Pekka Jylhä
We Have Inherited Hope – the Gift of Forgetting
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In the exhibition We Have Inherited Hope – the Gift of Forgetting sculptor Pekka Jylhä tackles recent difficult subjects – disasters that have affected all of us. He started working on the exhibition after the attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices, and was inspired by the cartoonists' pictures that were published afterwards. The sculpture Sorrow of a Pen is a comment on freedom of thought, on freedom of picture and speech. A pen covered with white feathers leaves a red blot on the gallery floor.
According to the artist, the pieces on display have been created "one misfortune at a time". The focal points of the exhibition are the refugee crisis and the piece commemorating the tragic fate of Aylan, the little boy who drowned off the coast of Turkey. The utterance "so we would not forget" was on Jylhä's mind while working on the sculpture. Beside it drifts an inflatable boat made of quill feathers, a means of transportation that for some refugees signifies a way towards the future, and for others the last journey. The artist invites the viewer to reflect on these painful matters.
Jylhä deals with subjects in a poetic manner. While the pieces might speak very directly to the viewer, they still leave room for reflection. The choices of materials are crucial: they steer our mental images, build suspense and create harmony in the exhibition. While working, Jylhä gives a great deal of thought to which materials will best convey the thought behind a piece. During a long work process the material choices usually arise organically and with ease.
The name of the exhibition originates from an utterance in a poem by Wisława Szymborska (1923–2012, Poland).
"The individual is equipped with a wonderful feature: the gift of forgetting. It is very useful especially during these difficult times. The ability to forget even the worst matters and head towards hope. In the course of man's dramatic history, this ability has refined us into masters of survival." Jylhä reflects.
But does looking forward always require forgetting? Is art in fact missioned to remind us of incidents and to register them in our visual memory?
"All artists have their special interests. I have always been interested in current events and read a lot about what is happening around us. Trying to find the right shapes and spatial solutions for these events is also intriguing. It is probably my way of trying to construe this extremely disorderly world we live in even at the moment."
Artist Professor Pekka Jylhä (b. 1955 in Toholampi) is a pioneer of modern Finnish sculpture. He has actively participated in exhibitions in both Finland and abroad since the mid-80s. Jylhä is also known for his large public sculptures, which include President Urho Kekkonen's memorial in Helsinki. Jylhä was honoured with the prestigious Pro Finlandia medal in 2007.