Aiko Tsukahara’s works are based on her interest in space and architecture as a comprehensive concept, especially concerning the ambiguous boundary between nature and artefact as well as fictional and historical context. What characterizes her conceptual work is her delicate handicraft and finely tuned working methods to combine structural experiments and the power of the chosen materials.

The exhibition Monument of Solitude, which consists of sculptures and projection works, explores the core of the themes ‘sense of belonging (nowhere)’ and ‘notion of home/homelessness’ through examining architectural motives that evoke Solitude in human creation.

Military architectures such as fortresses, bunkers and shelters abandoned in the nature often look like force-landed spacecraft on another planet because of their out-of-place character in the scene. These massive structures built to protect human are ‘site-specific’ while at the same time they don’t belong there. Similar to the so-called ‘space architecture’ – which is still only an idea in the sense that is not restricted by existing architectural premises – they have been a source of constant inspiration for theorists and authors who work in between fiction and reality.

In her sculpture, these symbols of the state-of-the-art technology architectures overlap geometric religious architectures, which can be characterizes as a materialized religious exercise trying to understand the infinity (=universe) by using geometry as a standard.

The works appear to be fictional monuments formed by combining aspects from various artefacts beyond time and context. The installation attempts to balance these complex layers with the most minimalist composition.

Aiko Tsukahara (b. 1980) is a Japanese artist based in Helsinki. She has received Master of Arts from Kyoto City University of Arts in 2006. Her works are in public collections such as the Finnish state art collection and the Bank of Finland.

The work is supported by Arts Promotion Centre Finland.