ARTIST IN RESIDENCE | February 2020
FUSION AIR / Artist-In-Residence Program presents
Heli Barck (Finland)

ITALIAN TRAVEL JOURNAL - DIARIO DI VIAGGIO ITALIANO

Opening 26.2.2020 h. 19

Tra dicembre 2019 l'inizio del 2020 ho viaggiato in Italia - Sicilia, Torino e Roma. Questo è il mio diario fotografico di questo periodo. Ho documentato scene urbane, giovani adulti e scritto frammenti della loro esperienza di vita nell'odierna Italia. Il viaggio è ancora in corso.

Avere una professione creativa significa avere opportunità illimitate per immergersi nel mondo, per raggiungere altre persone e attraversare i confini. Per comunicare ed esprimere le emozioni.

Sono una narratrice di storie e la mia attenzione si concentra sulla documentazione. Esplorare la vita ordinaria, la cultura sociale e l'ambiente - evidenziare le storie che non sono ancora familiari al pubblico. Traggo ispirazione dalla moltitudine di immagini che mi circondano, dai film e dalla musica. D'altra parte, sono sempre stata attratta dalla natura e dalla natura selvaggia come parte integrante del mio essere finlandese.

A proposito delle influenze fotografiche: ho seguito il lavoro di Nick Brandt (Regno Unito) che documenta il veloce scomparire del mondo naturale in Africa, il lavoro di Tiina Itkonen (Finlandia) in Groenlandia e Joakim Eskildsen (Danimarca) con i suoi viaggi in culture diverse - solo per nominarne alcuni.

Ho selezionato i temi dei miei progetti principalmente per istinto. Nel 2016 ho viaggiato dal Nevada alla California documentando la protezione dei cavalli selvaggi. Uno dei primi progetti indipendenti più importanti, l’ho realizzato fotografando donne che praticano la Thai Boxe. Questo lavoro mi ha dato la possibilità di mettere in evidenza le contraddizioni della femminilità all'interno della potente immagine corporea.

Ho avuto l'opportunità di presentare le mie fotografie al Museo delle Culture di Helsinki, al Museo finlandese di fotografia e a livello internazionale in Mostre e fiere d'arte in Germania, Danimarca, Francia e Russia. Negli ultimi anni mi sono concentrato sulla fotografia per la stampa e sui reportage per i giornali e per l'agenzia di immagini finlandese Lehtikuva.
In December of 2019 and during the beginning of 2020, I travelled in Italy - Sicily, Turin and Roma. This is my photographic journal of that time. I documented urban scenes and young adults, writing small fragments about their experience of life in today’s Italy. The journey is still ongoing.

 

Being in a creative profession means having the opportunity to dive into the world at large, to reach out to other people and to cross borders. My job allows me to communicate and voice emotions.

I’m a storyteller and my focus is on documenting. I explore the ordinary life, social culture and environment, highlighting stories that are as of yet unfamiliar to the public eye. I am inspired by the multitude of images around us, the movies and the music. On the other hand, being Finnish, I’m also intrinsically drawn to wildlife and nature.

To mention a few of my photographic influences: I’ve followed the work of Nick Brandt (UK) who has documented the disappearing natural world in Africa. I am also inspired by the work of Tiina Itkonen (Finland) who captures scenes from Greenland and Joakim Eskildsen (Denmark), who use photography to journey into different cultures.

The selection of my projects has largely been instinctive. In 2016, I travelled from Nevada to California documenting the protection of wild horses. One of the first, larger independent projects I had was years ago, when I worked with female Thai Boxers. This project gave me a chance to bring out the contradictions between ideas about femininity and the powerful body image.

I’ve had the opportunity to present my photographs in the Museum of Cultures in Helsinki, The Finnish Museum of Photography and internationally in Exhibitions and Art fairs in Germany, Denmark, France and Russia. In recent years I have focused on press photography and feature stories while working for newspapers and the Finnish News Image Agency Lehtikuva.

I majored in photography and graduated with a Bachelorof Arts from the University of Art and Design (a part of Aalto University),Helsinki 2007, Finland.
HELI BARCK
website


Heli Barck is a photographer, photojournalist and a writer based in Finland, working internationally.

Clients/Photographs published in

Hufvudstadsbladet, Lehtikuva, Helsingin Sanomat, Savon Sanomat, Ilta-Sanomat, Suomen Kuvalehti, Cimaise (France), State Treasury/Suomen Valtionkonttori, Finnish Ski Association/Hiihtoliitto, Kitsuné Tabloid (France), Academy of Finland/Suomen Akatemia, Viini, Mondo, City lehti, Welcome to Finland -magazine, Animalia, Haaga Helia

Curated and arranged a group photography exhibition in the Hei Helsinki gallery, Kiseleffin talo, Finland. The exhibition demonstrated the current situation of beautiful, but highly polluted Baltic Sea, 2015.


Personal projects

Documented stories from California to Nevada. Photographed the inhabitants, landscapes and wild horses – free and captured ones and people who rescue them, 2016.

Photography project about women Thai boxers 2014. The work were supported by Patricia Seppälä Foundation.


Works in Exhibitions

2015 Finland, Helsinki, Hei Helsinki Gallery, The Sea - about joy and sorrow

2012 Russia, St. Petersburg, "TEST OF ROMANTICISM'' ,
The gallery of Library - Information and Cultural Center of art and music

2012 Germany, Zingst, Horizonte Photography Festival

2011 France, Centre Rhénan d'Art Contemporain, ”La position de la Terre”

2008 Germany, Art forum Berlin - About Beauty

2007 Denmark, Art Copenhagen - The Nordic Art Fair

2007 Finland, Helsinki, The Helsinki School, The Finnish museum of Photography

2007 Finland, Helsinki, Galerie Oljemark

2004 Helsinki, Gallery Lume, ”Hengenvetoja”

2004 -2005 Helsinki, Museum of Cultures

Graduated from the University of Art and Design Helsinki (Aalto University) with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Majoring in Photography in 2007.