Born in Finland – Schools out!
Project proposal to the Pavilion of Finland at the Venice Biennale 2017

Visual artist Marja Kolu

Statement

Religion is gaining more and more power in global politics, both in Finland and around the world. Conservative values are popular. The willingness to submit to collective norms has diminished but taken other forms. President Sauli Niinistö ended his New Year speech by wishing Gods blessing to citizens in Finland 2016.

Nationalities and nations are on the move – the movement is larger and more global than ever before. War, religion, poverty, violent politics, oppression, terrorism and climate change are some of the reasons why people have to leave their homes.

At least two common things are similar to global life in the past and in the future – religion and education. The installation Born in Finland is built within an architectural structure and synthesis of a school and a church. It gathers icons and phrases that are common phenomena behind newborn nations.  The school buildings and churches in Finland make a visual time machine of over 70 years and were usually designed by skilled architects.

The installation Born in Finland borrows the constructions of both schools and churches and is built as a synthesis of them. Inside the structure there are benches and virtual people from the past who become active via sensors when visitors step into the space. The virtual inhabitants will be sitting on the benches telling their stories, stories about going to church and to school. Some virtual inhabitants will repeat phrases while others will just be silent. The installation is in constant movement and the scene/stage is a construction of symbols and elements that are common in nationalism - positive and negative - like the Finnish flag or heraldic forms - that react when you move. The story of how ideologies and religions are connected and have an influence to our behavior is shown visually.

The artists claims that behind Finland’s independence  - as well as for sure in many other independent countries - there are features and phenomenon which have not been explored, discussed, manifested in artistic discussion or else way- this is a very challenging item and the title given by Frame for theme 2017 at Venice is large and trying embracing whole world.

Visually and artistic, buildings as the symbols of education and spiritual life. Showing the power of institutions and how the education religion are combined in the big movements in nations. When there is a try to destroy a nation the enemy destroys first the national archives, libraries, museums. For the most conflicts in the world exist because of the deep religious differs and the other reason is in lack of education and that cause poverty and ability to survive in own home country. Lack of democracy and unfair dealing of welfare.

My way, chosen aspect and installation is one way to handle and try to explain how religious and educational values and structures behind the phenomena influence to that why Finland came during last 5-7 years from peaceful welfare country to hateful, aggressive, sickness country and the Finnish government first time after independence is damaging higher education dramatically.

Why is the education, values, aims in education important to give attention in society? Finland is less independent when celebrating 100 years of independence. And why is that? The spiritual atmosphere