In Anna Hyrkkänen’s body of work at Galleria Sculptor’s Studio space, the white space with its sculptures and colorful lights embodies the structures of mind. The space represents a sort of transforming template or map, out of which the human mind and the self are built. It is a receptive surface, like skin is the surface of our bodies.

As the foundation of her works, Hyrkkänen uses data collected in brain studies and models of the functioning mechanisms of brains. The brain is a dynamic system that constantly adapts its inner connections to serve the demands of the environment.

Hyrkkänen’s installation Superposition brings to light mechanisms by which the human body, mind, brain, and consciousness are interconnected and work together, creating a microcosm that operates on its own rules, constantly developing and shaping its activities.

Human interaction and the building – and destruction – of mutual relationships result from the creation and destruction of complex connections. In an intracranial microcosm, the tentacle-like branches of the neurons search for a joint to accept or reject, feeling and bumping into each other.

The exhibition has been supported by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland.

Anna Hyrkkänen (b. 1979) lives and works in Tampere. She completed her MFA at the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki in 2010. Using a variety of materials and techniques, Hyrkkänen has worked with light installation and sculpture since graduation.

At the center of Hyrkkänen’s work are the concepts of time and space and the body. She explores these themes in different scales – from the microcosm of a body’s inner world to sensed spaces and environments. Hyrkkänen’s works are included in the collections of the Finnish State Art Commission, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, the Finnish Art Society, SAMK Fine Arts, and in private collections.

Artist meeting on Sunday 26 February 2023 from 2–4 pm.