Bho Åland dha na h-Innse Gall From Åland to the Hebrides

In the Main Gallery
19 an Cèitean May - 29 an t-Ògmhios June 2008

Ma nì sibh coimeas eadar na h-Eileanan Åland agus na h-Innse Gall, cha bhiodh sibh a’ smaointinn gu bheil ceangal sam bith eatarra, ach ma choimheadas sibh orra beagan nas doimhne chì sibh gu bheil na h-eileanan seo nas coltaiche ri chèile na tha follaiseach sa chiad dol a-mach...

At a cursory glance there don’t seem to be many similarities between the Åland islands and the Outer Hebrides but on closer inspection they are much more alike than they first appear...

Bha an dà chuid air an dealbh le eigheachadh tron linn-eighe mu dheireadh agus tha an dà chuid eadar-dhealaichte a thaobh cànain ’s cultair bhon dùthaich anns a bheil iad. ’S e Suainis a tha ga bruidhinn an Åland agus tha cultar Suaineach aca dìreach mar a tha Gàidhlig ga bruidhinn sna h-Eileanan an Iar ’s tha cultar Gàidhlig ann. Tha àireamh agus dlùths an t-sluaigh coltach ri chèile cuideachd agus bidh iad a’ strì an aghaidh nan dearbh thrioblaidean a tha ron a h-uile coimhearsnachd bheag iomallach sa 21 linn.

Tha an taisbeanadh seo le ceathrar luchd-ealain Suòmach, Satu Kiljunen, Pive Toivonen, Vesa-Pekka Rannikko agus Santeri Tuori, stèidhichte air beachd-smuain an àite sin, an t-eilean. Tha an t-eilean Kökar ri fhaighinn fada gu taobh an Ear sna h-eileanan Åland agus airson na luchd-ealain seo ’s e tobar grad-smuain a th’ ann agus àite far am faigh iad sìth ’s sàmhchair fhad ’s a tha iad ag obair.

Air a shuidheachadh fad air falbh bho thìr-mòr na Fionnlainne agus fad air falbh fiù ’s bhon phrìomh eilean Åland, ’s e àrainneachd lèirsinneach air leth airson obair ealain a th’ ann an Kökar, le a shluagh de 300 neach, gu h-àraidh ma tha an obair stèidhichte air toirt fa-near do nàdar.

Air sgàth cion chraobh air an eilean, tha a’ chreag ghrunnd a tha 980 millean bliadhna a dh’aois ri fhaicinn. Chaidh a cruth a dhealbh agus a lìomhadh leis a’ bhrat-dheighe mhòr-roinneach fhad ’s a bha e a’ leaghadh agus a’ teicheadh dhan àird a Tuath o chionn 15,000 bliadhna. Ged gur e àite gu math garbh a th’ ann, tha beairteas bheathaichean ’s lusan ri fhaighinn air an eilean cuideachd.

Bha Jon MacLeòid, neach-ealain às na h-Eileanan an Iar, ann an Kökar mar neach-ealain còmhnaidh ann an 2006. Tha an taisbeanadh seo mar thoradh air sin agus tron t-Samhradh 2009 thèid obair le luchd-ealain às na h-Eileanan an Iar a thaisbeanadh sa Kakelhallen ann am Mariehamn, prìomh bhaile nan Eilean Åland.   

Bidh Satu Kiljunen & Pive Toivonen a’ bruidhinn air an obair aca, an taisbeanadh fhèin agus an dòigh-beatha aca sna h-eileanan Åland dìreach às dèidh fosgladh an taisbeanaidh, Dihaoine 16 dhen Chèitean aig 7.30f. Bidh fàilte chridheil ron a h-uile duine.

Both island groups were shaped by glaciations during the last Ice Age and both are linguistically and culturally distinct from their “parent” countries. The Åland islands are distinctly Swedish just as the Hebrides are distinctly Gaelic. They also have a comparable population size and density and suffer from the same problems that face all small isolated communities in the 21^st century.

This joint exhibition by four Finnish artists, Satu Kiljunen, Pive Toivonen, Vesa-Pekka Rannikko and Santeri Tuori, is based around that idea of place, an island. The island of Kökar is in the eastern archipelago of the Åland Islands and for these four artists it has been the source of artistic inspiration and a place where they can work undisturbed.

Situated far from the Finnish mainland and far even from the main island of Åland, Kökar, with its 300 inhabitants, provides a unique visual environment for artistic work, especially when it is based on observations of nature.

Owing to the small number of trees on the island, the 980 million-year-old bedrock is visible. Its forms were shaped by the Continental ice sheet as it melted and retreated to the north 15,000 years ago. Despite its ruggedness, Kökar is home to a rich and diverse flora and fauna.

In 2006 John MacLeod, an artist from the Hebrides, visited Kökar as the international artist in residence. That residency led to this exhibition in Stornoway and in the summer of 2009, Kakelhallen in Mariehamn will be the venue for an exhibition by artists whose works take the Hebrides as their starting point.

Satu Kiljunen & Pive Toivonen will be hosting a talk about their work, the current exhibition and life in the Åland islands following the exhibition opening at an Lanntair on Friday evening, the 16^th of May at 7.30pm. All are welcome to attend.