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The roots of Finnish Roma activism lie deep in the past

Risto Blomster, kuva: Laura Iisalo

Archive researcher at the Finnish Literature Society, Risto Blomster, has studied Romani culture since the end of the 1980s. Yet it was only recently that he understood that Finnish Roma activism started earlier than it was believed, and that the Romanengo Staggos founded in 1953 was not the first society initiated by the Finnish Roma in order to improve their social status.

The Finnish Roma Civilisation Society was operating already during spring 1917, and it was founded by several Roma musicians, who parted with the Gypsy Mission operated by members of the general population. What happened just before Finland gained its independence is still a mystery.

–The phenomenon is not widely recognised, and therefore it has not been investigated. I’m now trying to find out who were involved in the Finnish Roma Civilisation Society, why these Roma decided to leave the evangelical, socially active Gypsy Mission, and what happened after that, Blomster says.

The relation to music, and especially the widespread gypsy romanticism that had been established in the 18th century, was central in early Roma activism. Blomster is curious to find out how the Roma felt about the gypsy representations that were created by the general population and did not reflect reality.

– The Roma activists were artists of their time. They strived to improve themselves creatively but they also had a societal mission. Were they keen to portray this gypsy image that was created, and did they adopt the romantic compositions that came along with it for commercial or for some other reasons, Blomster ponders.

Music was key in early Roma activism

The new research project is a continuation of previous projects which Blomster has taken part in. He was one of the authors of a non-fiction book about the history of the Finnish Roma published in 2012. The writers noticed back then that there was a lack of material about the Roma in the Finnish archives.

To improve the situation, a new Romani cultural heritage scheme was started in 2016, funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation. The project brought over a dozen new archives to the Finnish Literature Society and the National Archives of Finland, and now Blomster is going to use this material to do his research.

He is planning to pay special attention to the lives of a few people who were involved in the Finnish Roma Civilisation Society. One of the key figures was a violinist born in Säkkijärvi, Aleksander Åkerlund, who moved to Helsinki and networked with the local art and theatre scene. Ida Blomerus, a student of the soprano Aino Ackté, and violinist Ferdinand Nikkinen were also actively involved.

On top of the existing source material, Blomster is planning to examine old newspapers and repertoires and speeches created for the Roma activists’ music tours. He is also hoping to get a glimpse of the past by collaborating closely with the Finnish Roma community.

– I’m not going to sit alone in my chamber. I want to discuss the subject with the Roma and get them interested in the past to share the information that has been passed from one generation to another. As a member of the Finnish Roma Association I’m constantly in contact with contemporary Roma activists too, he says.

Blomster hopes to gain wide coverage by publishing the results together with the international RomaInterbellum: Roma Civic Emancipation Between The Two World Wars project. He would also like to organise a lecture concert as part of the Etnosoi! world music festival in 2022.

– The supporting theme is music and we have to make these sounds heard. There are contemporary interpretations of the gypsy romanticism coming up, he says.

Risto Blomster was awarded 30 000 euros from the Finnish Cultural Foundation for a research project investigating Finnish Roma activism and its relation to music in the beginning of the 20th century.

Cultural Foundation provides funding for coronavirus dog research

Dogs have an extremely accurate sense of smell, which can be useful not only in finding lost persons or animals but also in detecting illnesses and infections, among other things. When fighting a pandemic, it is essential quickly to test, trace and isolate infected and exposed individuals. Recently the use of specially trained sniffer dogs in identifying persons infected with COVID-19 has been investigated in Finland. A more widespread use of dogs has been hampered by a lack of scientific evidence of their reliability.

At the University of Helsinki, Professor of Infectious Diseases Anu Kantele, Professor of Viral Zoonoses Olli Vapalahti and Docent in Veterinary Science Anna Hielm-Björkman have carried out promising tests on the ability of trained dogs to identify samples from persons infected with COVID-19. Thanks to the new grant from the Cultural Foundation, they will be able to confirm the reliability of these tests with a double-blind study. Each dog will perform tests on 420 samples during an intensive research period of one to two weeks.

