Artist Elina Bry has arrived at the KulttuuriKauppila residency in Ii to explore the relationship between humans and nature in a time marked by climate anxiety and climate change. The final outcome of her visit will be an artwork that addresses this theme through moving image, sound, and performance. During her stay in Ii, Bry also aims to amplify the voices and feelings of local people about nature to a broader audience. Being half-Finnish, Bry has a strong personal connection to Finnish nature, a theme she also explored in her previous work Is The Earth Chronically Ill? (2023–2024), which premiered in Nättepori, Ii, on Monday, May 26.
There will be a total of three swimming sessions, held at Vihkosaari Beach (Illinsaarentie 6–14, 91100 Ii) on Sundays: June 1st, 8th, and 22nd from 4 PM to 7 PM. During these meetings, participants will embark on a slow and immersive exploration of our environment using cameras and audio recording equipment. The group will move together in the water, sensing its strength and lightness, and listening to its sounds. No advance registration is needed—just come as you are. You’re welcome to join even if you can’t attend all sessions. Please bring a towel and a swimsuit.
All exercises are carried out together as a group. Participants are free to join in however they feel comfortable. Material recorded during the sessions will become part of an exhibition opening at the Oulu Art Museum in autumn 2026. Participants will have the opportunity to be part of the final artwork, if they so wish.
Photo North – Centre for Photography in Northern Finland’s Adaptation project supports artistic, social, scientific, human, and non-human activity and collaboration from 2024 to 2027. The project is funded by the Oulu Cultural Foundation and the Kone Foundation. It follows the international research initiative More-than-Planet (2022–2025), which received Creative Europe funding under programme No. 101056238, along with national co-funding from the City of Oulu and the Finnish National Agency for Education.