Life in Floating

Tea Mäkipää (born 1973) is a female artist from Finland. Her works include installations, architectural works and videos and photography. In her lecture on Nov 15th, I was most attracted by her outdoor installation work: "Atlentia" and "Parasite”. Both of these two installation works are dealing with outdoor space and modern living environment. For the "Atlentia", a corner of a house beacons up from the water, with sound of people chatting and singing coming out from the floating house. Live seems nothing different from normal, but in such an abnormal situation. Similar surprises and amazement happened in the "Parasite", with a house attached to a high building in a most scary and breathtaking way. When people walking pass the street besides the cooperating building, they can hear sound from the floating house, people talking, family chatting, laughing and arguing, just like our everyday life, which picturing a normal and sweet living scene. "Atlentia" is commenting on the issue of globe warming, suggesting the future of human family living in water; while "Parasite" is commenting on the unaffordable price for real states and other growing prices for keeping a basic living standard. 

In the parts that are visible, life seems to be continuing. 

Those two works are creating a dream-like vision, but in a decided dangerous moment, reminding us of the vulnerability of life and the possible future of our modern lifestyle. 

Makipaa's work concentrates on the current living issues and the relationship between people and their living environment. Her other works also comments on the human's action and its impact on nature and then the reflections on our own life. I think she is a master of using public spaces for exhibiting the works and address her concerns to the public viewers, then function greatly in educational and criticizing significance.