Timber!

My light artwork Timber! is coming to the Näsisaari bridge along the new tramway route in Tampere, the second largest city in Finland. The starting point of the design was the role of light in the work, using the possibilities brought by the surrounding water, ice or snow. Timber! is inspired by the history of the wood industry in the area. The three-meter light poles of the work describe the movements of a log tree, its felling in the forest and the swaying of the waves during its journey to the factory. More info on Tampere Tramway pages (in Finnish).

Timber! (Kaatuu! in Finnish) sketch.

Scenery of the the Emptiness, and Asia

Asia Culture Center (ACC) shows two of my art works in exhibition Scenery of the the Emptiness, and Asia. ACC presents the art & technology works with the theme of Spatial Aesthetics of Asia. All works from the 17 artists are commissioned by ACC. The exhibition is open from 23rd December 2022 to 27th August 2023 in Asia Culture Center in Gwangju, Republic of Korea.

Teaser for the exhibition. My work can be seen in 1:17.

BOOKED 2022

BOOKED 2022 is an exhibition devoted to books made by artists, conceptual literature, and text-based artworks. It is organized by MUU, Finland’s interdisciplinary art association. BOOKED will host over 200 artist’s books, limited edition publications and artworks. Exhibition is open from 26th Nov to 18th Dec at MUU Helsinki Contemporary Art Centre, Helsinki.

My work in BOOKED is Writing the Landscape – Äkkisaari Island, 2021, water color on paper, size 122 cm x 92 cm.

Suvi Nurmi writes about the exhibition in Finnish: “Minulle viehättävimpänä näyttäytyi kaikessa yksinkertaisuudessaan Pia Männikön Maisemakirjoitus – Writing the Landscape, jossa vanhanaikainen kaunokirjoitus levittäytyi rimpsumaisina kerroksina vaakasuoraan valkoiselle taustalle. Oikean musteen elävät tummuusasteiden muutokset ja kaunokirjoituksen koukeroisuus tekivät teoksesta visuaalisesti mielenkiintoisen, vaikkei sanoja olisi ymmärtänytkään, ja tauoton teksti tuotti hengästyttävän elävän, tajunnanvirtamaisen vaikutelman kesäisestä saaristomaisemasta kaikkine aistimuksineen.” Read the full article here.

Stolon will grow in Seinäjoki

Good news from Seinäjoki, Finland! My work Stolon (Rönsy in Finnish) was chosen to be realized in the high foyer space of the new Aallokko Family Service Center. The construction of the building starts in 2023. Read more about Stolon and four other art works that will be realized in the same new city center area next to Seinäjoki train station (in Finnish).

Sketch of Stolon / Rönsy.

Art Tube 2 in Pärnu, Estonia

Art Tube 2 presents 29.9. – 22.10.2022 eight artists in Pärnu City Gallery, which is located in the historic old Town Hall of the city of Pärnu, Estonia. Artists are Pirjetta Brander, Gunzi Holmström, Petri Hytönen, Reijo Kärkkäinen, Pia Männikkö, Noora Ojala, Mari Sydänmaanlakka ja Juha Vanonen. The diverse contemporary art exhibition consists of several different art forms, from painting and graphics to video art and spatial works. The curators are painters Satu Kalliokuusi and Mika Vesalahti. Below my masking tape works and textile work Family in Pärnu.

New public art work for Lighthouse Hospital in Turku

Last year I was chosen to make one of the public art works for a new Lighthouse hospital in Turku, Finland. The hospital has a nautical overall theme. The shapes of my work take inspiration from fyke net, the fishing equipment. Tiedon rysät consists of five separate “fykes”, materials are stainless steel and ropes. The work was installed in its location last week. The building of the hospital will finish in the end of 2021, and it will open to public in February 2022. More images here.