A post-fossil experience

©Simon Gripenberg 2018

Personal reflections about an Artist in Residence period at Mustarinda 3–27 September 2018

Contents: 1. Prologue…3 2. Different means of transportation…3–5 3. Life at Mustarinda…5–6 4. The social dimension…6–7 5. The artistic process…7–8 6. Epilogue…8 7. Sketches, pictures and film clips…8–11 8. Trip statistics…12 9. Food costs…13 Simon Gripenberg 2018 (texts, sketches, pictures and layout)

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www.simonshares.org www.youtube.com/simonshares www.mustarinda.fi Cover picture: Creative Commons/Abdalrahman Mohrat

1. Prologue

2. Different means of transportation

As a visual artist

and father of two daughters I am deeply concerned about environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and the state of forests and oceans. I strongly believe that we partly could tackle these problems by benefitting from a simpler approach and a slower mindset – instead of relying only on high-tech solutions and the unsustainable growth paradigm. In my projects I combine art, technology and experimental research in playful ways, out of my belief in simplicity and slowness. Hopefully I can inspire people to engage themselves in questions about sustainability and renewable energy. My latest art exhibition was called ”(S)low-tech” and shown 2018 at the Museum of Technology in Helsinki.

In the exhibition I presented, for example, wind sculptures and ice carousel projects that I had been working with during previous years – most of the installations were made out of recycled materials.

Since I saw my residency period at Mustarinda as a post-fossil experiment, I wanted to travel ”slow” and as post-fossil and environmentally friendly as possible. A couple of years ago I decided that I will never travel by airplane anymore, for several reasons. Drivning by car to Mustarinda would have saved me both time and money, but this was not an alternative for me. Instead, I decided to fill my backpack and start my journey with bicycle. After pedaling from Pietarsaari to Pännäinen I took a train to Oulu, then changed trains and continued to Kajaani. From Kajaani I went by bus to Hyrynsalmi and then pedaled the remaining distance to Mustarinda. I brought the bicycle with me on the train and bus routes (more details under ”Trip statistics”). I got a healthy post-fossil experience straight away, because of the topography of the landscape. Based on the time of the year, I estimated that I will arrive at Mustarinda just before sunset, which I managed.

In september 2018

I was invited as Artist in Residence to Mustarinda in the Kainuu region of Finland (www.mustarinda.fi). This residency period was made possible as part of an one-year working grant from The Finnish Cultural Foundation.

Mustarinda – which derives from an old BalticFinn word meaning “bear” and “hill of spirits” – is situated on a summit, next to the Paljakka Strict Nature Reserve. The Mustarinda Association encourages interaction between art and science through a post-fossil approach – which appeals to me. My vision for the residence period was to – through the principles of biomimicry – develop ideas for forthcoming art projects, e.g. a wind sculpture in Helsinki 2019. I wanted my residency month to be as ascetic as possible and that it would result in some kind of post-fossil experience. This report summarizes some of the thoughts and insights that I got during my residency month.

Instead of spending

five hours in a car the trip took me a whole day, from dawn to dusk – but it was definitely worth it. I got to meet some interesting people and had time for sketching, reading and resting. The trains in Finland run on electricity from hydropower, but my trip was not completely fossil-free since I partly traveled by bus. However, it felt satisfying knowing that my carbon footprint was low.

I did not travel

that much during my stay at Mustarinda. I made daily walks in the local virgin forests next to the Paljakka Strict Nature Reserve and at some occasions I went running or bicycling longer distances. For example, I made a trip by bike to the Ukkohalla skiing resort. Since it was out of tourist season everything was closed down.

The only sound I heard came from a brushcut-

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was humid, cold, dark and silent. Bicycling along the remote dirt roads, I thought about bears and wolves – but more with humble fascination than fear. As I got closer to Hyrynsalmi I was more concerned about all the hunting dogs along the road, that were barking at me as I slowly pedaled up the hills. Somehow I felt a sadness leaving Mustarinda and having to return to society. Close to Hyrynsalmi I had to stop because there was a big herd of reindeers blocking the road. A male reindeer lowered its large horns and snorted at me – telling me not to come any closer. I got concerned about missing the bus, but luckily a car came and divided the herd, and I was able to pass through at the same time. I took the bus from Hyrynsalmi to Kajaani, and then from Kajaani to Oulu. I spent a night in Oulu before I met up with my family the next morning. The trip back home to Pietarsaari was made by car.

ter that was screaming in the downhill slope and from a man hammering and fixing something that was broken on a Cable Wakeboard track on the lake. Tennis and beachvolleyball courts, disc golf courses, Saunaworld, restaurants, a bowling center and a gym – seemingly in the middle of nowhere and all closed down. The experience was absurd, it was such a contrast to Mustarinda. However, I think supporting local tourism is far better than flying to Dubai.

