Observation of change

Observation of Change is a Nordic based art project, in collaboration with a nature restoration project ”Observation – An observation of change” at the Junkerdal area in Saltdal municipality, Norway.

By bringing together creative and scientific perspectives, this exhibition presents narratives that highlights different aspects on forest restoration. Through aesthetic expression and imaginative language, artists aim to foster empathy and deeper understanding – essential elements in supporting ecological restoration and the conservation of forest ecosystems.

Institutional partners of the project include the Adde Zetterquist Art Gallery, Nordland National Park Centre, Norwegian Institute of Nature Research (NINA), Norwegian University of Life Sciences, University of Lapland, Nord University, and the Arctic Sustainable Arts and Design network.

Participating artists

Anja Kath. Lande, Birgitta Linhart, Esa Pekka Isomursu, Johannes Pekonen, Johan Rova, Karin Stoll, Laila Ingvaldsen, Maria Huhmarniemi, Mette Gårdvik, Tommi Yläjoki, Wenche Sørmo.

Bio

Maria Huhmarniemi is dedicated to art and research that enhances sustainability through art. She has created socially and environmentally engaged art and pioneered arts-based methods to address societal needs in the Arctic. Her contributions as Associate Professor at the University of Lapland include publishing research and participating in group and joint exhibitions.

Esa Pekka Isomursu is a photographer-researcher exploring authenticity in Northern landscape photography and how images can evoke expanded, multisensory nature experiences. His artistic research examines the embodiment of nature experience and the perceptual limits of human vision through various technologies and representational strategies.

Anja Kath Lande currently holds the position of Intendant at Adde Zetterquist Art Gallery. She is a certified jeweller and jewellery designer, dedicated to both the handicraft and the designs. She also has a Master’s degree in art history from the University of Tromsø.  Throughout her creative work and education environmental issues have been a red line, and she allows herself to investigate interdisciplinary themes with a child-like pursuit.

Birgitta Linhart is a sculptor whose work revolves around nature and the human impact on it. She works with naturally shaped materials, treating them as sensitive co-partners in the artistic process. These materials bring their own voice and presence, helping to tell layered stories through installations and site-specific works.

Johannes Pekonen is an illustrator who draws and writes comic books. Working primarily with ink, he explores the interplay between distance and detail, often through observational drawing. His work investigates how shifting perspectives – both physical and conceptual – shape the ways we see and represent the world. Alongside his artistic practice, he teaches visual art with a focus on drawing as a tool for thinking and understanding.

Johan Rova is a botanist and nature conservation officer, dedicated to finding patterns, forms and stories based on nature’s evolutionary adaptations. As an artist, he preferably uses chain saw or machine embroidery – but usually not at the same time.

Tommi Yläjoki is a performance and visual artist based in Rovaniemi and Tampere, Finland. He explores the interaction between people, devices, and materials through site-specific installations and performances that combine participation, the body, space, and documentation. Characterised by a balance of careful planning, playfulness, and roughness, his practice draws on diverse materials—metal, machinery, and recycled elements—sourced from hardware stores, forests, and sharing platforms. Yläjoki’s works address social themes, including environmental and nature conservation, gender equality, and their tensions, and have been presented in both solo and group exhibitions as well as performances.

Mette Gårdvik, Wenche Sørm, and Karin Stoll work together. Mette Gårdvik is Professor in Arts Education / Didactics at Nord University. She is an active researcher and teaches design, didactics and arts and crafts at all levels in the teacher training courses.  Wenche Sørmo is an Associate Professor in Natural Science Education at the Faculty of Education and Arts at Nord University, Norway. Her main research concerns creative and interdisciplinary working methods, education for sustainable development and place-based learning in teacher education. Karin Stoll serves as an Associate Professor in natural science teaching in the teacher training program at Nord University.