dates & galleries  |  reviews  |  photos

The Väki Vahva exhibition is featured in Jari Koskinen's book: Kuvien Takana (Behind the Pictures) from page 116 to 119.

Jari Koskinen's book is about changes in modern society and culture, and examples are derived from the fields of advertisement, design, television, technology, etc. Koskinen’s book attempts to predict the near future through trends. It also helps the reader to critically observe changes and find new points of view.

Excerpts from Kuvien Takana:

UUDELLEEN TUOTETUT JUURET
Yllä olevat kuvat henkivät suomalaisen alkuyhteisön tunnelmaa ja suorastaan shamanistista voimaa. Eero Hintsanen ja Tanja Rovio ovat tuottaneet juuremme uudelleen itsensä näköisenä. Kasvien ja luonnon teemat toistuvat yksityiskohdissa. Myös kuolema on läsnä. Näennäisen paradoksaalisesti kauas menneisyyteen kurkottava voikin tuottaa tulevaisuuden näkymiä. Oheiset kuvat ovat Designforumissa viime vuoden lopussa olleesta Väki Vahva –näyttelystä. Kiinnostava näyttely koostui korumuotoilija Eero Hintsasen ja vaatesuunnittelija Tanja Rovion luomien tarinoiden pohjalta ennallistetuista matriarkaalisen keräilijä-metsästäjäkansan asukokonaisuuksista.

DO YOUR OWN BRAND
Viime aikoina on puhuttu paljon “Haute Couturen” tai “Alta Modan” kuolemasta. Moni huippusuunnittelija on suunnannut katseensa kadulle. Väitteet kuolemasta ovat kuitenkin liioiteltuja, koska käsin yksittäiskappaleina tuotetut asut ovat eksklusiivisia elämyksiä ja sellaiselle löytyy yhteiskunnassa kasvavaa tilausta. Luksus on ollut maailmalla in. Toisaalta jatkuvasti muuntuva ja rikas kaupunki- ja katukulttuuri on tuonut esille ” do your own brand ” –tyyppisiä virtauksia. Vastakulttuurin ajattelussa muodin paaveille ei jää sijaa.

Translated from the Finnish:

REPRODUCED ROOTS
The photos above breathe the atmosphere of primitive Finnish communities and shamanistic strength. Eero Hintsanen and Tanja Rovio have delved into our Finnish roots and reproduced them through detailed themes of nature, life and death. Seemingly paradoxically, something that represents the conceptual past creates visions of the future. The photos are from the Väki Vahva exhibition held at the Finnish Design Forum at the end of end of last year. This interesting exhibition was composed from coordinated outfits that represent a fictional matriarchal gatherer-hunter people based on stories created by Eero Hintsanen and Tanja Rovio and based on historical themes.

DO YOUR OWN BRAND
There has been a lot of talk of late about the death of ‘Haute Couture’ and ‘Alta Moda.’ Many top designers have cast their eye on the streets. Accusations of death are exaggerated, because unique outfits, produced by hand, are exclusive experiences and there is a growing demand for them in society. On the other hand, constantly changing and rich city and street culture has developed “do your own brand” currents. In the anticulture way of thinking there is no room for the popes of fashion.

Reviews From the Newspapers:

Itä-Savo (Feb.6, 2005)
"Forest is a treasury for designers, the source of enthusiasm and artistic impulses, the key for creative processes."

Helsingin Sanomat (Jan.7, 2005)
"The exhibition was envolved out of many things, that combined forest, fabrics and textiles."

"The purpose of the exhibition is to give the dimensions of Finnish textile and fabrics to be considered and talked over."

Sulkava (Dec. 30, 2004)
“Thru the exhibition stories and legends get new form to show the small county of Sulkava.”

“Väki Vahva exhibition doesn’t try to give final answers to all the questions that remain, but initiate discussion.”

Kainuun Sanomat (Dec. 19, 2004)
“We designed jewelry, outfits and also little piece of ancient history…”

“Many things in ancient history have been researched and verified scientifically, and rest is just quessing.”

“Others have done same things with science, that what we are doing with art. We have naturally more freedom to create than scientists…”

“In these locations (in Iitlahti, Sulkava) there really is lots of genuine findings (from Iron Age) to be researched, but due to lack of financing not much can be studied and excavated. So it is still like a mystery…”

Etelä-Suomen Sanomat
(Dec. 10, 2004)
”Great and inspiring story…”

Savon Sanomat (Dec. 10, 2004)
“…Hintsanen and Rovio want to initiate conversation of our history and roots and they importance for our own identity.”

“Jewelry designer Eero Hintsanen and fashion designer Tanja Rovio have made valuable work and reconstructed the outfits and jewelry for Väki Vahva…”