Raija Koivisto haastatteli syksyllä 2016 Seinäjoen lukiossa olleita vaihto-oppilaita Caleb Jordania ja Lydia Strohfeldtia, jotka osallistuivat Art Battle -projektiin.
Jordanin haastattelu on julkaistu aikaisemmin Mega-lehdessä ja molempien vastaukset ovat nyt luettavissa myös täällä blogissa.
Jordanin haastattelu on julkaistu aikaisemmin Mega-lehdessä ja molempien vastaukset ovat nyt luettavissa myös täällä blogissa.
Caleb
"I found my way to Finland through the Rotary International
Youth Exchange program. RYE gives anybody between the ages 15-18 the chance to
experience the world and a new culture. I have to admit that I am definitely
not used to the amount of darkness that Finland endures during its winter
months. I come from Colorado, so we have the cold and the snow and a little bit
of darkness, but definitely not close to the amount that Finland has.
However, I do admire the Finnish people and how they deal with the amount of darkness and winter. They seem to change with the seasons, and seem to easily shift gears with ease from fall to winter. Even if it is dark and cold for hours upon hours, they seem to trudge through it by appreciating the company and friendships they have with each other and low key pretending that Finnish darkness is not even a thing. If you pretend it's not there, it must not be there, right?
Finland may be dark and cold and dreary for a handful of months throughout the year, but I can tell that people never lose hope because they always know that summer and sunlight are coming no matter what. And with that, I have such a deep appreciation for the, I guess you could call it, Finnish Sisu. The fact they persevere through times that seem impossible with a Finnish smile on their face.
Art Battle has taught me to have a stronger appreciation for the Art. Back home in the states, most art museums cost you something, they are definitely not free. In Finland, I have already gone to a handful of museums, where A) I have been able to get in for free because I am under 18 and B) All the museums are so easily accessible for everyone, no matter your age or mother tongue. They create places with a common goal of making sure the museum goer enjoys themselves as well as learn something about the art.
Thus overall, allowing me to see once in a lifetime exhibits that I probably wouldn't have back home, which in turn allows me a greater and more vast appreciation of art. I believe that art is a one of the best ways for young people to express themselves. It allows them to look at a world that has so many outside pressures and influences with a new perspective of optimism, choice, and freedom of thought. It not only allows young people to express themselves, but it also spreads an appreciation for art throughout cultures that may be losing hope in art, or don't see the value in art.”
Your name, age and home country?
Lydia Strohfeldt, 18, Australia
How did you find your way Finland?
I am currently a Rotary exchange student living in Finland. Growing up I have been interested in languages and multi-cultures; to not only experience countries for their tourist value, but to see it through the closest lens to a locals perspective: as a member of the community…as a resident. It is one thing to see famous monuments and eat foreign cuisine, but it is another to live inside and eat dinner with an international family.
What does culture and art mean to you?
I feel as though culture and art are often demoted in Australia, and shifted aside for the purpose of sporting pedestalisation. In schools the importance of the maths and sciences are highlighted, whilst once again arts subjects are cast aside as fine skills quite irrelevant to the ‘average Joe’. But people forget that they are so fundamental in the preservation of history, the conveying of thoughts, and perhaps the most expressive way of articulating one’s emotions. There is certain knowledge that helps advance and develop society, functioning practically – such as math and science. The arts and culture, however, help to sustain an identity, whatever that may be, and materialise the thoughts, beliefs and ideas we wish most to share. They are key to human conditioning, and an essential way of enjoying and attempting to understand this world and our lives as best as possible.
Are culture and art good for supporting (young) people’s wellbeing?
As I just mentioned, culture and art serve in helping to explore, discover and express. Youth is a time when we start to become most inquisitive. In some sense it is the years of existential and identity crises – it is during our teenage years, and so on, that we start to think properly and deeply for the first time in our lives. We hop on that road to growing up, therefore unlocking a world of new thoughts and feelings we often have no clue what to do with. Art and culture are therefore the perfect outlet. Films and novels help us via relatability, but to actually create ourselves, no matter what form of art (music, writing, dance, visual art), gives us the skill to process and collect what is going on inside our busy minds. It is due to this that I indeed believe art and culture are good for supporting young people’s wellbeing.
