RAUHA HELIN


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rauha.helin(at)gmail.com
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Pohjavirta / Undercurrent
2024-2026


An undercurrent is a subsurface flow that moves near the bottom of a body of water. It can compromise the stability of foundations and shift its direction unpredictably. It is an invisible force hidden beneath the surface, capable of altering everything without us even noticing.

Consisting of anthotypes and a separate installation, Undercurrent (Pohjavirta) is an autobiographical body of work exploring healing from trauma after experiencing sexual abuse. The project began a few years ago when I came across a shirt that once belonged to someone from my past — abuser. Through the symbolism of water, I contemplates the passage of time and the tools it provides for confronting trauma. I reflect this symbolism onto my own bodily experience during the course of my healing and creative process.

Through the anthotype process, I explores the temporality of photographs and memories. Printed with plant-based pigments, the images gradually fade and eventually vanish when exposed to sunlight long enough. In the same way, the memory of they and the violation of bodily boundaries have transformed. 

Although the marks the end of an era, it is also a new beginning. As the works are finally brought into the light, it shapes these memories and experiences over time, turning them into new echoes of both the past and the future.