“Dogs have an incredible sense of smell. Even though our tests have been very promising thus far, I feel that it is imperative to verify the smell separation using scientifically approved validity testing,” Kantele explains.

In a double-blind setup, the dog and its handler will not know in advance what the samples consist of. Positive samples and negative control samples are gathered for the study from persons who have had a PCR test and whose samples have not previously been shown to the dogs. If necessary, donors can, in unclear cases, be called back later for antibody testing. The double-blind tests will be conducted in a specially designated research environment, where the dog and handler are alone in a closed room and are provided with sample series, randomly selected by a computer, to sniff. The test will be monitored via video link and the videos will be recorded. For each sample, the handler will indicate whether the dog signalled it as positive or negative. The testing will be monitored by an external dog-handling expert throughout.

“If the sniffer dogs can correctly identify the coronavirus patients’ samples from a mixed series, we will be one step closer to using the dogs in quick mass screening, for example to identify infected travellers at national borders,” Kantele says.

In the second research programme, the team led by Seppo Vainio will test the reliability of the sniffer dogs’ smell detection using molecular biology and biochemistry techniques. In practice this means verifying the correlation between skin, blood and urine samples provided by persons with the coronavirus infection and the samples signalled as positive by the dogs.

“Our earlier studies have already proved that dogs have a highly accurate ability to distinguish between samples at the cellular and molecular level. By building on the analysis of the materials produced by Anu Kantele’s team we will hopefully be able to enhance the early recognition of COVID-19 infections. This may also expedite the future use of dogs in diagnosing illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and diabetes,” Vainio states.

 

Initiative-taking in PoDoCo application paved Sanna Turunen’s way to becoming a product manager at a technology startup

Text: Antti Kivimäki

Brinter Oy Product Manager Sanna Turunen suggests that potential applicants first shortlist business partners according to their desired research topic, and after that start contacting them with confidence.

–Trade fairs and conferences are the easiest way to come within chatting distance of corporate executives, but during a pandemic this is naturally difficult. I recommend thinking back to the research you did at university and any business partners who might have been involved in that. Then contact them, Turunen says.

Turunen assumed a highly active role in her own PoDoCo application, taking care of practically everything herself.
In 2017, Turunen was at the University of Tampere, writing a thesis on microstructure fabrication using laser-based 3D printing. She happened to meet the founders of the Salo-based startup 3DTech, which specialises in industrial 3D printing, at a research meeting on bioprinting.

Turunen realised that she could help the company develop a bioprinter with the help of the PoDoCo programme. The company founders had never heard of the programme, but Turunen explained that it meant they could obtain a free researcher for a year.
They honed the research idea together. Turunen formulated the application, which was accepted by the Cultural Foundation. By February 2018, Turunen was employed by 3DTech, developing a bioprinter that combines various printing techniques and printheads.

Almost immediately, Turunen applied to have 3DTech included in the EU’s Horizon 2020 RESTORE initiative, which seeks new methods for fixing arthrosis damage to knee cartilage with the help of functional nanomaterials. One of the initiative’s two main areas of focus is bioprinting, and 3DTech was successful in securing a research grant of nearly EUR 400,000 for a period of three and a half years.  

According to the PoDoCo protocol, Turunen’s next phase from February 2019 onwards would have been a fixed-term employment contract with 3DTech, but the company decided to employ her directly as a permanent employee with the title of Product Manager.

–As it is a small company, my job involves all sorts of things. I am responsible for product development of the 3D bioprinter, but I also conduct research and testing on printerheads, acquire materials and offer technical support for sales and marketing, Turunen explains.  

At the beginning of 2021, the company split into two separate companies, with 3DTech continuing in the printing services business and Brinter Oy conducting bioprinter development and sales.

