“Whenever something new is brought to the village, it also moves other activities in the area forward,” says Sirkka Pakkala in the hustle and bustle of art workshops in the Central Village of Jalasjärvi. Community-based environmental art has been being worked on in Harjula, the Central Village, throughout August. The art workshops have brought together villagers to brainstorm ideas and challenge their skills in a new way.
The workshops have shaped wicker, turned and carved with a chainsaw, and considered new uses for discarded school chairs. The art workshops of the Meidän markki project began with a joint ideation workshop, where they considered what they would like to do in the area. The ideas were based purely on the needs of the area and the Children's Agricultural Exhibition to be held in September, as well as on the environmental considerations. "The artistic collaboration that comes from the villagers is inspiring. The joy of making and discovering in the village has also driven my own projects forward," says sculptor Tiina Laasonen, who is directing the project. "The workshops have been a great experience and have inspired me to work in the village on other projects as well," says Marja-Liisa Mänty.
The joint workshops have harnessed the different skills of the villagers for collaboration in a new way. The same work has combined special skills, for example, turning, painting and design. The project has even encouraged people to play around with the materials used, wood, wicker, metal and plastic. What has been important is working together and getting people together around a common project. “When there are people in the youth club, it inspires them to work,” Marja-Liisa Mänty raves about her painting break.
The villagers are still working on modifying and constructing the works. In their final form, the works will be displayed at the Keskikylä Children's Agricultural Exhibition on September 16, 2017. The works will remain in the villagers' possession and can also be used later. The artists are already thinking about the possibilities of modifying the works as the seasons change and the works wear out. There is plenty to admire in the works for a long time as they change along with the wishes of the village's actors.
