Re-exhibiting Under the Surface: New Contexts at Pimiö 25
Part 4 of 4 in the Beneath the Surface series | ← Previous: Part 3
This month, a selection of my mordançage works finds new life in the Pimiö'25 group exhibition at Galleria West, Helsinki. Returning to these prints in a different space and format has sparked fresh perspectives—both in terms of what I show and how the work interacts with viewers and fellow artists.
Re-exhibiting in a New Context
The original exhibition felt deeply rooted in its location—the very building where the photographs were taken, and where most of the materials were sourced. The work existed in direct dialogue with the environment, the space’s atmosphere, and its history. Visitors could experience the prints in a context that echoed the images’ origins, creating a layered conversation between place, image, and viewer.
In contrast, the group exhibition at Pimiö’25 takes place in a traditional gallery setting, separate from the original site’s physical and emotional connections. Here, the prints sit alongside a diverse range of analog and experimental photographs, each with different subjects and contexts. This shift opens up a new conversation—between my mordançage work and the wider community of practices—while also transforming how viewers encounter and interpret the images.
Selecting the Prints
In the original exhibition, the works unfolded across four walls within a space devoted solely to my practice, allowing the prints to dialogue deeply with each other around a common theme and narrative.
For Pimiö’25, I had to reduce that field significantly—down to a single wall—shaping a tighter, more focused selection. This shift also meant moving from a solo environment to sharing space with a broad range of analog and experimental artists. The prints no longer speak only to each other but also engage in a dynamic conversation with very different approaches, subjects, and techniques.
Selecting which works to bring into this new setting involved balancing cohesion within my own story while considering how they would resonate alongside diverse practices.
Adapting Format and Layout
Unlike the original solo exhibition, where works were displayed on both walls and tables, all pieces in Pimiö’25 are hung exclusively on walls.
I chose to keep my original framing intact, including several unframed prints, to preserve the direct interaction between light and the surface, which emphasizes the textured, tactile nature of the mordançage process.
While the frames remain unchanged, the different lighting and spatial dynamics of the gallery create a fresh context for viewers, shifting the experience from an intimate, immersive setting to a shared environment where each print engages within a broader, diverse visual dialogue.
Sharing and Inspiring
Being part of Pimiö’25 introduces a dialogue between diverse analog and experimental practices. My mordançage works converse with wet plate collodion, cyanotype, RA-4 reversal prints, and more (including just really masterful normal prints), creating an energetic cross-pollination.
I hope that exhibiting alongside such varied practices invites more curiosity about mordançage and darkroom experimentation in general. Pimiö’25 feels like fertile ground for sharing not just finished images but also the evolving histories and hands-on labour behind them.
“Some photographers focus on coaxing good prints from images captured using cameras and materials in ways they weren’t originally designed for. In contrast, with mordançage, one starts with perfectly good prints and then pushes them beyond their intended limits—allowing something new and unexpected to emerge.”
— paraphrased from fellow photographer Antti
If you’re in Helsinki this September, the exhibition runs through the 28th at Kameraseura Galleria West, Kaapelitehdas. I’d love for you to see how these works breathe anew in this collaborative setting.