Arttu Isotalo

I work extensively in many different fields of art, but the project I’m planning to work on during my residency focuses on recycled textiles, much of which I have accumulated during previous projects. For the last 18 months, I have been working on a multimedia project, focusing mainly on recycled textiles, to create works that imitate the symbiotic relationships found in nature. In these works, I treat the materials as a breeding ground. I’m going to continue working on this project at Saari. My goal is to break away from a working method that focuses on individual pieces and to view the materials as an organic mass into which I can plant ideas and my work like seeds or spores. The idea is that this will cause new organisms to grow and make them interact with each other, which means they will exchange building materials and finally intertwine with each other. At Saari, I would like to mix my own leftover textiles with recycled textiles from the residence or its neighbourhood.

What I want from the residency is an opportunity to become absorbed in my work, spend time in nature, conversations, happiness and freedom.

Arttu Isotalo is a Helsinki-based visual artist whose main goal is to create works that bang as hard as possible. In addition to visual art, he also works with music, video, performance and clothing.