At the time of writing, Brinter had sold 3D bioprinters, mostly to Finnish research institutions and university research teams. A basic printer costs around EUR 25,000. The addition of diverse printerheads according to needs brings the price up to approximately EUR 40,000.

In a bioprinter, the bio ink cartridges are filled with a hydrogel carrying cells, support materials, growth agents and everything which is needed by living tissue. The aim is to turn these into an accurately shaped three-dimensional entity using the printer. Different components need different nozzles; cells, for example, require particularly gentle extrusion to stay alive.

The long-term objective for bioprinting is to produce entire organs, such as a liver or a pancreas, for those who need them. Turunen estimates that this will take another thirty or forty years to achieve, however.

At the moment, bioprinters serve as scientific aids, producing liver tissue, cancer tissue or skin for research purposes, thus reducing the need for animal testing.

–For large tissue sections and organs we have not yet discovered how to print functioning blood vessels. This is why our first applications are cartilage, bone and skin, which contain fewer blood vessels, Turunen explains.

Read more about PoDoCo grants

D. Sc. (Tech.) Sanna Turunen got a PoDoCo grant of 28 000 euros in 2018 for a post-doctoral study on combining various 3D-bioprinting techniques

 

EUR 2 million in additional funding for freelancers

The number of grant applications related to the arts grew significantly in the Foundation’s January round. The total number of applications received was 10,239 (compared to 9,549 last year), of which 7,539 related to the arts, i.e. 13% more than in the 2020 January round of applications. The biggest rise in the number of arts applications was in Uusimaa, with an increase of 600 applications or 30%. In Southwest Finland, the increase was 24 % and in Pirkanmaa, 21%.

Because the additional funding is directed specifically at full-year and half-year grants intended for giving artists peaceful time to work, applicants will not be prevented from receiving it if they have previously been granted short-term crisis grants by Arts Promotion Centre Finland, for example. The EUR 2 million will be distributed to the regional funds in proportion to the increases in number of arts applications. In practice, this means an increase of 50 full-year or 100 half-year grants for Uusimaa, for example.

– The world of culture continues to be punished by the coronavirus and freelancers are facing great difficulties. By directing our support specifically towards long-term academic and artistic work, we are supplementing other forms of funding that are available, explains the foundation’s chairman, Jari Sokka.

The January applications are currently being processed and applicants will mostly be informed of decisions during April.

Taking into account this new round, the Cultural Foundation will have provided EUR 4.5 million of extra funding for the arts due to the Covid-19 crisis. In spring 2020, EUR 0.5 million was distributed in additional grants via the regional funds, and the same amount as part of an additional funding package supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture and other foundations. In December 2020, the Cultural Foundation also granted EUR 1.5 million to non-institutional artistic communities. Overall, the Cultural Foundation’s support to the arts and academic disciplines in the ongoing financial period will total approximately EUR 50 million.

Finnish Cultural Foundation’s grand prizes for significant achievements in culture

Kaisa Häkkinen

Akateemikko Kaisa Häkkinen, palkinnonsaaja 2021

Photo: Robert Seger

Kaisa Häkkinen, Professor Emerita and Finnish Academician of Science, has educated the Finnish public on the language that we use and the origins of its words.

Häkkinen has made an astonishing academic career in the fields of linguistics, Fennistics and Finno-Ugric philology. She began by examining the phonology of the Vogul dialect of the Uralic languages in a dissertation in 1973. Since then, she has held numerous posts at the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University and the Academy of Finland. Häkkinen has served the academic and scientific community as an assistant, adjunct professor, textbook author, professor, dean, head of institutes and scientific associations, and board member of various research institutions.

For any daily Finnish language user, Häkkinen’s Etymological Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish is a treasure trove. It reveals where our basic words come from, the stratifications of our language, the conclusions that may be drawn from the phonetic forms and distribution of words, and which parts of our formal language are borrowed vs. passed down. Her opus on the principles of linguistics has been required reading for entrance examinations at almost all Finnish universities.

