In 2017, AYY started to accumulate its own art collection. The two paintings chosen then can be seen in the Undergraduate Centre even now. This year, AYY’s Steering Group of Artistic Activities decided to add a sculpture or an installation to the art collection and set up an open call for applications for all Aalto students.
A total of 10 artworks were submitted for this. Each piece was highly unique, and they were all very interesting and of high quality. The two chosen ones spoke to the panel especially. The panel’s members were member of AYY board Marianne Honkasaari, Dean of the School of Arts, Design and Architecture Tuomas Auvinen as well as Mahnaz Khanpour Monazedi, student of the Visual Cultures, Curating and Contemporary Art master’s programme.
The first piece is entitled ‘Bubblegum.’ The piece manages to win over the viewer instantly and bring a smile to their face. It manifests innocence, purity and goodness in a messy world. On the other hand, its lack of expression makes you wonder what it is really thinking about behind its carefree, pretty and shiny facade.
The artist Veera Krouglov is studying Visual Narrative at the Department of Media at master’s level. She has Animation as a second subject. Veera did her bachelor’s in Scotland, in an art school called Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, where she focused mostly on ceramics and drawing. This is how the artist describes her piece: “The piece is based on a character who often appears quite unnoticed in my sketchbook and notes. The character usually seems to be expressing some kind of emotion or personality. This particular creature has a bubble-gum-like head and a colourful outfit. It’s carefree and maybe a bit naive – in a good way. It’s sitting and dreaming.”
The second sculpture is entitled ‘Brownie.’ The coarse and organic nature of “Brownie” brings to mind decay and the destruction of the pristine. The distorted fingers of desaturated coral are lazily grasping for something – maybe salvation, vitality, a new beginning. The viewer will however understand that the stoneware can’t be affected by time, at least in the way the character it depicts seems to long for. Although, perhaps it has settled. The viewer can decide.
The artist, Siina Levonoja, is currently preparing her final project in the Visual Cultures, Curating and Contemporary Art (ViCCA) master’s programme. In her project, she deals with the relationship of humans and animals as well as animals’ part in art. ‘Brownie’ was inspired by the artist’s completed three-piece artwork ‘Kingdom: Animalia,’ and the piece itself is currently in the sketch phase. AYY will receive the completed artwork in week 22. This is how the artist describes her piece: “The ‘Brownie’ sculpture tells a story of life in a coral reef. In my art, I study the living environments and animals of coral reefs, and I portray my imaginings of the secret underwater world through my artwork. Another motive for the piece is to spread the word about the impoverishment of nature’s diversity and the climate crisis. Despite the serious premise of my art, the end result can be subtly humoristic. I want to remind the viewer in a gentle way of the vulnerability of life and to guide them to think about themselves and their living environment.”
Thank you to all applicants, and congratulations to Veera Krouglov and Siina Levonoja. Both artworks will later be put on display on campus for all to see.
