Anna Rikkinen

Sculptural jewellery made of wooden ready-made objects. Length 10 meters.

We are surrounded by man-made artifacts of wooden origin as we used to be of trees and woods. Everyday utensils have a connection to the body. Bowls, plates, and trays are so ordinary that in some ways they are invisible to us. Sometimes it seems that forest is not considered a home to an array of fauna, flora, and fungi but just pulp, lumber, sawn timber, and products. We use woods and woodlands as they would be ours alone. We use nature even more than its ability to regrow. Nature doesn’t thrive in industrial forest. Do we want to thrive?

Installation

2022

Object made of wooden readymades and brass chain. Size: Length 2,5 meters, width 30 cm.

When we travel we collect stuff: Things, places, experiences, animals, some even people: Wonders of the World… A Girl in Every Port… Africa’s Big Five… 50 Sacred Destinations To Visit… 100 Places to See Before You Die… Souvenirs, charms, tokens, and other keepsakes are subjected to carry memories, to bring good luck, health, protection, fertility, a prosperous life. They are also used for identification and as symbols of faith and achievements. Our desire to carry a memory in the form of an object is somewhat odd. We give meaning to objects, but they are fickle. Often an object loses its meaning and value when memories fade. And yet again and again we want to own a piece of a memory or a moment.