The main focus in Still exhibition is on the notion of still life within moving image. One of the biggest influences for me while I was planning Still exhibition were bedroom themes in old paintings, especially Pierre Bonnard’s intimate and sumptuous bedroom scenes.

I wanted to draw the viewer’s attention to the dimension of time, whether arrested or in motion. Chance often becomes an integral part of the working process. This also happened when I was working in residency at the SPACEX gallery in Exeter during November 2006-February 2007. All the works on show now were exhibited in my first solo exhibition in the UK, which took place at the SPACEX gallery in Exeter during August-September 2007.

Five attempts to be still is filmed on 16mm film and was made in a theatre space. In this film performance a woman is being pushed on to a bed by an actor, and lying motionless, just breathing and trying to be still.

Next to Five attempts to be still I will also show the video works Three minutes attempt to be still (London bride) and Three minutes attempt to be still (The day when mum was operated). They are both silent moments within one day. Still exhibition also includes a sound piece called All the world just stopped now based on Tori Amos song Tear in your hand.

The residency in Exeter was collaboration between SPACEX and Dartington College of Arts and was kindly supported by FRAME (Finnish Fund for Art Exchange). I would also like to thank the Finnish Institute in London and Arts Council of Finland for their support.

Eeva-Mari Haikala