Artist Statement

Media artist Marita Liulia was born in 1957 – into the heyday of Finnish modernism. Consisting of more than 500 manipulated images, Maire (1993) illuminates the full sweep of modernist visions by covering a wild variety of topics that range from art to industrial design, from architecture to cartoons, from interior decoration to utopias of a whole world designed along ‘ marimekko lines. In elucidating its themes the work gives voice to modernist artists and their works, as well as to theoreticians of different periods.

The critical strategy of the work – approaching modernism as a cultural phenomenon – is realized by juxtaposing different visions and products. The central actor in the work is the viewer who, with the computer’s aid, can construct his/her own view of modernism. Maire has several paths to traverse; from the exhilarating modernist “flea market” you can move over to the guagmires of theory or to contemporary criticism; after having listened to the artists you can see for yourself what kind of art they actually produced. The principal path is reserved
for Maire Gullichsen who is a pivotal figure in the work– a “prototype of a modernist”.

The work is shown permanently in Pori Art Museum. A CD ROM will be published in September 1994.

• Marita Liulia a media artist, born 1957, works in Helsinki
• Jorma Kallela: Technical Assistant