In the project 0.8 Square Metres Kristina Norman works with the physical and emotional dimension of the concept of imprisonment. She draws a parallel between the contemporary experiences of political imprisonment and the conditions in the concentration camp set up on Suomenlinna island in Helsinki in the aftermath of the Finnish Civil War (1918–1919). From historical sources she calculated that in the former prison building, now Gallery Augusta in Suomenlinna, each prisoner had only 0.8 square metres of floor space.

 

As part of a public event organized by the artist, volunteers were invited to make this scarce space visible and tangible in one of the gallery’s rooms. Each participant was allotted 0.8 square metres of floor space. This participatory event was recorded and edited in dialogue with testimonies told by three immigrants to Finland who describe the mental and the physical conditions they experienced while imprisoned for political reasons in their home countries. The outcome is a two channel video installation in which the participants in the public event are manipulated to be the listeners of the immigrants’ testimonies.

 

Download an electronic catalog containing Anders Härm’s text about the project here:
http://www.hiap.fi/download/paths-crossing-ibook