How do you feel about the cold winter and this time with not so much light?
I have grown up in Queensland, Australia…also known as “The Sunshine State”. Trust me, the irony is hilarious. I never appreciated the sun back home, and in many ways it was a bother. I previously expected the darkness to not worry me, but instead appear as cosy and somewhat comforting. This has proven to be true in some aspects, but I won’t deny that going to and from school in the dark is a challenge. It tends to drain me of life a little. I feel tired very often, and sometimes this leaves me just wanting to stand in the unsympathetic, dim rain at only 16.00 in the afternoon, pretending I’m in a sad movie. None-the-less, the ‘cosy’ aspect has prevailed in some ways. When I’m inside with friends and family, drinking coffee or eating a good meal, I appreciate it even more. It gives off a warmth that is far more than physical, and I find it incredibly comforting. I suppose this is related to our theme “polar nights”, as it reflects that the Finns fight through the gloom with a somewhat melancholy state of mind, therefore encapsulating the beauty in juxtapositions: suffering and pain can encourage love and sensitivity, in the dreariness of winter the Finns thrive on with strength and ‘sisu’; the cold darkness makes average places seem far more bright and warm.
What has the art battle project taught for you?
Although I’m not particularly talented when it comes to creating artwork myself, I do enjoy the arts and interpreting/appreciating whatever form it is in. It has therefore been nice to focus particularly on visual art, whilst spending time with the Finns. We have different cultural and social backgrounds, whilst I am the foreigner in this context, hence it’s interesting to work together and share our thoughts. I’ve never worked on any form of exhibition before, so this project has taught me about the many simple yet incredibly important aspects you need to consider: lighting, positioning, flow, theme, target audience – how every decision you make affects the overall impact of the display. It has also pushed me to be more vocal, as sometimes I like to think a lot but am not brave enough to share what I come up with. The group of people I have been with have been so encouraging and invested, however, that I’ve found myself wanting to become more and more involved as we progress further. Anything else you want to say? Nothing other than that I’m truly disappointed that I will not make it to the opening. I have really enjoyed being a part of this battle.
However, I do admire the Finnish people and how they deal with the amount of darkness and winter. They seem to change with the seasons, and seem to easily shift gears with ease from fall to winter. Even if it is dark and cold for hours upon hours, they seem to trudge through it by appreciating the company and friendships they have with each other and low key pretending that Finnish darkness is not even a thing. If you pretend it's not there, it must not be there, right?
allowing me to see once in a lifetime exhibits that I probably wouldn't have back home, which in turn allows me a greater and more vast appreciation of art. I believe that art is a one of the best ways for young people to express themselves.
Finland may be dark and cold and dreary for a handful of months throughout the year, but I can tell that people never lose hope because they always know that summer and sunlight are coming no matter what. And with that, I have such a deep appreciation for the, I guess you could call it, Finnish Sisu. The fact they persevere through times that seem impossible with a Finnish smile on their face.
Art Battle has taught me to have a stronger appreciation for the Art. Back home in the states, most art museums cost you something, they are definitely not free. In Finland, I have already gone to a handful of museums, where A) I have been able to get in for free because I am under 18 and B) All the museums are so easily accessible for everyone, no matter your age or mother tongue. They create places with a common goal of making sure the museum goer enjoys themselves as well as learn something about the art.
Thus overall, allowing me to see once in a lifetime exhibits that I probably wouldn't have back home, which in turn allows me a greater and more vast appreciation of art. I believe that art is a one of the best ways for young people to express themselves. It allows them to look at a world that has so many outside pressures and influences with a new perspective of optimism, choice, and freedom of thought. It not only allows young people to express themselves, but it also spreads an appreciation for art throughout cultures that may be losing hope in art, or don't see the value in art.”
Lydia
Your name, age and home country?
Lydia Strohfeldt, 18, Australia
How did you find your way Finland?