In 2005, Kaisa Häkkinen received the State Award for Public Information for her book Linnun nimi, and in 2007 the Finnish Union of University Professors named her Professor of the Year. She received the title of Academician of Science in 2020.

The prize is awarded for peeling back the layers of language and explaining the meanings of words.

Mauno Järvelä

Viulupedagogi Mauno Järvelä

Photo: Ulla Nikula

The continuing career of folk musician and violin pedagogue Mauno Järvelä has been crucial for the survival of traditional music and the growth of contemporary folk music in Finland. As an educator, he has revitalised and reformed musical instruction for children by developing the “näppäri” method, which centres around communal musicianship and inclusion. Through several decades of weekend and summer courses, the method has become a true popular movement with thousands of participants. Järvelä’s efforts have led to the preservation of the Kaustinen fiddling tradition, which is to be included on a UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

As a musician, Järvelä has had a significant influence on the development of contemporary folk music, particularly through the Kankaan pelimannit group in the 1970s and 80s, and the still active group JPP. His artistic output, especially in relation to modernising band music and as a composer, arranger and performer, has influenced the style of numerous fiddle-based contemporary folk music bands in Finland.

Järvelä’s work in recording and transcribing folk music is often overlooked; the masses of sheet music he has published via the Finnish Folk Music Institute have helped to ensure that unique Finnish musical traditions can be passed down to future generations.

The prize is awarded for being a preserver of traditions and a teacher of joyful musicianship.

Kuutti Lavonen

Kuvataiteilija Kuutti Lavonen

Photo: Sami Mannerheimo

Kuutti Lavonen is a painter, graphic artist, photographer, professor and poet. Having studied in northern Italy at the Istituto Superiore per le Industrie Artistiche, he has conducted artistic work since 1978 that has helped to raise the status of Finnish visual arts nationally and internationally. Lavonen’s work can be found in preeminent collections in Sweden, France and Spain, among others.

One of Lavonen’s most significant works in the twenty-first century were the decorative murals of St Olaf’s Church in Tyrvää, created in collaboration with Osmo Rauhala. The two artists together received a cultural award from the Church of Finland for their efforts in 2009, and they also joined a long historical continuum of artists whose work has a spiritual element. His depictions of holiness link Lavonen to both the Renaissance and Baroque periods, which he so skilfully reflects in his work.

Lavonen was Professor of Graphic Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki between 1999 and 2003, and he also founded the Helsinki Litho workshop. He can be credited with modernising graphic art in Finland and inspiring new generations of artists. Lavonen’s artistic output and ideas are an indication of how art opens us and how pictures give form to our thoughts.

Kuutti Lavonen presents us with fragments of eternal beauty, mirrored by associated powerful emotions. For decades, he has invited us through these to ponder our understanding of justice, truth and virtue. By showing humans in their naked, bare and mortal form, Lavonen brings history timelessly into the modern day. His works are like glimpses of a window of eternity.

The prize is awarded for the art of holiness and for depictions of true humanity.

Five hundred full-year grants from the Cultural Foundation

This round saw 500 full-year working grants being awarded (compared to 442 the previous year): 321 for academic disciplines and 179 for the arts. As many as 135 multi-year grants were awarded (compared to 72); of these, 93 were for two years, 36 for three and six for four years. Of the full-year grants, 208 were designated for thesis writing.

– In recent years, we have deliberately increased our support for long-term academic and artistic work,explains the foundation’s Chairman, Jari Sokka.

– This is why in future years, the number of grantees may not grow even if the total monetary value hopefully will.

Selloakatemian perustajat Tuomas Lehto vas ja Tuomas Ylinen

The founders of the Cello Academy Tuomas Lehto (left) and Tuomas Ylinen.

Finland’s most talented young cellists will receive high-quality supplementary teaching and opportunities for learning and playing with their peers at the Cello Academy, which was awarded the largest art grant, EUR 200,000.

