Visual arts | Brittilehti's critic praises Outi Pieski, whose exhibition just opened at the Tate museum: Full five stars

London

Artist Outi Pieskin an extensive exhibition opened on Saturday last week at the Tate St Ives art museum in Cornwall, the southwestern tip of Britain.

The Guardian magazine gives the latest in his assessment I give the exhibition full five stars. The critic praises Pieski's art as harsh but joyful. He praises Pieski's paintings as wonderful.

Pieski, who lives in Utsjoki, is known for his art, which draws from his Sámi roots and the history and current state of Sámi. According to The Guardian magazine, Pieski shows how Sámi culture exudes energy.

Director, Curator, Tate St Ives Anne Barlow describes Pieski's art as very unusual, multi-level and timeless.

“He's one of the most exciting contemporary artists in the world, and that's why we asked him here,” Barlow told HS before the exhibition opened.

Tate St Ives belongs to one of the most famous in the world of museum grapes. In addition to British art, the Tate museums' collections include international modern and contemporary art.

Pieski's exhibition is part of Tate's contemporary art exhibition program, which highlights the most interesting contemporary artists from both Britain and other countries.

“These artists are really important and timely,” says Barlow. “Those whose work you have to see. Outi Pieski belongs to this group.”

The London-New York art magazine The Art Newspaper presents Pieski's exhibition in a positive tone in its recent issue in his writing and describes him as a pioneer of Sámi art.

At the Tate Pieski's career has been followed for a long time. However, the corona pandemic slowed down the p
ractical arrangements. The starting shot was finally heard in 2022.

Last September Barlow was visiting Finland As a judge for the Ars Fennica award. On his trip to Finland, he also flew to Lapland to get to know Pieski's home region and work.

Pieski met the curator at Ivalo airport and showed him around. Barlow got to know, among other things, the Sami museum Siida and got to see Pieski's work in private homes. The landscapes also made an impact.

“They were a very intense couple of days, but worth it.”

from Helsinki It's a long way to Utsjoki, but the trip from London to Cornwall doesn't take a moment either: both by train and by car it takes five hours, depending on traffic.

What did the artist himself think about his exhibition being set up in Cornwall and not, for example, in London? Pies has a lot of work to do seen before at London's Southbank Center in 2017.

“I wasn't upset that why isn't it at Tate Modern,” Pieski says the week before the opening.

Cornwall is the most suitable exhibition location for Pieski's works. According to the artist, in Cornwall you can find many points of contact with Sami and the Sami.

“The relationship with the country is one of these.”

Outi Pieski photographed at Tate St Ives. Picture: Oliver Cowling

Outi Pieski, Lottelávlunmuorra 2008. Picture: The Siida Museum

Cornwall is administratively part of England, but culturally and historically it belongs to the Celtic countries. Some of the residents of the area is identified specifically as Cornish.

Cornwall also has its own language, Cornish, although very few people speak it anymore. Cornwall is Kernow in Cornish. The word also appears on highway welcome signs.

The themes of Pieski's art are the relationship with ancestors, land use and the rights of indigenous peoples. After Nordic colonialism, there have been new threats such as the mining industry.

Equally in Cornwall, the relationship with nature and land use speak volumes.

There have been mines in Cornwall since the Bronze Age. Even though the mines were closed at the end of the 20th century, there are still excavations starting up again for the needs of lithium batteries and electric cars.

“

The British public is now very interested in artists who deal with land, nature and the environment in their work.

Dispute land use is also caused by the fact that Cornwall is known as a summer cottage county: wealthy Britons have a second home there.

This, in turn, has drastically increased real estate prices. Many locals can no longer afford to buy an apartment. During the holiday season, traffic jams block the roads.

Pieski looks at the same thing from the Sámi perspective: “Tourism ruins the living environment of the locals.”

Artist Outi Pieski received an artist residency in Cornwall in January. Picture: John Hersey

Barlow's according to the British public is now very interested in artists who deal with the land, nature and environment in their work. The reason is concern about the state of the world.

“That's why I believe that Pieski's art speaks to many people,” he says.

According to him, tens of thousands of spectators are expected at Pieski's exhibition, which is open until May 6.

In January Pieski received an artist residency from Cornwall's Porthmeor studios, with whom Tate collaborates. A painter has previously worked in the same studio, among others Patrick Heron (1920–1999).

The studios have a direct view of the sea.

According to Barlow, the Residency was given to Pieski because they wanted to give him the opportunity to create something new for his exhibition.

“And indeed he did.”

Artist Outi Pieski in his residence in Cornwall. Picture: John Hersey

New job Skábmavuođđu – Spell on Me! is now on display alongside the older installations.

According to Barlow, it is important and even exciting for the local art audience to know that the work was created in Cornwall.

Cornwall has been a popular place for artists to work for over 200 years. He also painted in the port town of St Ives Helene Schjerfbeck (1862–1946).

Artists were attracted to Cornwall by the dramatic landscapes and the bright light. Cornwall is still known today for its vibrant arts community.

Fringed in addition to spatial artworks, Pieski's paintings from the early 2000s can be seen in Cornwall. Ne Barlow definitely wanted to include.

The purpose has been that when you enter the exhibition space, you can immediately see the connection between the works, from the early paintings to the later ones. In addition to the visuals alone, there is an almost physical, sensory experience.

“All of them together create an incredibly powerful and rich impression,” says Barlow.

in Cornwall you can also get to know Pieskin and the archeologist Eeva-Kristiina Nylanderin to a joint project about Sámi women's traditional horn laws, i.e. “grandmothers' mahtilaks”. The photo work of 47 antler caps on display borrows Andy Warhol about pop art.

The Lestadio movement banned horn caps in the 19th century. Many old caps ended up in foreign museums around the world.

In addition to the return of objects, i.e. repatriation, Nylander writes in his dissertation rematriation. It means indigenization, i.e. bringing objects back into living society.

Outi Pieski's horn cap piece from 2021. Picture: Tor Simen Ulstein

Whip says that the St Ives exhibition would have wanted to include something from the British Museum's collections Sami headdress ládjogahpir, but permission was not revoked. The reason given was that the request was made nine months before the opening of the exhibition, when the minimum period is one year.

“Whatever the reason, this shows in any case how difficult it is for indigenous peoples to access their own cultural heritage.”

A sincere question about cultural ownership: If you get excited about fine antlers, can you make one for yourself, even if you are not Sámi?

In Pieski's opinion, it is more rewarding to study the caps of one's own grandmothers, i.e. the history and what they did.

“Why would anyone want to make other grandmothers' hats?”