Nahkuri’s approach is inspired by the theories of French philosopher Henri Bergson who is majorly known for his elaborations regarding the superior significance of immediate experience and intuition in order to understand time. Since rationalism is more or less irrelevant in this cognitive process, the unpredictability is above all the key element to access Nahkuri’s work: Pieces like Standing on the Shore (2021) or People Passing by (2020) consist of several hundreds of photographs, each one of them being taken from the same place, the same day. However, as the interval between the takes differs in each singular work and all the changes are caused by natural occurrences, the outcome is completely unpredictable. Nahkuri hereby reduces himself to a subordinate role, seemingly facilitating the final product – a working method that ostensibly links him to artists such as Gerhard Richter or Jackson Pollock.

By staking and sequencing the photos into thin horizontal slots on the canvas, they start to create a new landscape on their own, resembling the pattern of bar codes. With the last step of mounting the prints onto different shapes of a metallic object, Nahkuri renders his primary material beyond recognition. But not only do these three-dimensional structures refuse to leave any trace of their photographic origin, they also push even further by barring an interactive potential that is very unlikely for this medium: depending on the hanging, lighting, and shadow-casting, which are of salient importance, the viewer’s perception will differ every single time. Nahkuri hence has created artworks that both entail and generate a multitude of unique moments.

Image: Jussi Nahkuri, 983 Congested Landscapes, 2019, archival pigment print on rectangular tubing, 150 x 300 x 10 cm, courtesy: Persons Projects | Helsinki School