– An interesting trend in this year’s grants was research on artificial intelligence. Funding was granted, among others, to postgraduate researcher Kunal Ghosh from Aalto University, who is studying the use of AI in discovering new technical materials, as well as EUR 150,000 to a team led by Juha Sinisalo, professor of cardiology at HUS, for research concerning the clinical application of AI in atherosclerosis, says Secretary General Antti Arjava.

Documentary filmmaker Juhani Haukka received EUR 105,000 for a film on extensive research conducted by the Finnish National Archives into the disappearance of Finnish nationals in Russia. The documentary follows the work and progress of the researchers over five years, in both Finland and Russia. Professor Pirjo Hiidenmaa with her team were granted EUR 120,000 for a two-year project investigating the ways in which literature is present in readers’ lives and the significance of books and reading.

Professori Arja Rautio

Professor Arja Rautio. Photo: Studio Juha Sarkkinen

Ten grants went to projects related to Sámi culture. The Skolt Sámi Cultural Foundation was granted EUR 200,000 to create schooling, ranging from immersive early education to elementary school, in their mother tongue for Skolt Sámi children, and for producing learning materials in the language. Professor Arja Rautio and a team of Sámi, Finnish and Canadian researchers received EUR 100,000 for research on the well-being and resources of Sámi reindeer herders. Sámi Duodji ry was granted a EUR 22,000 Art for Institutions grant for a project bringing Sámi culture into care institutions in Utsjoki.

Art for Institutions grants support well-being for the aged

Twenty-seven Art for Institutions grants, worth EUR 468,500 in total, were awarded within the arts. The objective of these grants is to promote cultural equality and, through art, to improve the quality of life of persons requiring special support or care.

– We have sought particularly to support the well-being of the aged through art. The coronavirus pandemic has forced many elderly people into long periods of isolation from their loved ones. We hope to help them find strength and meaning through art as soon as the pandemic permits, Antti Arjava says.

Some of the Art for Institutions grants were as follows: circus artist and educator Linda Kulmala and circus artist and educator Marianne Vaalimaa from Turku received EUR 11,500 to put on a circus show for care homes in the Turku region; Lahden Lähimmäispalvelu ry, EUR 15 000 for running a performance troupe for the aged and putting on performances for home help customers; Heidi Luosujärvi (MA Music) and Petteri Waris (MA Music), EUR 18,000 for organising concerts at care homes in Lapland; Tytti Marttila (Bachelor of Culture and Arts), EUR 4,500 for the Balticum, Kalajuttu performance tour of care home gardens; and Cooperative Circus Aikamoinen, EUR 10,000 for a circus tour of care homes in Uusimaa.

Multi-year grants for academia

In line with the previous year, 53% of all the grants awarded went to academic disciplines and 47% to the arts. In terms of purpose of use, artistic work accounted for 40% of grants (35% last year), theses for 28%, research for 7% and post doc research for 8%. Nine per cent of grants will go to organising events, mostly in the arts.

– We have increased the proportion of funding for artistic work. As there were more multi-year grants in academic disciplines, however, these will see a greater proportion of the benefit in coming years, explains Antti Arjava.

The success rate of applications in academic disciplines was 13% when measured in quantity, or 10% in euros, compared to 10% and 8% for the arts. This made the success rate similar to the previous year’s in academia, but slightly lower in the arts. There were differences between specific disciplines, however, due to donations received by the Cultural Foundation. The proportion of applicants from Helsinki rose to 51% of grantees and 41% of total applicants.

Women made up 57% of grantees in academic disciplines and 61% in the arts, which means that in both types of grants the proportion of women is slightly higher among successful applicants than among applicants as a whole. Non-Finnish citizens accounted for 12% of applicants and 13% of grantees. Grants from the October round were awarded to applicants in around 90 municipalities in Finland. The regional funds’ grants will be given out later in the spring, based on the January round of applications.

Six Eminentia grants

The Cultural Foundation’s Eminentia grants are intended for reflective writing about the applicant’s scientific or artistic lifework or experience, for promotion of interaction between science and the arts, or for proactive work to promote the importance of culture in society.

