KASKEN KIERTO
SWIDDEN ROTATION
In 2017 Sanna’s photogrpahic installation Kasken Kierto, curated by art historian Marjatta Levanto, became the first public art piece showcased on Vallisaari island, now the site of Helsinki Biennial.
The photographic series brings to life the world of slash-and-burn cultivation and its harsh conditions. The surrounding forest, burning earth, and dense smoke create both concrete and poetic settings for the demanding labour. The viewer moves through the installation as through a memory of Finland’s past, in dialogue with the wild, protected nature of Vallisaari,” notes exhibition curator Marjatta Levanto.
The photographic installation explores slash-and-burn cultivation and its impact on nature. In dialogue with the surrounding landscape, Sanna examines the different phases of the practice, the natural cycle, and her own ancestral roots.
Kasken Kierto is a photographic installation based on a series photographed in the spring of 2012 in the Telkkämäki Nature Reserve in Kaavi, Finland. The figures in the work wear authentic garments and footwear used in traditional slash-and-burn cultivation, including felt shoes (lörtsyt), borrowed from the National Museum of Finland.
The work is deeply personal for Sanna. It was created shortly after her return to Finland following 17 years in Paris. Living abroad had led her to reflect on her roots and sense of belonging, awakening an interest in the cycles of Finnish nature and the landscapes of her childhood in North Savo.
“I photographed slash-and-burn cultivation in the spring, after spending my first winter in Finland in 17 years, in the landscapes of my childhood in Iisalmi, North Savo. That winter felt like a return to the womb. Darkness and silence embraced me, isolating me from the rest of the world. The contrast to city life was immense. When the snow finally melted, the light returned with overwhelming force.”
Slash-and-burn cultivation is an essential part of Finnish history, with roots reaching back to prehistoric times. From the 15th century onward it was closely tied to the settlement of North Savo. While much of Finland transitioned to permanent field cultivation, slash-and-burn farming remained significant in Savo and Karelia until the late 19th century. The last traditional slash-and-burn fields in Savo were burned in the 1940s.
Kasken Kierto was first exhibited in spring 2013 at the Iisalmi Cultural Centre, and later in 2015 at the Eemil Halonen Art Museum in Lapinlahti. The works were presented as Diasec prints. Both exhibitions were curated by Marjatta Levanto.