A couple of times

during the month we coordinated our food shopping and went to Hyrynsalmi with Mustarindas electric car (charged by solar power). Once during the month the whole group went together with a fossil fuel car on a local tourist trip to see the Hepoköngäs waterfall and to walk the Siikavaara mushroom trail. There was also an experimental wood gas car at Mustarinda, but it was out of service during my stay. However, it felt great not being entirely dependent on oil.

After the residency period

I have made some new reflections on transportation and traveling.

When my children have grown up I am not sure that I even want to own a car. Nowadays I mostly associate them with CO2-emissions and lots of expenses: gasoline, loss in value, taxes, insur-

When I made my departure

from Mustarinda in the end of the month I had to leave by bike really early in the morning in order to catch the bus in Hyrynsalmi. This was a memorably bike trip. It

Pedaling the last distance to Mustarinda.

Traveling by bicycle gives you a certain sence of freedom.

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ances, maintenance, fixing problems, and so on.

If I would not own a car I would cope with less income, and thus get extra time for more important things such as art and voluntary work. Then I would also most probably walk and bicycle more, which would be a great immaterial investment in my own health. It´s really crazy how motorism and aviation still are politically and economically supported in our societies.

3. Life at Mustarinda Mustarinda AiR operates

in an old elementary school building situated on a summit next to the Paljakka Strict Nature Reserve. The house has a remote location and it is surrounded by oldgrowth forest with great ecological diversity. The distance to Hyrynsalmi village is about 23 km (www.mustarinda.fi/house). Life at Mustarinda was undemanding and very close to nature. I rented a Writers room, that had everything I needed: A bed, a writers desk with chair, a small shelf and a lean chair – the furnishings were functional and bought second-hand. Since I spent a lot of time outdoors in nature, I really only needed a tiny space for sketching, reading and sleeping.

I also think about

an Interrail trip that I made with my family earlier in the summer of 2018. We certainly got a more genuin impression of Europe than if we would have chosen the all-inclusive alternative and limited ourself to sit in claustrophobic airplanes and stressed through hysteric and consumerist airports.

I think that society really should support slow travel, and if we bother to travel long distances for the vacation, I think we should try to make the most of it and then stay abroad for longer periods.

Subsidized international weekend vacations, for example, are unsustainable and totally unnecessary.

The Mustarinda house

was not (at least yet) completely off the grid but a sufficient part of the heating was provided from an experimental compost heating system. Solar panels on the roof provided electricity and there was a consensus

The old wooden sauna log cabin at Mustarinda.

Notice the broken treetops in the edge of the old-growth forest.

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nied by an interesting discussion with some of the other residents.

about e.g. trying to use the washing machine and charge the electric car during sunny days. Earlier there had also been a wind power plant but due to some technical problems that was no longer in use. Probably there will again be another wind turbine in the future.

There was an exciting contrast

spending daytime outdoors in the wilderness, and yet have a fast internet access in the house. I really loved the open-minded experimental and allowing atmosphere and I was fascinated and inspired by the many technical solutions and experiments carried out at Mustarinda: e.g. the wood gas vehicle, the solar electricity system, the electric car, the compost heating project and the small water tower for heating the outdoor shower.

In order to use less

shower water we heated the old wooden sauna once or twice a week – this also had a great relaxing and social dimension. Next to the sauna there was a solar heated water tank that was used during warmer seasons. Organic waste was composted and other waste was of course sorted and recycled.

Cleaning the house

was done once a week by sharing tasks among the residents. A couple of times during my stay I also participated in voluntary work, for example cleaning up branches of a tree, that had fallen in a winter storm.

Vegetables are grown in the garden and in a greenhouse at Mustarinda, but since it was already September we did not harvest that much – mostly green kale, broad beans and potatoes. The berrypicking season was also to an end. However, some of the other residents were eager picking mushrooms. I normally eat meat and fish now and then, so I am not a vegetarian (at least yet). Before my stay at Mustarinda I decided to eat only vegetarian food during the residency month, to se how it affected both my budget and my wellbeing. To no surprise, my conclusion is that a vegetarian menu is healthy, environmentally friendly, and also economic (see ”Food costs”).