– Eminentia grants are an opportunity for grantees to share the expertise they have garnered with others, also across academic and artistic disciplines, says Jari Sokka. Markku Kanninen (PhD, Agriculture and Forestry) was awarded an Eminentia grant for writing a book about deforestation, changes in forests and the consequences of this for the climate, nature and the future of humanity. The other Eminentia grants, for EUR 25,000 each, went to circus researcher Markku Aulanko, industrial designer Hannu Kähönen, Silja Rantanen (Doctor of Fine Arts), Hannu Saha (PhD) and professor emerita Irma Sulkunen.

Regional fund grants to be awarded in spring; Art2 grants open for application in March

The Cultural Foundation received 9,700 applications in its October round. In academic disciplines, the number of applicants was on a level with the previous year, while in the arts it grew by 10%. Additional coronavirus-related funding was sought by 380 applicants; this was already decided upon in December, and it was granted to 53 autonomous artistic communities, for a grand total of EUR 1.5 million.

In 2021, the Cultural Foundation will distribute approximately EUR 44 million in grants. EUR 25 million was paid out now based on the October round of applications, and a further EUR 13 million will go out from the regional funds based on the January round. The rest will be awarded via the Post Doc Pool and the March and August application rounds.

The March round will invite applications for, among others, the Art2 grants, which support high-quality, meaningful art projects that aim to increase audience numbers. Additionally, the foundation uses its assets for the benefit of culture through diverse initiatives, the largest of which is currently Art Testers. The foundation’s total funding for culture during the operating year will reach approximately EUR 50 million.

You can find all the Grantees of October 2021 Round here.

What happens to the self in algorithmic consumer culture?

Text and photos: Laura Iisalo

Technological development is proceeding faster and faster while algorithms are increasingly making decisions on behalf of people in digital environments, such as social media.

The subject is widely discussed but Joel Hietanen, who focuses on the critical study of consumer culture, thinks that this type of automation is too often seen as a something neutral that makes life easier, while problems related to it are solved by optimising or mechanically repairing. Instead we should talk about the ways that algorithms affect the self and the very horizon of thinking itself.

– I find it astonishing that people, who generally care about their privacy, don’t consider it important when they use social media or other communication technologies with increasingly automated features. They have their homes and wrists full of devices made by multinational companies that collect data, and then send it all over the world. In Finland there seems to be not much in the way of critical discussion on why this type of consumer automation or algorithmic presence is so appealing and enjoyable, he says.

“I find it astonishing that people, who generally care about their privacy, don’t consider it important when they use social media or other communication technologies with increasingly automated features.”

An Associate Professor at the Helsinki University, Hietanen is leading a new research project, which intends to investigate what happens to the idea of an individual user in an environment that is increasingly controlled by automated technology and consumerism.

The project calls together a group of researchers specialising in consumer culture and technology. Among them is Eric J. Arnould, a Professor of Consumer Research at Aalto University School of Business, and Professor Alan Bradshaw and Dr Mikael Andéhn from the Royal Holloway, the University of London.

– We want to explore and investigate from a philosophical perspective, to what extent technology controls people and defines the outlines of the self. We tend to think that we control technology, and the word ‘user’ refers to this idea. But technology uses us even more than we dare to imagine, and we are starting to recognise that social media can cause depression and withdrawal from the world, Hietanen says.

Algorithms feed hate speech

In addition to the questions relating to the self, the three-year research project looks at the ways people act in groups in a digital environment to find out how automated technology affects and creates crowd behaviour that has been referred to as ‘swarms’ or ‘hive-minds’.

– The companies that utilise algorithms aim to break people into data pieces, which they then target and sell in global context. These companies want people to create data and they speed up the process by intensifying the online users’ emotions by providing strong impulses that generate hate speech or enthusiasm. This leads to the creation of echo chambers, and we have just witnessed how, in the US, the conspiracy theories that started on social media moved onto the streets, Hietanen says.

