I Placed My Hand on The Bark of an Ancient Mother
Lotta Böhm
Royal Academy Of Art The Hague KABK
Finland is known as the land of forests and thousands of lakes – and rightly so, as it is the most forested country in Europe. These forests cover over seventy-five percent of the country’s land area, but on the flip side, around ninety-five percent of them are used for forestry. However, there was once a different kind of closeness, a quieter understanding between humans and more-than-human worlds. Now this connection lingers as a story that we continue to sell beyond Finland’s borders about never-ending primary forests, rich species populations and people living in harmony with the surrounding nature. In my graduation project, I examine what appears to be an almost hypocritical view of Finland’s national landscape and explore the veiled realities of an ever-changing forest environment through personal experiences. I grieve the relationship that once was inherent and circle back to the contemporary decision-making that shapes what remains. Moving between observation and reflection, I wonder what is remembered and what is being erased. Using photography as both a critical and reflective tool, I question dominant narratives about harmony between humans and the environment. By scouting both what is visible and what is hidden, the project holds a more layered understanding of landscape and local relationship to it. Through a combination of observational imagery and metaphorical approaches, I aim to highlight this forgotten connection alongside the traces of destruction embedded within the familiar. I seek to encourage more nuanced discussion around often one-sided perspectives and challenge the somewhat polished public image by showing the visible destruction.