4. The social dimension During September

we where seven people living in the house. There was an interesting mix of people from different nationalities and professions: besides myself a researcher, a musician, and another artist – as well as three volunteers. Everybody had a respectfulness for each others artistic processes.

The kitchen was naturally

the ”social hub” of the house. Our own rooms felt private, whereas the kitchen was the spot where people naturally bumped into each other. If you felt social and wanted company you just went into the kitchen.

Information about coordinating different activities (shopping for food supplies, proposals for movie nights etc.) were written onto pieces of paper and left on the kitchen table – often illustrated with humorous drawings. I loved this analogue and slow way och communicating.

There was a nice balance

between the collectiveness and inner contemplation. Since I was not distracted by the chaos of society, I even got inspired to write some ordinary paper letters, which felt really nice. It was, however, also handy to stay in contact with people back home through Phone, SMS, Whats App and e-mail. I felt that it was easy for me to concentrate on my ideas and analogue sketching. It felt really awarding not to use a computer for a whole month. I realized how time-consuming and distracting computer use is back home.

We mostly had

our own timetables and people usually cooked their own food. On some occasions we made dinner together. If there were any leftovers, the common habit was to share with the others. Every now and then a happy surprise awaited when you went into the kitchen: newly baked buns or some leftover porridge, accompa-

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Everybody, including myself,

were mostly engaged in their own artistic projects. We once had an open studios session. It was interesting and inspiring to get a deeper understanding of the works of the other residents.

5. The artistic process Mustarinda and its surrounding

nature provided the perfect context for inspiration and artistic experiments.

During the month

another group of researchers and artists shortly visited Mustarinda for a separate project. We were given a lecture, watched a film about conflicts in the mining industry and had interesting discussions. This was good inspiration for all of us.

By humbly observing

the surroundings through the principles of biomimicry, I reflected over natures own ingenious solutions. Thoughts about elasticity, symmetry, motions, patterns and structures arose. I made slow walks in the virgin forrest and crawled on all fours across the swamps. By observing small leafes of dwarf birch hanging half loose and spinning in the breeze, I started to think about “hanging windturbines�. I spent some time thinking and sketching in the remote ECOntainer (a perfect hideout, deep in the forest). I made many wind experiments on the swamp and in the view tower – listening to what the treetops told me about variations in wind speed and direction.

In the evenings

I mostly read (there was a small but great library at Mustarinda). We watched several films together in the living room and one evening everybody spontaneously bursted into a jam session, using all kinds of improvised rhythm instruments. I felt that the group got tight during the month. I did not notice any conflicts between people. I liked the smooth balance between collective life and space for privacy.

From the view tower there was a great view over the Paljakka Strict Nature Reserve.

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I built many small scale models

and that I would be satisfied living in a smaller space. This post-fossil experience was really mind-opening, and encourages me to go further.

To prioritize differently, for example to consume even less and to live a simpler life with a still smaller environmental impact. After the residency period I have been thinking even more about not to travel without reason and to feel contented and satisfied with less.

during my residency, at first purely out of organic materials and later also out of recycled materials. I the end of my residency I decided to recycle all of the materials again since I did not want to leave any visible traces after me – except for sketches, pictures and film clips as well as ideas and visions in my mind for forthcoming projects. You can watch some of my wind experiments on my YouTubechannel: www.youtube.com/simonshares

The peripheral location

of Mustarinda provided me a free zone for creativity. I got time for developing ideas and time for exploring life.

Hopefully other people can be inspired by my experiences.

As I already mentioned,

I first felt a sadness having to return to our shallow and consumerist society. On the other hand, I doubt that I would be satisfied living this isolated all of the time – but if possible, I would definitely like to have a similar experience again, in the future.

6. Epilogue The residency at Mustarinda

was a very inspiring experience for me. This is definitely an environment that sharpens your senses. I imagine what Henry David Thoreau felt like when he was wandering in the surroundings of Walden. One of the books that I read in the evenings was “A Philosophy of Walking”, which strongly validated my own experiences. Strolling along the border of the Paljakka Strict Nature Reserve, I fantasized about the untouched landscape in front of me; listening to the silence, myself breathing or the rhythms of a distant lonesome woodpecker. I spent time along with old spruces that fell last winter due to exceptionally heavy snow loads (probably indirectly caused by climate change?). I am sure that some of the spruces were born before the industrial revolution – which gives you a sound perspective. It feels sad to notice that our fragile modern society is so alienated from nature – even though we are totally dependent on a well-functioning biosphere. But the old-growth forest also gives us hope. We can learn a lot from its secrets. Fungal intelligence, for example, shows us the importance of networking and cooperating.

