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A series of photographs by a Finnish photographer will be on display at Sunken Gardens until July.
It is part of the biennial photography festival which celebrates its 10th anniversary next year.
The Guernsey Photography Festival’s commitment to making a major contribution to Guernsey’s cultural scene throughout the year and to enhance visitors’ experience to our beautiful islands is still very much alive, even when the festival is not on. The Festival is launching a new programme for 2019 and has joined forces with the Guernsey Museums and Healthspan to present two outdoor exhibitions that will take place in the majestic surroundings of the Sunken Garden in St Peter Port. The first exhibition of that series will be by Finnish photographer and visual artist Petri Juntunen.
Juntunen currently lives and works in Helsinki. His work has been exhibited in various galleries and festivals in Europe and Finland. His latest solo exhibition took place at the renowned international Photography Centre Peri, and his work appears in many private and international museum collections. His first monograph “At The Heart Of It All” was recently released by the renowned German publisher Hatje Cantz.
“At The Heart Of It All” will be presented in Guernsey as a series of 10 large scale, colour photographs that visually explore the notions of time, absence and memories. It is a journey with no specific narrative, where locations are not the primary purposes but the questioning of our own existence.
"Most of these images are taken of the spaces that are left behind. For example there is a photograph of an Italian Village which was evacuated during the Mussolini government, and the church tower is all that's left. It will be interesting to see the response because they've been exhibited around the world. In all the photos is a sense of trying to find peacefulness in these spaces," he said.
Of the subjects in the series are the fence posts of Auschwitz "like silent witnesses" and the abandoned metal mines of Finland.
Guernsey Photography Festival, Artistic Director Jean-Christophe Godet said:
“I am delighted that this new programme of outdoor exhibitions is finally taking shape. I always thought that the Sunken Garden is an ideal location for art displays that passers-by can explore at their own leisure.I am very grateful to the Guernsey Museums and Healthspan Limited for their generous financial support that allows us to bring such incredible talents on the island. I am confident that Petri’swork will resonate well here in Guernsey. Like the Finnish, Guernsey’s population is very much in tune with the constantly changing lights and shadows of our natural environment. It profoundly affects our daily moods and often leads to inner contemplation. It is a beautiful, intriguing andpoetic exhibition.
“We are so proud to be a part of the Guernsey Photography Festival and to support the local art community,” said Aaron Smillie, Brand Creative Director at Healthspan Limited. “The Channel Islands way of life has long influenced Healthspan and sponsoring local events, like the GuernseyPhotography Festival, is its way of giving back to Guernsey. We’re certain that the people of Guernsey will appreciate Petri’s stunning and infinitely profound photography."
“We are delighted to provide financial support to the Guernsey Photography Festival, for this new series of spectacular and thought provoking series of outdoor exhibitions” said Jason Monaghan, Head of Heritage Services.
“The Guernsey Museum is keen to support cultural initiatives and partnerships that extend beyond the walls of the museum," he said.
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