northern Italy, and the Dolomites. An intentionally slow and spartan itinerary that allowed him to incorporate the landscapes he traveled. His observation of natural elements -trees in particular- generated photos and letters to imaginary recipients. Through photography, the artist infuses plants with words, which from silent organisms become narrative witnesses to the passage of centuries.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, April 5 at Villa Filanda Antonini, Villorba. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The event takes place from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free, reservations via EventBrite.

Statement

For the past ten years, Mikko Rikala has been exploring temporal phenomena and meditative practices as an extended part of his artistic and conceptual oeuvre. Approaching philosophical questions from a self-proposed system of irrational thought, the artist presents photographs, drawings, and composed objects, in metaphorically charged constructions.

Biography

Mikko Rikala lives and works in Helsinki, Finland. He received and MA in Photography from Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, becoming part of the newest generation of artists to form The Helsinki School. He was awarded the 2010 EmmaPrize, Espoo Museum Museum of Modern Art, Finland. His recent solo exhibitions include Drift, Galleria Hippolyte, (Helsinki. 2021), Paradigms of Chance, Persons Project, (Berliini, 2020 /2021), Various cycles under the Sun, Gallery 3+1 Arte Contemporânea (Lissabon, 2019), It feels like the days are getting longer again with Juuso Noronkoski, Gallery Sinne  (Helsinki, 2018) and Emptiness Ceases to Be Blue, Rotwand Gallery (Zurich, 2016/17). Recent group shows include New Perspectives Through Photography – 25 years of the Helsinki School, Helsinki Arthall, (Helsinki, 2021), Nurture, Nature, David Behning gallery, (Düsseldorf, 2020), Frischer wind aus dem Norden!, Kunsthalle St. Annen (Lübeck, 2020), When is now?, WAM, Wäino Aaltonen museum, (Turku, 2019), Zeitspuren–The Power of Now, Kunsthaus Pasquart (Biel, 2018) and Considering Finland, Kunstverein Ludwigshafen (Ludwigshafen, 2018).