Finding a path : sustainable public art practices in small communities of Finnish Lapland

• Main Author: Koistinen, Tanja
• Other Authors: Applied Visual Arts, fi=Taiteiden tiedekunta|en=Faculty of Art and Design|
• Language: English
• Published: fi=Lapin yliopisto|en=University of Lapland| 2019
• Subjects: art based action research; environment art; public art; cultural sustainability; community art; Enontekiö; Lapland
• Online Access: https://lauda.ulapland.fi/handle/10024/64130; http://nbn-resolving.org/URN:NBN:fi-fe202002246322

The present study observes a path of public art practices, conducted in Enontekiö Lapland Finland. A group of international master students planned and facilitated community art workshops where local inhabitants were invited to participate. The two-year project called Enontekiö Art Path started from local’s initiative to bring art practices in small rural communities. It was a collaboration project between Enontekiö municipality and University of Lapland’s Faculty of Art and Design. The aim of the project was to participate locals and make public artworks, emphasizing the villages trough environment-based art workshops. The research focuses on searching dimensions of place and how locals identify themselves in the place. The aim of the research was to find principles of culturally and environmentally sustainable public art, conducted in multi-ethnic North-Lapland. The workshops were researched following art-based action research strategy and focusing on action and process. The results of the study present options towards sustainable public art practices. The process suggested nature is the unifying element in the multi-ethnic Enontekiö. Nature-based materials and subjects of the workshops provide environmentally friendly art, to which locals identify regardless of their ethnicities. The results propose working in the environment can also increase environmental consciousness and create open forum for intercultural dialogue. In the broad3 view, the results aim to demonstrate the possibilities of artistic actions in culturally conflicted and rapidly changing environment of Finnish Lapland.