Outimaija Hakala
Biography
Outimaija Hakala's (b. 1983) works are sculptures and woodcuts based on material orientation, conceptual art and stories. Hakala is pursuing their doctoral studies in contemporary arts at Aalto University and her artistic research deals with the narration and consideration of other species of animals in visual art. The core of Hakala's artistic research takes place in the village of Vahojärvi, next to Seitseminen National Park in Pirkanmaa, an area that has long been used for forestry. She creates animal-oriented environmental and land art works in the area that support the region's biodiversity.
Outimaija Hakala. Helminauha / Pearl String, 2021-2024
Pearl String
Sculpture with non-human animals
2021-2024
Approx. 8 m length. 350 kg.
Salt rock stone sculpture made with non-human animals.
Pearl String is a sculpture made in the forest in collaboration with animals – and for the animals. Elks that roam the area have participated in the creation of the work by licking their own marks on the salt rocks. Sculpture explores how non-human actors influence the formation of the work and how the work moves from the forest to the museum. The work also considers the relationship between humans and other living beings. Through art that strives for mutual connection, Hakala envisions a more sustainable future. It means observing the environment and respecting the significance of the lives of other species alongside humans. The starting point of the work is an attempt to understand others better and to accept that other animals participate – if they participate at all – in the work in their own ways, challenging the perception of art and the processes of its creation.
