PHOTOGRAPHIC GALLERY HIPPOLYTE
Kalevankatu 18 B, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
+358 9 612 33, www.hippolyte.fi
Open: Tue-Fri 12-17, Sat-Sun 12-16

7.-30.10.2011
Satu Haavisto
NO SLOPING GROUND

Discussion on Wed 12.10. 5 p.m. Satu Haavisto, Elina Hirvonen & Aino Kannisto (in Finnish)

No Sloping Ground is a series of constructed photographs of girls. I have constructed scenes where something strange or frightening is happening or about to happen.

I wanted to focus on emotions usually avoided in the case of children, girls in particular: hate, frustration, grief, the desire for freedom, or fear. For the emotions and moods in my works, I draw on my own memories, but also on the media and news headlines. The works are not strictly autobiographical, nor do they depict scenes from my life or that of my models, yet their roots are deep in my own world of experience. I am interested in psychological horror and in the tension between the girls (their gracefulness), their intense expressions and gestures, and the alienating locations.

No Sloping Ground continues the series Subversive Gazes, in which I wanted to challenge the conventional representations of childhood and girls. The current exhibition includes works from both series.

Satu Haavisto

Satu Haavisto (b. 1975) is a photographer based in Helsinki. She earned a Master’s degree from the School of Art and Design at Aalto University in spring 2011. In her works she explores the ground between fear and daring, integrating influences from feminist thinking, the media and her own life. Haavisto has previously exhibited her work in solo and group exhibitions, mostly in Finland. The Subversive Gazes series was previously exhibited at the Photographic Centre Peri in Turku in spring 2011.

The exhibition has been supported by Finnish Cultural Foundation.

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For more information and press images, please contact:
Petronella Grönroos, exhibition co-ordinator / Photgraphic Gallery Hippolyte +358 9-612 33 44, firstname.lastname@hippolyte.fi

Satu Haavisto, Untitled (branches), 2011