Photographer Janne-Pekka Manninen and visual artist Sampo Marjomaa present interpretations of individual people’s memories and lived experiences in specific places. As much as a person is a part of the city, the city is a part of the person.
Manninen and Marjomaa interviewed and photographed people from Oulu, who shared their memories about places that carry special significance to them. Their stories were often linked to childhood or youth, or they were connected to growing up, or building a life in a new place. Some memories are from decades ago, others have been created only a year or two ago. From these interviews the artists chose elements from which they created interpretations of each individual’s relationship to Oulu or to a specific place within Oulu.
Digital photographs of people, details and places were turned into paper collages, which were further enhanced with painting, sewing, and drawing. The analog approach brought physical roughness and life into the works which would be difficult to attain with software. The finished collages were photographed in the studio and printed to create the exhibition pieces.
Using both digital and analog technologies is also a comment on memories and their plasticity: every time we summon a memory, we are recreating it in a certain sense. In the process, some parts fade, some are emphasized, some disappear to be replaced with something new.
The exhibition Minä Olen Kaupunki in Valvegalleria, Sep 4 – Oct 4, 2026.
