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Gathering Forests and Lakes

 

Collaborative work by Eungyung Kim & Shoji Kato, with responses of 100 people around Mänttä, installed along the forest and the lake in Mänttä area, Finland, 2010
This project was presented at XV Mänttä Art Festival.

 

The town of Mänttä came about as the industry of groundwood mill (later developed to paper mill) was established in 1868. Its factory has been located next to the small rapids, Mäntän koski utilizing resources and generating energy from the surrounding lakes and forest. Now the town has grown to the population over 6000, and forest remains as a park, Mäntänvuori, and the factory, Metsä Tissue, is still operating in the same place.

To learn the relationships of town’s residents and their surroundings, we asked a question: which word best describes your relationship with forest and lake?

We met people on the streets, shops, market place, sauna, post office and school backyard. We visited police station, city hall, employment office, the city library, the paper factory and the paddle steamer.

Most of the people said that it was a difficult question and took some time to answer, but some answered right away with such confidence. Many people answered the questions with affirmations- beauty, peace, clean, etc., some remembered childhood or home, children related with their activities in the forest and lake, quite a few young people expressed their distance, and some people had a hard time reflecting and answering including a boy who were looking at Facebook instead.

After gathering 100 responses, we placed most of them along the trekking path in the forest, some along the lake including the factory flagpoles and on a boat that travels on the lake during the summer.

Each person’s relationship to the forests and lakes was placed back into the places that may have been nurturing the town and the people.

 

 

 

Which word best describes your relationship with forest and lake?

Mikä sana kuvaa parhaiten suudettasi metsiin ja järviin?

 

Läheinen (Close)
Rauha (Peace)
Rauhallinen (Peaceful)
Tärkeä, Kaunis (Important, Beautiful)
Läheinen (Close)
Ulkoilu (Outing)
Mahtavaa, Ihana, Rauhalinen (Awesome, Lovely, Peaceful)
Ihania (Lovely)
Luonto (Nature)
Tärkeä (Important)
Rauha (Peace)
Luonto (Nature)
Luonto (Nature)
Sauna
Luonnon antimet (Nature's gifts)
Luonnon rauha (Natural peace)
Rikkaus (Richness)
Hyvä (Good)
Tärkeä (Important)
Love
Rakkaus (Love)
Suomi ei olisi mitään ilman niitä
(Finland would be nothing without them)
Rauhoittuminen (Calming)
Rauha (Peace)
Hevonen (Horse)
Rauhallinen paikka viettää aikaa (Peaceful place to spend time)
Lämmin (Warm)
Puhdas (Clean)
Rauhallisuus (Peacefulness)
Rauha (Peace)
Pidä puhtaana (Keep clean)
Puhtaus (Purity)
Tarpeellisia (Necessary)
Luonnollinen (Natural)
Puhdas (Clean)
Läheinen (Close)
Love
Home
Sanctuary
Syvä kunnioitus (Deep respect)
EMT (I don't know)
Kaunis (Beautiful)
Kaunis (Beautiful)
Kotikaupunki (Hometown)
Vapaus (Freedom)
Viihtyisyys (Pleasantness)
Lapsuusmuisto, Turva (Childhood memory, Safety)
Harmoninen (Harmonious)
Vapaus (Freedom)
Rauha (Peace)
Onni (Happiness)
Luonto (Nature)
Etäinen (Distant)
Kotisaari (Home island)
Rikkaus (Richness)
Rauha (Peace)
Vene (Boat)
Vene (Boat)
Retkeily (Going on trips or camping)
Vene (Boat)
Kaukainen (Distant)
Puhdas luonto (Clean nature)
Asiallista (Proper)
Puhdas luonto (Clean nature)
En oikein kulje metsissä (I don't really go to the forests)
Viha (Anger)
Maaseutu (Countryside)
Bears and fishes
Rakas (Beloved)
Metsässä on mustikoita (There are blueberries in the forest)
Rauhoittuminen (Calming)
Rauha (Peace)
Hyvä (Good)
Hyvä (Good)
Hyvä (Good)
Suuri kunnioitus (Great respect)
Kaunis (Beautiful)
Etäinen (Distant)
Rakkaus luontoon (Love for the nature)
Kaunista (Beautiful)
Hyvä (Good)
Mielenrauha (Peace of mind)
Metsässä on kiva kävellä! (It's nice to walk in the forest!)
Kävellä metsässä (To walk in the forest)
Ylpeys (Pride)
Vapaus (Freedom)
MOKOMA (Name of a band)
Vapaus (Freedom)
Kauneus (Beauty)
Läheisyys (Closeness)
Metsä = Rauha, Järvi = Silmä lepää katsellessa
(Forest = Peace, Lake = Eye rests as it looks)
En osaa sanoa (I cannot say)
Raikas (Fresh)
Jylhä (Majestic)
Puhtaus (Purity)
Rauhallinen (Peaceful)
Rakkaus (Love)
Kesämökki (Summer cottage)
Vapaa (Free)
Rauha (Peace)

The responses were installed at the following locations:

91 words in the forest along Mäntän Vuorentorni and Vasanpolku
1 word at G.A. Serlachius Museum
5 words at Metsä Tissue Oyj
2 words on a paddle steamer Elias Lönnrot
1 word at Pekilo

 

• Special thanks to the people who gave us the words, and curator, organizers and assistant from Mäntän kuvataideviikot, and the city of Mänttä-Vilppula for generously making this project possible.