The pollution of the Baltic Sea is a collective crime

20.12.2011 07:32

Photo: Project I wanted to go swiming

Marjukka Korhonen's and Raimo Uunila's media artwork I wanted to go swimming handles the pollution of the Baltic Sea as a collective crime. The artists received Mobility funding to prepare the work for the Luleå Biennale 2011.

In 2010 Marjukka Korhonen, Raimo Uunila, Sini Haapalinna and Anu Osva, four Finnish artists behind works I wanted to go swimming and Water Flea Circus, participated in the exhibition "Getting Warmer – Climate Change in Art" at the Joensuu Art Museum. During the exhibition, dealing with the consequences of climate change, the artists that for a long time have known each other through the Finnish Bioart Society, realized that it would be a good a idea to show their works together some time in the future.

In 2011 the invitation to Luleå Biennale served as an opportunity to show the two pieces in one space in the WaterscapesProjectRoom in Luleå. Both pieces are concerned with the pollution of our seas and freshwaters – and especially the world's most polluted sea, the Baltic Sea.

"Kilen Art Group is working very internationally, and the biennial had artists from 14 different countries. This was very important for us. We were very happy with how they had organized everything in Luleå.", says Marjukka Korhonen.

I wanted to go swimming depicts an actual filing of a report on the pollution of the Baltic Sea at a Finnish police station. For the exhibition in Sweden, the crime was also reported to the Swedish police. The reporting of the crime has been recorded and the documentation of discussions with the police officers form the core of the work. The artists are already working on continuation for the project in form of a documentary film that will be produced during the coming year.

The piece was shown together with the Water Flea Circus, a multi-disciplinary live-installation and performance for children and adults. In connection to the biennial the artist kept several workshops for schools where the children get a chance to visit the underwater world of the water flea. The piece raises awareness of the effect of small, individual acts on the environment and the biosphere.

You can take part in forming the art piece I wanted to go swimming by declaring yourself guilty of the collective crime of polluting the Baltic Sea here. Everyone filing a report will take part in a raffle with a chance to win a kayak for the summer 2012.

The four artists all received individual Mobility funding for the prepatory trips to Luleå. From 2012 on it will be possible to apply Mobility funding for small groups.

More information on the project and the artists here

More information about Luleå Art Biennial 2011 here