Looking for Risto

Thumbnail Image

Files

optika_id_773_hamel_tristan_2012.pdf (1.61 MB)

URL

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

School of Arts, Design and Architecture | Master's thesis
Location:
Unless otherwise stated, all rights belong to the author. You may download, display and print this publication for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.

Authors

Date

2012

Department

Department of Art
Taiteen laitos

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

Master's Degree Programme in Environmental Art
Ympäristötaiteen maisteriohjelma

Language

en

Pages

197

Series

Abstract

Along the summer 2012, Tristan Hamel went for a journey on the lakes of Eastern Finland on his self-made raft, looking for his Finnish alter ego Risto. The aim of this project is to question identification with the natural environment, and more particularly the condition of identification of a foreigner with Finnish nature. The central proposition of this Master's thesis is that a complete engagement with the environment is needed to challenge national strategies of identification. Understood both as a physical and psychological process, engagement makes it possible for one to initiate a one-to-one relationship with nature, based on a personal cultural set such as the universal myth of return to nature. The artwork at stake in this thesis builds upon the international tradition of environmental art but is more particularly influenced by the work of selected Finnish artists whose work is marked by a deep sense of involvement with the natural environment. In spite of these various influences, Looking for Risto intends to innovate mostly in terms of documentation, by taking advantage of recent developments in communication technologies. Art being considered as a process, the emphasis is put as much on the preparatory and retrospective phases of the project as on the production one. Each of them is assigned a different mode of confrontation with the audience.

Description

Supervisor

Hakuri, Markku

Thesis advisor

Elliott, Scott
Laitinen, Antti

Keywords

Finland, Identity, Landscape, Boat, Travel, Video, Internet, Engagement

Other note

Parts

  • Documentation of the artistic process and publicly available videos at: http://tristanhamel.eu/?page_id=594' 3 weeks long journey with daily performances on Saimaa (from Lappeenranta to Savonlinna) Exhibition in Novemeber 2012 in Lume Gallery, Helsinki

Citation

Permanent link to this item

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-201308107485

Collections

[master] Taiteiden ja suunnittelun korkeakoulu / ARTS