Miia Autio

MIIA AUTIO (b. 1986) lives and works in Helsinki. She is a visual artist mainly working with photography. Her works deal with the themes of otherness and identity. In her artistic work she is interested in disclosing the power structures that photography creates. She is currently studying for an MFA degree at the Academy of Fine Arts at the University of the Arts in Helsinki. Her works have been seen in several solo and group shows in both Finland and abroad.

I CALLED OUT FOR THE MOUNTAINS,
I HEARD THEM DRUMMING

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN NATURE AND ONE’S IDENTITY AS WELL AS THE IDEA OF LANDSCAPE AS A COMPONENT OF NATIONAL BELONGING IS A SUBJECT THAT EVERYONE HAS A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH. THE SERIES APPROACHES THESE THEMES IN THE CONTEXT OF POLITICAL DISPLACEMENT

THE SERIES TALKS ABOUT RWANDAN REFUGEES WHO HAVE ESCAPED TO Europe AND ABOUT THEIR MEMORIES OF THEIR ORIGINAL HOMELAND. IT PORTRAYS RWANDANS IN SEVERAL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND THE LANDSCAPES OF THEIR MEMORIES IN Rwanda. THE PORTRAITS, LANDSCAPES, AND INTERVIEWS FORM A COHESIVE ENTITY THAT CONSIDERS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOMELAND, LANDSCAPE, AND IDENTITY WHILE RECOGNISING THE SUBJECTIVITY OF MEMORIES

AT THE SAME TIME THE COMPLICATED HISTORY OF Rwanda AND THE RECENT HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IS REFLECTED IN THE PERSONAL HISTORIES OF THESE PEOPLE. THEY LOST THEIR ORIGINAL HOMELAND BUT FINALLY THEY FOUND NEW HOME COUNTRIES IN EUROPE. IN THE END THE MAIN QUESTION OF THE SERIES IS: WHETHER HOME IS JUST A MENTAL IMAGE FOR US ALL?