The theme of the 2015 festival exhibitions was “To The Third Generation”. The series of photographs presented topics that are essentially approached through the concept of a generation or a chain of generations. The exhibitions highlighted cultural, societal and social practices that are passed down from one generation to the next, or that are radically questioned by the next generation.

Photographers:

Sara Hornig, Meeri Koutaniemi, Tuomas Linna, David Magnusson, Alex Masi, Tatiana Vinogradova ja X

Sound works: James Andean, Paola Livorsi, Outi Korhonen ja Alejandro Olarte

Exhibitions:

The Finnish Museum of Photography: To The Third Generation
Galleria Kontupiste: To The Third Generation
Galleria Gammari: Oasis

In Finland 20 000-25 000 people stand in bread lines every week. Over 90% of them couldn’t get by without food assistance. 50% of them are left with 100 € or less spending money after covering the necessary expenses. The practice of handing out free food, the bread line system, which started during the 1990s recession, was meant to be temporary. It has however become a permanent phenomenon. At first most of the people in the bread lines were marginalized, single men. Today they have been joined by young mothers, students, immigrants, elderly people and even working people. All the photographs of the bags have been taken in the bread lines in Myllypuro, Helsinki.

www.sarahornig.com

TO THE THIRD GENERATION

PVF 2015
The Finnish Museum of Photography

Meeri Koutaniemi (b. 1987) is a Finnish photojournalist who wishes to take photographs that make the viewers react. In recent years she has photographed freed child slaves in Nepal, Chechen asylum  seekers, Mexican gay men with HIV and African girls who have suffered from genital mutilation. Koutaniemi’s goal is to abate discrimination, political oppression and violence towards women. She believes that photographs can sensitize people to other people and cultures and – at best – inspire them to make a difference themselves.

Koutaniemi’s photographs have been awarded on many occasions. In 2013 and 2014 she won several categories in the Press Photo of the Year competition organized by the Finnish Press Photographers Association. At the International Photojournalism Festival of Perpignan 2014 in France she won the Daily Press Award for her series featuring two Maasai girls who had undergone female genital mutilation. Koutaniemi has said that her photographs don’t tell it all: “A photograph is a question.”

Why does a 14-year-old girl carry a pistol in her handbag?

Tuomas Linna’s Concern deals with child protection in Finland. Linna has documented objects that have been confiscated from children at an evaluation and reception unit. They could have been dangerous to the children. “The photographs of the objects are more neutral than the photographs of people. They raise questions about what is behind the visible”, Linna says.

There are 18 000 children who have been placed in care outside home. According to estimates, as many as a half of the urgent cases are due to problems connected to the parents’ mental health, substance abuse and violence. Linna is realizing the photograph series in cooperation with Finnish child protection evaluation and reception units.