Horizons of Water

Ulla-Maija Alanen’s exhibition explores the horizons of water through water lilies found in Finnish forest lakes. While the surface of the water and the lakebed represent the most obvious horizons, the concept is also a metaphor for time and the complex life cycle of the plant. The exhibition is on view at Gallery Himmelblau in Tampere, Finland, until 2 March, 2025.

The exhibition Horizons of Water presents Alanen’s earlier photographic works alongside several new series that reveal rare and often surreal moments in the life of the water lily. Rather than focusing on the plant’s traditional beauty, Alanen is drawn to its animal-like form and behaviour hidden beneath the water’s surface. In the depths, the lily’s many life stages unfold, each approached by the artist with equal admiration.

The Himmelblau exhibition features photographic works and an installation created by the artist from her drawings, accompanied by a soundscape composed by Maija Ruuskanen (17 min.).

The water lily’s flower appears in various forms across the works: toned, delicate, powerful and fragile. Alanen sees the plant’s life stages as scenes in a dance performance. In the series Mirrors of Water, the lily stands strong and upright – poised to make its debut. As the Water surface acts as a double mirror, it simultaneously reflects the underwater world below. the water lily meets its own reflection just before piercing the water’s surface and emerging into the atmosphere above. The artist captures this moment when the plant’s spirit and body meet at the water mirror’s edge.

As summer ends, the flower closes its petals for the last time and begins its descent to the bottom, ready to bring forth new life from its maturing seeds. The series Arche-fruit represents the climax of the water lily’s performance. Alanen captures an astonishing scene: the plant expels its red seeds into its surroundings while maintaining its form with its last traces of strength. This fireworks display is the plant’s final cry. Through its death, new life sparks.

Other series in the exhibition portray the plant’s quiet decay. The strong petals soften and thin, transforming into delicate, translucent structures reminiscent of dragonfly wings. The plant’s integrity succumbs to its environment; water currents stir the Medusa-like organism while its rootstock pulls it down towards the bottom. The plant relinquishes its strength as it surrenders itself to the water and returns to the fragile origins of its life cycle.

In the drawing installation, the water lily’s rootstock emerges as part of the exhibition space. Hidden in the depths of the muddy lakebed, the toxic rootstock grows persistently year after year. Its relentless vitality contrasts with the short-lived existence of its blossoms. Alanen’s drawings depict twisting rootstocks, their patterned leaf scars forming shapes that resemble eyes. These roots observe their surroundings at floor level, spreading through the space much like they occupy the lakebed in nature.

Ulla-Maija Alanen trained as an architect and visual artist. Working across various techniques, she has also designed sets for many dance performances. For the past 15 years, she has been taking underwater photographs while free-diving in the remote lakes of the Pohja-Kisko Upland. Her works are featured in several collections, including the Finnish State Art Deposit Collection.

The exhibition coincides with the publication of the artist’s book Horizons of Water, which covers Alanen’s extensive body of work. Alongside Alanen’s photography and writings, the book features texts by associate professor Susanna Pettersson and architect and professor Juhani Pallasmaa.

Text: Emma Valjakka, art historian, curator

English translation: Refiner Translations

Gallery Himmelblau
Finlaysoninkuja 9, floor 2B
Finlayson area, Tampere

Open: Wednesday–Friday 11–18, Saturday–Sunday 12–16
Closed: Monday, Tuesday

Free entrance

Artist talk on Sunday, 16 February 2025, at 4-6 PM. Welcome!