Reija Meriläinen (FI)
FAINT
1-17/11 2019
Curator: Arngrímur Borgþórsson
I have a question for you guys. Now we’ve got Limp Bizkit and Metallica coming
up next, but you guys wanna hear a couple more songs? Alright. I promise you this tho – we’re gonna make these nice and heavy for you guys in the pit. If somebody falls down in the pit, you pick them up, okay? Get them out of the way and you guys can have some fun. I wanna see the biggest pit I have ever seen. That way we’ve got it on camera and everything. This whole section right now. If you don’t wanna be in the pit, you’d better get out. You’d better tell the dude with the camera that he’s right in the middle of the pit, cause this thing’s gonna be 50 feet long.
All of you – if you don’t wanna be in the pit, get out right now. You ready?
You ready?
up next, but you guys wanna hear a couple more songs? Alright. I promise you this tho – we’re gonna make these nice and heavy for you guys in the pit. If somebody falls down in the pit, you pick them up, okay? Get them out of the way and you guys can have some fun. I wanna see the biggest pit I have ever seen. That way we’ve got it on camera and everything. This whole section right now. If you don’t wanna be in the pit, you’d better get out. You’d better tell the dude with the camera that he’s right in the middle of the pit, cause this thing’s gonna be 50 feet long.
All of you – if you don’t wanna be in the pit, get out right now. You ready?
You ready?
Reija Meriläinen is an artist based in Helsinki working with moving image, sculpture and installa- tions that combine the digital and physical. In their work, social tensions and power are linked to physical and material sensations. Meriläinen’s work has previously been shown in several exhibi- tions in Finland and abroad including ARS17 in Kiasma museum of contemporary art and States of Play: Roleplay Reality in FACT Liverpool.
Faint is a collection of works comprising of blankets, pillows, text and video. The works together weave a story of obsession, depression and desperation becoming personified in a video game character called Margo.
Materials and media: Comforters, blankets, pillows, fabric, batting, fake fur, leather, ballistic gel, sewing, appliqué, embroidery, nail polish, video (20 min loop), YouTube playlist
Music: Maria Korkeila
Graphic design of booklet: Matilda Diletta
Video material comes from the video game Survivor made in collaboration with Eetu Sihvonen & Santeri Räisänen
Thank you
Taike, Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova, Linkin Park