On Friday, August 18th, at 6:00 PM, gallery A-Galerii on its WINDOWS, will open two group exhibitions featuring four international artists. The exhibition RIVERS’ DOWNFALL brings together the creative forces of Caroline Bach (NDL) and Darius Wojdyga (NO), while the exhibition BEYOND / WITHIN joins artists Sanna Nuutinen (FI) and Kaisa Vuorinen (FI).
The exhibitions will be displayed at A-Galerii windows until October 8th.
RIVERS’ DOWNFALL
Caroline Bach (NLD) and Darius Wojdyga (NO)
Through the exhibition, the artists aim to draw attention to the rivers that weave through our lands. Both Bach and Wojdyga share a connection with specific rivers in Europe that have faced massive chemical accidents. Through their creative exploration, they stand for the preservation of these rivers, emphasizing the significance of water bodies and raising awareness about the fragility of their ecosystems.
Rivers carry information from the mountains to the sea, enriching their stream at every bend. As a result, rivers bear the marks of human activity and its ecocide, in addition to minerals and nutrients. Over time, flowing water has shaped landscapes, carved valleys, and formed caves. In today’s world, humans attempt to control nature by redirecting rivers, creating reservoirs, asphalting, and building concrete riverbanks. People use water in agriculture, industry, and energy production. Rivers have become increasingly hostile environments for all unique aquatic organisms. Chemicals are killing populations, and medical waste modifies animal bodies, while changes in water acidity and temperature disrupt the balance of the ecosystem. Ultimately, mistreatment of aquatic life causes significant problems for humans as well.
The central focus of the exhibition is on three rivers: Akerselva in Norway, where Darius lives; La Dore in France, where Caroline grew up; and Rijn in the Netherlands, where Caroline currently resides. Darius’s works are crafted from metal scraps retrieved from the Akerselva River. The materials are processed and shaped into forms reminiscent of pathogens and microorganisms. Caroline weaves together fabrics, plastics, and cords to create beautiful surfaces that evoke the wavy landscapes of water.
Caroline Bach (1995) is a French jewellery, textile, and circus artist based in Amsterdam. She has a BA from Gerrit Rietveld Academy specialising in jewellery and has studied various other crafts in France, China, and the Netherlands. Her body of work extends the focus on life beyond anthropocentrism, advocating for nature in her creations and actions within educational institutions. Bach is a co-founder of a contemporary jewellery gallery in Amsterdam called The Pool.
Darius Wojdyga (1975) is a contemporary jewellery artist born in Poland who has lived in Norway since 2005. After graduating with a BA and an exchange semester at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy, he is pursuing his MA at Oslo National Academy of the Arts in the Metal and Jewelry Art department. Darius is the founder of the contemporary jewellery gallery Galleri Skranken and the Display Case – Discussion Forum for Contemporary Jewelry in Oslo.
BEYOND / WITHIN
Sanna Nuutinen (FI) and Kaisa Vuorinen (FI)
The exhibition “BEYOND / WITHIN” brings together the works of two Finnish artists, Sanna Nuutinen and Kaisa Vuorinen, to explore the deep and contrasting relationship of human existence with the surrounding nature and time.
Sanna Nuutinen’s collection BEYOND encourages contemplation on the human impact on nature. She asks, “What will future generations think of our time? Will they wonder how wasteful, destructive, and consumption-oriented we were? Why didn’t we seek balance with the environment and nature?” Nuutinen conveys her message through a symbolic butterfly, which carries our stories, experiences, and questions to the next centuries, to the next caterpillars. It takes them farther, across seas and deep into forests. The butterfly knows that eventually, understanding, justice, and beauty will come.
With her collection WITHIN , Kaisa Vuorinen focuses on the concept of personal space and time amidst the fast-paced chaos of everyday life. She considers taking personal time as equivalent to having personal space. By taking time for creativity, she can focus on herself, becoming one with time and space. Vuorinen skillfully captures the paradox of the timeless nature of fleeting moments. In the exhibition, she presents “bracelet-wings” made from silver and shibuichi. Shibuichi is a copper and silver alloy from Japan, which the artist crafts herself.
Sanna Nuutinen is a Finnish jewellery artist and a maker. She studied jewellery design and goldsmithing at Lahti University of Applied Arts and has a Masters degree from University of Art and Design Helsinki. Currently she works at a jewellery studio in Hernesaari, Helsinki.
Kaisa Vuorinen is a Finnish freelance jewellery designer and artist. She studied jewellery design and goldsmithing at Lahti University of Applied Arts and has a Masters degree from University of Art and Design Helsinki, and graduated LAB University of Applied Sciences in 2023. Currently she works at a jewellery studio in Hernesaari, Helsinki.