Silence is Golden

• Main Author: Yliniva, Jenni-Liisa
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Arctic Art and Design; Textile Art; Conceptual; Resilience; Silence; /dk/atira/pure/person/fieldofscience2010/6/13/2; Visual arts and design; Arctic; Perseverance; Northern Finland
• Online Access: https://research.ulapland.fi/fi/publications/9bb935aa-cd9b-4a37-a653-f694bfd888d2

Silence is golden was a common saying and a value in my family in Northern Finland. Since my childhood I have admired my father, a hard working, quiet man who only speaks when he has something important to say. Silence gives him an authority: others listen when he speaks. I need silence in order to focus, think and work well. But, in my adult life I have come to understand that silence has it’s downsides too and can be used in a negative way. Total silence and lack of stimulation could be a form of torture, literally and metaphorically. Communication in words is as important in relationships as is silence. My artwork Silence is golden investigates the cultural importance of silence, and related to that the value of being disciplined and hard working. Has silent perseverance been considered an expression of resilience? Perhaps we should repurpose the old saying. Like King Midas golden touch, silent sisu (resilience in Finnish) might have a paralyzing effect. The artwork combines hand weaving with metallic foil printing. A rough linen thread in natural color is woven together with a metal zipper and finally topped with a layer of gold. The miniature artwork is 15cm by 15cm in size.