LIFE BEHIND THE WASTE
Other projects coming later
pASI ORRENSALO
is a storyteller. He uses photography to tell stories that are filtered through his distinctive view on life. Pasi's photographs show world that is full of humor, joy and feelings. Instead of editing his photographs Orrensalo lets the story take the center stage. As the projects are shut during long period of time the stories grow and the plots diversify. As all good storytellers Orrensalo also feels that the most important objective of his work is to raise people's feelings and emotions. Life is full of passion and humor – when viewed from the right angle.
THE STORY OF WORK 1876
This work by Pasi Orrensalo is located in the corridor leading to the subway in Hakaniemi market hall. Pasi was able to film the extensive renovation of the old, valuable shopping hall completed in 1914 for five years, and the renovation was completed in 2023. During this trip, the idea was born to tell the story of the builders through the tools and machines they used in the renovation on site, in an authentic environment. Pasi was deeply impressed by the professionalism and dedication of the employees in carrying out the project. After being able to follow the project almost from its beginnings, a deep connection was born with the project and the professionals who built it. After all, behind all buildings are people's stories, people's work.
Life Behind the Waste
Our journey on this planet is relatively a short one. Our consumption habits do leave a sad print of the path that is hopelessly visible in piles of waste found on scrapyards. For me those piles aren't merely an incarnation of reckless consumption – they are traces of our life stories.
Items have been used by people of all ages, races and social classes. The waste has their fingerprints, hair and fragrances. The goods have been used in play, at work, on vacations, with breakfast and lunch, awake and at sleep. The abandoned items have been involved in sorrow and joy, inside and outside, on the roads, yards, fields and in the homes. The scrap has been involved in people's life and death. Photographing the items in movement when they are flying across the sky gives the stories the attention they deserve.
The most fascinating and comforting aspect of gazing the scrap is that while seeing the history at the same time we are watching at the future. The stories do not end at scrap yard. The place is just one turning point of the plots. One family's travel memories in form of an abandoned car will be raw material for a new one. The story continues, grows and multiplies. Like us living things the items that we use are composed of generations and countless of stories and fates. And every story is unique and precious and is deserves to be heard.
Human Forest
Our primal need as human beings is to feel accepted and loved. We use different ways of feeding this primal need. In this time we have created ways of finding acceptance - some more harmful than the others. Unfortunately most of the modern ways alienate us from the nature. This is seen in the negligence towards our planet.
There however are sanctuaries that provide acceptance and shelter to anyone in need regardless of religion, prosperity or race. They are forests. The tall and calm trees give shelter and tenderness and put our sorrows in to proportion. Forests provide a safe place where to confront difficulties and give strength to carry on. The branches take wanderer to unconditional embrace in where is easy to rest. We resign within each other. We are all one.
In Pasi Orrensalo´s Human Forest the threes construct of people. These trees like their ideals create safe shelter to the observer and offer acceptance and inclusion to everyone. After all we are all part of the nature, we are all one.
In Pasi Orrensalo´s project Life Behind the Waste inanimate objects told stories of people and their relation to the nature. In Human Forest people tell stories of our relation to nature and humanity by taking the role of trees. These trees illuminate from the roots and glow from inside out. They draw their power and energy from the ground the very source to where we all end our journeys one time. Trees and humans. We are all one.
EXHIBITIONS
ARTICLES
2017 Winner
Unseen and Meijburg & Co are delighted to announce that Pasi Orrensalo (b. 1969, Finland) is the winner of this year’s Meijburg Art Commission. Artists submitted a proposal to create a unique photography-based artwork for the chance to bring their prospective project to life, and to be included in the art collection of Meijburg & Co Tax Lawyers. Pasi Orrensalo is an artist who uses photography to tell stories that are filtered through his distinctive view on life. His work focuses on the narratives of his subjects’ past and future. Orrensalo is represented by Galerie Mirko Mayer in Cologne and Shoot Gallery in Oslo. He is exhibiting at Unseen Amsterdam 2017 with Galerie Mirko Mayer
inquiries
Pasi Orrensalo
pasi@orrensalophoto.com
+358 45 2647 477
LIFE BEHIND THE WASTE
