Grey Mélange by Aura Saarikoski
On the way home from a birthday party, Saarikoski found herself weeping on a street corner in the embrace of a consoler. A dark stain of tears and mascara remained on the consoler's shirt, directly over their heart. As time passed and the shirt remained unwashed, the stain accumulated significance, bearing witness to both grief and solace.
Grey Mélange is Aura Saarikoski's second book that combines photographs and text to explore the conditions and ethics of autofiction and how lived experiences can be transformed into art. The publication is based on an exhibition of the same name held by Aura Saarikoski at the Hippolyte Gallery in January 2022. Both the exhibition and the publication are based on the events described above, which took place some years ago.
Throughout the book, pictures of the exhibition's setup and pictures taken in the location of the events, as well as works featured in the show, are presented alongside text that features conversations between the narrator and the consoler as they contemplate who should be credited for the work. The book navigates the roles of the protagonist and the side character, and explores the power of the narrator, whose voice ultimately belongs in the autobiographical work, and how we remember and shape our own memories into a version that resonates with our lives.
Aura Saarikoski (born 1987) is a visual artist, writer, and doctoral candidate in photography at Aalto University. Saarikoski graduated from Turku Arts Academy as a visual artist and received her Master's degree in photography from Aalto University. She has also studied creative writing.
Saarikoski's debut book "Gray Days" (Parvs, 2020) was awarded the Edvard Richter honorary award by the Finnish Art Society in 2020. "Grey Mélange" is Saarikoski's second book. Saarikoski works with photography, writing, exhibitions, and publications, exploring the terrain of mist, gray tones, and autobiographical themes.
