Home / Environment / Lichen Art: A Message from Finland's Forests
Lichen Art: A Message from Finland's Forests
22 Apr
Summary
- Antti Laitinen uses lichen cocktails on spheres to reflect environmental health.
- Beard lichen returned to Oulu after pollution control, signaling recovery.
- The 'Climate Clock' installation highlights nature's rhythms and climate change.
In Oulu, Finland, artist Antti Laitinen is showcasing "Climate Clock," an expansive art installation addressing climate change urgency.
Laitinen's contribution includes two spheres adorned with a "lichen cocktail," intended to reflect real-time environmental conditions. He notes that lichen species' thriving or decline depends entirely on their microclimate, with differences observed in exposed versus sheltered settings.
This installation draws parallels to Laitinen's "Broken Landscape" series, where he creates window-like openings in trees. The overall project aims to make viewers perceive their environment and its subtle shifts more acutely.
The "Climate Clock" exhibition, a part of Oulu's European Capital of Culture 2026, features 10 artists exploring climate change impacts. Alice Sharp, the curator, emphasizes the project's focus on humanity's disconnection from nature's rhythms due to climate change.
Other participating artists include Rana Begum, Ranti Bam, Superflex, Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen, Gabriel Kuri, and Takahiro Iwasaki. Their diverse works, using mediums from stone sculptures to audio installations and snowflake displays, collectively convey a message of environmental urgency and the fragility of nature.
Creative producer Claudia Woolger believes that cultural initiatives like "Climate Clock" possess the power to foster peace and understanding across divides, a sentiment crucial in contemporary times.