“What is it in our subjectivity that is so keen to accept this automation and willing to hand over everything of one’s self to it?”

The changing perception of time, and many other effects of the increasingly accelerating development and technologising consumer culture also interest Hietanen. He says that his intention is not to define whether these changes are good or bad, but to study them as a phenomenon. So far he has more questions than answers.

– What is the atmosphere like in a world that is increasingly controlled by algorithms? And first and foremost: what is it in our subjectivity that is so keen to accept this automation and willing to hand over everything of one’s self to it? What is the idea of a self that has been sucked into something like this?

The Central Fund awarded 180 000 euros for a research project titled Automated Selves: The algorithmic intensification of societal control, led by Dr Joel Hietanen.

Collaboration creates new ways to increase the wellbeing of reindeer herders

Text: Laura Iisalo

Constant changes in the environment affect the wellbeing of reindeer herders. Global warming in the Arctic is twice as fast as elsewhere in the world, and, in addition, the global pandemic, new laws and regulations, and the effects that trades such as tourism and mining have on traditional livelihood can diminish the life quality of the herders and their families in many ways.

Keskusrahasto myönsi saamelaisten poronhoitajien hyvinvointia ja voimavaroja käsittelevälle tutkimukselle 100 000 euron apurahan. Kuvassa tutkimusta johtava Arja Rautio sekä tutkijatohtori Ulla Timlin. (Kuva Ulla Timlin)

Professor Arja Rautio, pictured here with doctoral researcher Ulla Timlin. (Photo by Ulla Timlin)

– The Arctic plays an important role in understanding large changes in a global context. The impact of the melting of the permafrost is affecting locals’ lives in many ways. Societal changes and new ways of operating don’t necessarily support the native way of life and the passing of culture from one generation to another, says professor at the University of Oulu, Arja Rautio, who is also the vice president of the University of the Arctic.

Rautio is leading a new international and multidisciplinary research project aiming to understand the lives of Sámi reindeer herders and their families in order to create new ways to support their mental wellbeing. Rautio has already studied Arctic health for over 15 years, and collaborated with doctoral researcher Ulla Timlin who is also part of the new research group, since 2008.

There is already plenty of research data but this time Rautio and her team want to focus on mental wellbeing specifically. Suicides cause great grief for small communities, and deaths, especially among the youth, are common. The subject is still a taboo, and help doesn’t always reach those who need it most.

– Mental health problems are very complicated in general. When you don’t necessarily understand what is bothering you, how can you talk about it to others? The families of reindeer herders often speak Northern Sámi as their mother language, and so it can be difficult for them to talk to a Finnish speaking person who doesn’t necessarily understand the nature of reindeer herding. It is important to lower the threshold for seeking help, and to find appropriate support methods so that people can talk about the questions relating to mental wellbeing in their own language and on their own terms, Rautio says.

Long term collaboration forms the basis for trust

The three-year study will gather together an international and multidisciplinary group of researchers. Rautio and Timlin will be joined by the distinguished professor and Canadian Research Chair Roberta Woodgate from the University of Manitoba in Canada, and the founder and executive director of the SámiSoster association, Ristenrauna Magga, who is also an honorary doctor at the University of Tampere for her achievements in investigating and improving the health and wellbeing of the Sámi people.

It has become clear in previous examinations that the Sámi people consider their community as an important form of peer support. Collaboration with local operators and the Utsjoki municipality is therefore key, and the purpose is to allow the local people to define the things that matter to them most.

In order to understand the future we must know the past, and look at the present.

– It is very different to live in a small village, where nature sets the pace, from in a big city. This, added to the pressures that come from the outside, creates many challenges. The young Sámi people wonder what is the future of reindeer herding, how they can get by, and what they can trust in the rapidly changing world. Collaboration creates trust, which allows these matters to be investigated in depth, says Rautio.

