Finnish word purkka means chewing gum and tori equals square, thus Purgatori. On the other hand, Purgatorium is known as Roman catholic doctrine of making cash through indulgences from the prayers behalf of souls suffering in purgatory.

Chewing gum. Most obvious trash and shapeless form. It’s foodstuff, that doesn’t end up neither to digestive system nor trash bin. This material is trapped between natural life and death, under our boot sole. Gum decorates our walkaways and squares, you can feel gum under the diner table with your fingertips. Most of us pray that gum will promptly find its way to landfill.

In this exhibition I have been been examining the existence of purgatorial chewing gum.

Here is a small inventory of the pieces and some background and thoughts on them.

Purkan sisäinen todellisuus / Inner reality of Gum. 2018

(installation: rubberband, Molton-curtain, reflecting cloth, black light, trash mechanics)

Seemingly meaningless motion as chewing itself, projecting and amplifying. Magnified chewing action, diameter approximately 3 meters.

Purkkalude / Posergum. 2017

(ventilation tube, plaxiglass, fresnel lens from overhead projector, lamp, cardboard)

 

The Gum is stuck in the middle of the fresnel lens, forming a caleidoscopic continuum with plexiglass mirror. The plastics have been thrown out of some festival in Suvilahti concert venue and has been given second life as scenery for the protagonist, bubble gum. Vanity is chewing it self it seems, endlessly.

Toosa / Telegum. 2017

(plexiglass, heating elements, lighthose, trash)

This artifact is transmitting eternal trash message from chewing gum dystopia. An exercise of gum formations with handheld router machine.

Purkkaneitsyt / Chewing Gum Maiden. 2017

(ventilation tube, trash)

 

The ventilation tubing of a former pizza oven has been chewed in the form of bubblegum. Paired with wooden trashy pedestral. Burned inside with linseed oil. The name and form have somewhat analogies with medieval torture machine. Stands now on the grounds of Hirvitalo, Tampere.

Kuuranpurkkasia/ Fleurs de Gum. 2017

(fresnel lenses, chewing gum, trash)

Original chewed pieces, which have served as models for the rest of the sculptures. Light is distorted incidently by fresnel lenses derived from an old overhead projector.

Troublegum / Turhapuru. 2017

(Chopstick wood, trash snare stand)

 

This is a study of horrific, cheap Ikea manner of building up things, that get quickly thrown away – same as used bubble gum.

Purkansyöjäkasvi / The Gum Eating Plant. 2017

(Black Light Zoetrope)

The idea for the zoetrope came up from a gumbite. You can try to put your finger to the mouth, it will really bite!

7 purkkaveljestä / 7th Gum of the 7th Gum. 2017

(Gips, concrete, trash, black light, binaural beats)

Installation deep inside the Purgatori. Sculptures are playing with sensations of gravitation in different ways.

 

Nimettömät Purkan uhrit ry:n sääntömääräinen kevätkokous / Anynymous Casualties of Chewing Gum Association Official Palaver. 2018

(toys, urethane, old cottage kitchen table, steel)

Collection of trofés of perished souls of Chewing Gum.

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Bonus: Making Of