Such is the Silence is a spatially designed collection of photographic pieces, video and discovered objects. The combination of these three elements creates a story-like installation in the gallery of Kunsthalle Turku. Each part is in dialogue with the others in a story subtly navigating the borderline of reality.
Essi Maaria Orpana poses for and with the camera in abandoned houses in Valencia, Spain. Without shared memories or a connection to the house, there is a conflict between the place and my presence there.
“As I step into the room, my subconscious starts to form narratives of fictitious past events that I recreate through the character depicted in the images (Miss Silence).”
The wandering photographic and video pieces explore the empty house, pondering questions of existence and memories. Such is the Silence examines existence and identity and our corporeal connection to time and place. The cinematographic and narrative nature of the exhibition makes it possible to create an ominous atmosphere that also emphasises how Such is the Silence is not confined to time. The exhibition depicts a potential fictitious world where the presence of Miss Silence helps the rooms come to life once again.
Such is the Silence is Orpana’s artistic thesis for the Master’s programme in photography at Aalto University. Orpana graduated as a visual artist specialising in photography from the Turku Arts Academy in 2015. Her artistic work so far has been based on photography and video. Its main themes include existence and our corporeal connection to time, space and identity. Orpana has recently started adopting a more installation-driven approach to her artistic work alongside photography and video. Her pieces have been exhibited in a curated group exhibitions at the Latvian Museum of Photography in Riga (2019) and at Galleria Lapinlahti in Helsinki (2018) as well as in a solo exhibition at the Ostrobothnian Photography Centre in Lapua (2017).
The exhibition has been supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation and the Arts Promotion Centre Finland.