On top of qualitative and quantitative research methods, the group is planning to utilise art-based methods. They hope to exhibit the outcomes in a suitable format as agreed with the local participants. According to Timlin, art can make it easier to discuss matters relating to mental health, and provide the participants with a strong sense of engagement. Art is also an important part of Sámi culture.

The first results are expected to be published in 2022 but Rautio says that the goal is to come up with ways to increase wellbeing that could be used even after the project is over.

– In order to understand the future we must know the past, and look at the present. This is a wonderful continuum where we can put together all our knowledge, skills, and understanding. The project is at its starting point, and anything is possible.

The Central Fund awarded 100 000 euros for a research project investigating the wellbeing of the Sámi reindeer herders led by professor Arja Rautio.

Coming of an age of an artist

Text and photos: Laura Iisalo

Kuvataiteilija Leonor Ruiz Dubrovinin seuraava näyttely nähdään Galleria Huudossa huhtikuussa 2021. Kuva: Laura Iisalo

Leonor Ruiz Dubrovin’s artwork.

The year 2020 was very productive for Leonor Ruiz Dubrovin, who spent a big chunk of it in her studio in Madrid during the lockdown. She worked every day, all day, preparing for her exhibitions in Madrid, Santander, and Santiago, and for her forthcoming show at Helsinki’s Huuto gallery. Altogether she produced over a hundred paintings.

– It was the only way to stay sane for the three months that I spent by myself. I love to work when I am the one who decides when, and how I do it. For me it is a very rich way to live, and I would rather work 24 hours a day as a freelancer than eight hours in an office, and then have spare time. My spare time is work, she says.

A graduate of the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts, Ruiz Dubrovin says that her art has evolved in the past few years, thanks to exploring with new techniques. The artist, previously known for her use of mixed media and love of sculptures, has started to use oil paints instead of acrylics.

– It is a challenging, magnificent, and versatile technique with so many possibilities. Oil dries gently and slowly, and it’s very nice to play with. It feeds the ideas that I have in my mind right now, she says.

“I let the painting tell me when it’s finished.”

Ruiz Dubrovin’s show at the Huuto gallery at the end of April 2021 will feature a series of new paintings on different scales. Some of them look a lot like slightly shaken photographs by being somewhat blurry or out of focus, while some are more profound. The exhibition is titled Core.

– The name refers to a nucleus, an essence, or a heart, the most important part of something, says the artist.

Experience is the best teacher

Mastering new techniques has given Ruiz Dubrovin confidence but it is not the only thing that has changed; her works have also become more simplified. She thinks it is crucial for an artist to learn to be able to be self-critical in both positive and negative ways – and to know when a piece of work is done and it is time to step away from the canvas.

Kuvataiteilija Leonor Ruiz Dubrovinin seuraava näyttely nähdään Galleria Huudossa huhtikuussa 2021. Kuva: Laura Iisalo

Leonor Ruiz Dubrovin

It hasn’t always been that way. When Ruiz Dubrovin was just starting out, she often continued working on her paintings to the point of demolishing them.

– Overworking can destroy the soul of the painting. I’m trying to maintain purity, and I let the painting tell me when it’s finished. It’s like riding a bike, you learn when you do it many times, she explains.

While everything is going smoothly right now for Ruiz Dubrovin, it is true that artists tend to face a lot of uncertainness and solitude, perhaps now more than ever. Ruiz Dubrovin says that she has learned to embrace both. She is not looking for life to be all predictable, and no longer worries over trivialities. While her younger self often felt anxious or frustrated for not being able to do everything straight away, now at the age of 42 she feels at peace and confident, knowing that there is the right time for everything.

– I’m very happy at this age, oh my god, it is the best! I know myself better and I’m more accepting, it’s quite relaxing. I don’t need to show off like I used to when I was younger. I have learned to do what has to be done first, little by little, and let the process flow. It has been a long journey and it took years and years but now I feel content.

M.A. Leonor Ruiz Dubrovin was awarded a grant from the Uusimaa Regional Fund in 2009, and the Central Fund in 2020.