7. Sketches, pictures and films clips On next pageS

there are collages of a fraction of the material that I produced at Mustarinda…

At Mustarinda I found

the slowness and calmness that I was looking for. I came in closer contact with both nature and myself, and got many healthy insights; for example that the analogue perspective appeals more to me than the digital, 8

The comments in the sketches are written in Swedish since it is my mother tongue.

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Some picture of the artistic process and the nature around Mustarinda.

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Watch the film clips at www.youtube.com/simonshares

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8. Trip statistics The trip back and forth

to Mustarinda was made by different means of transportation. Since trains in Finland are powered by electricity from hydroplants, the bus and fossil fuel car trips contributed most to my carbon footprint.

While I WAS at Mustarinda,

I travelled as little as possible: I mostly walked, ran or bicycled.

Date and time

Travel time

Route

Means of transportation

Distance

Cost

Comments

3 September, 8:50–9:30

40 min

Pietarsaari–Pännäinen

Bicycle

10 km

0€

Asphalt and flat landscape

3 September, 9:59–12:18

2 h 19 min

Pännäinen–Oulu

Train

240 km

3 September, 12:47–15:14

2 h 27 min

Oulu–Kajaani

Train

180 km

26,10 €

Price includes place for bicycle (5 €)

3 September, 16:20–17:30

1 h 10 min

Kajaani–Hyrynsalmi

Bus

70 km

17 €

Including bicycle (3,30 €)

3 September, 18:00–19:30

1 h 30 min

Hyrynsalmi–Mustarinda

Bicycle

24 km

0€

Partly hilly dirt roads

4 September, 15:00–16:30

1 h 30 min

Mustarinda-Hyrynsalmi

Electric car

24+24 km

0€

Shopping for food*

12 September, 14:30–15:30

1 h 30 min

Mustarinda-Hyrynsalmi

Electric car

24+24 km

0€

Shopping for food*

14 September, 10:20–14:30

4 h 10 min

Mustarinda–Ukkohalla

Bicycle/walk

12+12 km

0€

Slow and scenic trip

16 September, 10:00–21:30

11 h 30 min Mustarinda–Siikavaara

Fossil fuel car

160 km

2,70 €

Siikavaara mushroom trail**

23 September, 12:20–14:30

2 h 10 min

Mustarinda–Iso-Ypykkä

Bicycle/walk

8+8 km

0€

Slow and scenic trip

27 September, 6:50–9:00

2 h 10 min

Mustarinda–Hyrynsalmi

Bicycle

24 km

0€

Road blocked by reindeers

27 September, 9:30–10:40

1 h 10 min

Hyrynsalmi–Kajaani

Bus

70 km

16,50 €

Including bicycle

27 September, 12:15–14:55

2 h 40 min

Kajaani–Oulu

Bus

180 km

13,00 €

Including bicycle

30 September, 17:00–21:30

4 h 30 min

Oulu–Pietarsaari

Fossil fuel car

240 km

6€

Traveling with my family***

* We traveled as a group. I did not myself take part in the last food shopping trip 19 September. ** We traveled as a group (six persons). On the way to Siikavaara we went to see the Hepököngäs waterfall. *** I went to a wedding in Sweden with my family (28–30 September). Therefor the last distance back home was made 30.9.

Comments: The table above does not include daily walks, runs or shorter bicycle trips. Times and distances are approximate.

The costs for traveling with fossil fuel car is calculated with a fuel cost at 10 €/100 km – and divided by the number of persons.

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9. Food costs Here you can

see all the receipts from food shopping during the period 3–27 September. The green dots show what was left in the end of the month, whereas the red dots show special products (e.g. chocolate, biscuits and beer). The blue dots indicate products that I should not have bought if I had chosen a vegan diet (in that case I suppose there would have been some other costs for supplementary proteins).

Total costs: 168,61 € Actual costs: 143,39 € A healtier diet: 118,54 € A Vegan diet: 79,24 €

Total costs: 6,74 €/day Actual costs: 5,74 €/day A healtier diet: 4,74 €/day A Vegan diet: 3,17 €/day Conclusion: A vegan diet is not only better for the climate – it is also good for the personal economy. Growing your own vegetables would lower the expences even more.

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