Exhibition open
Thue-Sun 3pm-8pm
The photography series Elegia by visual artist Justus Nuutti Oma Mättö dives into the artist’s intuitive mindscape and reflects analogue photography as an art medium. Asbestos Art Space presents Mättö’s fifth solo exhibition with the series of unique photographic works.
The latin term elegia (fr. élégie, el. elegeia, en. elegy) is multi-layered concept. Specifically, it can refer to a structure of Greek poetry or mythological or erotic literature from Roman antiquity. More generally, however, it’s nowadays used to indicate melancholic or sombre expression in art.
This elegy is constructed around the combining theme from the artist’s photographs from over the years. It observes thought and movement as parallel elements. A picture is always a stopped moment and a fragment separated from its context. What’s left out of it for us to surmise? The subjects consist of both captivating people and form-based urban motifs, portraying moments that would likely otherwise be ignored. The series’ visual expression continues the intuitive projection of the artist’s previous works. The series is realised with digital prints framed in ornamental recycled frames found from flea markets. These details embody the artist’s wider artistic work in which
collisions between digital and analogue technology are discussed in the context of art photography’s historical canon. The uniqueness of the works in the individual frames questions the convention of duplicating prints in the art photography scene. The collage-like exhibition includes works in both
colour and black & white.
Justus Nuutti Oma Mättö is a visual artist based in Helsinki. He works with analogue photography, moving image and spatial methods. His expression is defined by a singular intuitive style, but also with the subtleness of classical photography. He aims to depict natural events and sights for example
by using street photography techniques and natural light. Mättö has gathered artistic education from Art School MAA and University of Helsinki. In addition to his solo projects, he has participated in various collective art events and exhibitions, publications and established the Asbestos Collective
among other members. His works have been seen in galleries like AVA, Luova, Third Space and MAA-tila and in many restaurants in Helsinki. Especially his artistic works has been affected by conceptual artists Egle Oddo, Shinji Kanki and Seppo Renvall.