When I was a child, I wanted spring to arrive faster. I carried bucket after bucket of hot water outside, pouring it on the thick, icy layer of snow. My mom cut me short, criticised me for wasting the warm water, and probably went to giggle inside. On 13.1.2022 it was suddenly spring for one day. +6 degrees warm, water dripping from the roof and sun flickering on the blanket of snow. Melting became ambivalent. Joy swelled for a moment, draining into sorrow by (climate-) change. Of melting is an attempt to trace the way a piece of snow melts, guiding the viewer to observe the process of matter changing its state. The prototype consists of melting captured in different rooms in the Kaisaniemi Botanic gardens. The final piece is thought to be placed by the weather observation station in the outdoor gardens as a part of a site-spesific exhibition.
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Exercise / meditation: You need a somewhat waterproof material (I’ve used paper, cardboard, plywood and the palm of my hand), a pen (I’ve used a pencil or a marker) and a piece of snow. Read the instructions before you start. -Get a piece of snow outside. -Put it on the material you chose. -Draw the outlines of the piece. Draw new ones every time you notice that the piece has gotten smaller. -Draw the outlines of the melting water. Draw new ones every time you notice that the puddle has grown. -If you wish, you can make different lines. In my own practice I’ve used a solid line for the snow, and a dotted line for the puddle. You can also use different colours.
Valokuvat teoksesta Vincent Roumagnac
