Jere Suontausta: Currents
A dynamic and naivistic imagining of electricity as a spatial light art work.
Currents is a commissioned work created for Aalto University's Guild of Electrical Engineering 100th anniversary event held in Dipoli, Espoo. The mission of the artwork was to provide a shocking spatial effect (pun intended) while also resonating with typical student humour; one basis for the artwork is the phrase "Sähkö on sinistä ja sattuu" ("Electricity is blue, and hurts"), which seems to beautifully distil the fundamental question: what is electricity and how on earth have we as a species managed to master and harness it to our everyday usage? The answer provided by the artwork is a largely naive, cartoon-like imagining of how regular, everyday electricity could look in a different scale - and how people are flowing back and forth by its side.
Master of Arts (Theatre and Drama), b. 1994, Lives in Helsinki
Information
Artwork finished in:
2022
Which kind of light sources and what other materials and equipment are used?
LED, colour filter.
Please provide the dimensions of the work. Approximate size will do. Please mention if the work can be adjusted. (width-height-depth):
Size variable and according to the space.
Electricity consumption:
Standard mains current (10A/16A).
Does the artwork use sound?
No sound.
Support and other structures:
The work includes all the necessary structures.
Minimum height of the space:
270
Minimum square meters of the space:
25
Requirements for the space: darkness, temperature, colouring (light / dark / specific colour / other) etc.:
Darkness or moderate darkness.
Building time and people required (estimate):
1-2 days, one helping hand or technician preferred.
Artist's presence:
Artist or their representative must be present during building.
Seen before at:
Aalto University's Guild of Electrical Engineering 100th anniversary, Espoo, 2022
