Descrizione Opera / Biografia
I think the significance of real artistic work lies largely in its silence anarchy that counterbalances the current menu on offer in our society. Artistic work can provide us with an opportunity to swim upstream and shed the need for profit and efficiency that are offered to us as given in the standard reality. In my most recent works I have used found objects and plastic waste. These materials mirror the basic life-style where we, as the full-time shoppers and consumers, and thereby users of plastic-packagings, often forget where all of it leads to. In my artpieces I have used different kinds of plastic waste for example detergent bottles and other plastic-packagings that, when molded, recive new life as they become a part of the artwork. From these “worthless” and thrown away objects and materials I seek to construct something beautiful and valuable. Of course these works also speak out the concern of environmental problems, e.g. plastic waste in the Oceans. It`s time to take care of our enviroment and be aware of it`s fragility.
CV: JOHANNA VIRTANEN http://johannavirtanen.com video: https://vimeo.com/183349705
EDUCATION: 2008 University of Industrial Arts, Helsinki / Department of Art Education / MA
1994 University of Industrial Arts, Helsinki / Department of Textile Art and Design / MA
EXHIBITIONS: 2017 11th International triennal of mini-textiles, Musèe Jean-Lurcat et de la tapisserie contemporaine, Angers, France / 2017 Rydals Museum,Sweden / 2016 Textle Art Triennale, Vapriikki, Tampere, Finland / 2015 Art Fair Finland 2015, Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki, Finland / 2011 Between Tradition and Future, Cheongju International Craft Biennale,Cheongju, South-Korea / 2009 Triennial of Textile 2009, Gallery of P.M.Bohun, Liptovský Mikulás ja Dom Umenia,Bratislava,Slovakia / 2009 Annual Paper Art Exhibition, Gallery Art Alley, Sofia, Bulgaria / 2008,2007 SOFA CHICAGO, The Fifteenth Annual International Exposition of Sculpture Objects & Functional Art, Festival Hall, Navy Pier, Chicago, USA / 2007 Miniartextil Como, Como, Italy / 2007 Linen Archetype, International Biennial of Linen miniatures, Arka Art Gallery, Vilnius,Lithuania / 2007 Tradition & Innovation, European textile and fibre art triennial, Exhibition Hall Arsenals,Riga,Latvia Klaipeda Gallery, Klaipeda; Janinos Monkutes-Marks Museum-Gallery, Kédainiai,Lithuania / 2004 European textile and fibre art triennal, Exhibition Hall Arsenals, Riga, Latvia / 2003 Miniartextil -International exhibition of minitextiles Como, Italy; Musée de l´Impression sur Etoffes, Mulhouse, France; Sardinia, Italy /2001 / 7th International triennal of mini-textiles, Musèe Jean-Lurcat et de la tapisserie contemporaine, Angers, France, 2003 Textilmuseum de Saint-Gall, Switzerland
ART WORKS IN COLLECTIONS:
Art Collections of the state of Finland
AMATERAS Foundation, Sofia, Bulgaria
Private collectors
