In some of my works I have focused on regional identity with an emphasis on public pedagogy and involvement, encouraging the viewer to see, think and wonder.
Colours of Rovaniemi was created with the participation of people from Rovaniemi and also demanded active participation from the viewer when looking at the work. The aim of the work is to reveal new depths of the experience of being in Rovaniemi, to engage the viewers or inhabitants, rather than abstracting that place into generalisations that apply just as well to any other place.
The work is inspired by my reading of the book Everyday Aesthetics by Yuriko Saito. In her writings on everyday aesthetics, she focuses on the aesthetics of objects, environments and situations from our everyday life. She stresses that all people, both professionals and non-professionals participate in the world-making project as citizens and consumers and everyday aesthetics plays an important role (Saito, 2013). When planning the exhibition in the Arktikum Museum, I had decided to make participation the theme with a strong focus on including the inhabitants of Rovaniemi. Saito’s ideas of the power of everyday aesthetics encouraged my creative thinking on how you can work on forming attitudes that can guide us towards actions to determine the quality of life and the state of the world for better or worse.
Ásthildur B. Jónsdóttir 