Terike Haapoja (FI): Studies on Freedom I
Tuesday 19.9. – Friday 22.9.
15:00 – 19:00 Provincial Courthouse (the yard) | Minna Canthin katu Street 64 A
Audio in Finnish only!
Kuopio Prison is placed near the city center. The prison accommodates 93 inmates; ordinary people whose lives and identities extend beyond the time of their sentencing. On the other side of the city there are high schools, from where young people graduate to become full members of a society in which imprisonment is a punishment for taking too many freedoms.
In collaboration with a local high school, we asked the students to write a letter to the inmates, where they can express their understanding of freedom and responsibility, norms and punishments, and the freedoms and lacks of freedoms they experience as parts of their life outside the prison, as well as ask questions from the prisoners. The letters were read by the voluntary student class of Kuopio Prison prisoners who then responded to them in writing. These letters can be heard from headphones located outside the courthouse, in which the level of
freedom of citizens is ultimately decided.
The sound installation will also be on view at the Kuopio Prison for the prison staff and inmates. In order to protect the anonymity of the contributors all the texts are read by the artist.