I am currently a Rotary exchange student living in Finland. Growing up I have been interested in languages and multi-cultures; to not only experience countries for their tourist value, but to see it through the closest lens to a locals perspective: as a member of the community…as a resident. It is one thing to see famous monuments and eat foreign cuisine, but it is another to live inside and eat dinner with an international family.
What does culture and art mean to you?
I feel as though culture and art are often demoted in Australia, and shifted aside for the purpose of sporting pedestalisation. In schools the importance of the maths and sciences are highlighted, whilst once again arts subjects are cast aside as fine skills quite irrelevant to the ‘average Joe’. But people forget that they are so fundamental in the preservation of history, the conveying of thoughts, and perhaps the most expressive way of articulating one’s emotions. There is certain knowledge that helps advance and develop society, functioning practically – such as math and science. The arts and culture, however, help to sustain an identity, whatever that may be, and materialise the thoughts, beliefs and ideas we wish most to share. They are key to human conditioning, and an essential way of enjoying and attempting to understand this world and our lives as best as possible.
Are culture and art good for supporting (young) people’s wellbeing?
As I just mentioned, culture and art serve in helping to explore, discover and express. Youth is a time when we start to become most inquisitive. In some sense it is the years of existential and identity crises – it is during our teenage years, and so on, that we start to think properly and deeply for the first time in our lives. We hop on that road to growing up, therefore unlocking a world of new thoughts and feelings we often have no clue what to do with. Art and culture are therefore the perfect outlet. Films and novels help us via relatability, but to actually create ourselves, no matter what form of art (music, writing, dance, visual art), gives us the skill to process and collect what is going on inside our busy minds. It is due to this that I indeed believe art and culture are good for supporting young people’s wellbeing.
How do you feel about the cold winter and this time with not so much light?
I have grown up in Queensland, Australia…also known as “The Sunshine State”. Trust me, the irony is hilarious. I never appreciated the sun back home, and in many ways it was a bother. I previously expected the darkness to not worry me, but instead appear as cosy and somewhat comforting. This has proven to be true in some aspects, but I won’t deny that going to and from school in the dark is a challenge. It tends to drain me of life a little. I feel tired very often, and sometimes this leaves me just wanting to stand in the unsympathetic, dim rain at only 16.00 in the afternoon, pretending I’m in a sad movie. None-the-less, the ‘cosy’ aspect has prevailed in some ways. When I’m inside with friends and family, drinking coffee or eating a good meal, I appreciate it even more. It gives off a warmth that is far more than physical, and I find it incredibly comforting. I suppose this is related to our theme “polar nights”, as it reflects that the Finns fight through the gloom with a somewhat melancholy state of mind, therefore encapsulating the beauty in juxtapositions: suffering and pain can encourage love and sensitivity, in the dreariness of winter the Finns thrive on with strength and ‘sisu’; the cold darkness makes average places seem far more bright and warm.
I’ve never worked on any form of exhibition before, so this project has taught me about the many simple yet incredibly important aspects you need to consider: lighting, positioning, flow, theme, target audience – how every decision you make affects the overall impact of the display.
What has the art battle project taught for you?
Although I’m not particularly talented when it comes to creating artwork myself, I do enjoy the arts and interpreting/appreciating whatever form it is in. It has therefore been nice to focus particularly on visual art, whilst spending time with the Finns. We have different cultural and social backgrounds, whilst I am the foreigner in this context, hence it’s interesting to work together and share our thoughts. I’ve never worked on any form of exhibition before, so this project has taught me about the many simple yet incredibly important aspects you need to consider: lighting, positioning, flow, theme, target audience – how every decision you make affects the overall impact of the display. It has also pushed me to be more vocal, as sometimes I like to think a lot but am not brave enough to share what I come up with. The group of people I have been with have been so encouraging and invested, however, that I’ve found myself wanting to become more and more involved as we progress further. Anything else you want to say? Nothing other than that I’m truly disappointed that I will not make it to the opening. I have really enjoyed being a part of this battle.
