Sari Palosaari's Substrate at Forum Box, Helsinki: Lichen Casts Meet NASA Galaxy Images
Sari Palosaari's latest exhibition, titled Substrate, took place at Forum Box in Helsinki from September 4 through September 27, 2026. A standout feature was Cosmic Intimacy, which integrated solar panels with casts of rosette lichens made from aluminium and brass, drawing inspiration from NASA's images of distant galaxies. The lichens were sourced from urban environments. Another installation, Grounding, was constructed on-site and utilized gabion baskets alongside metal elements referred to as "placentas." In the Parvi space, the exhibit included Solar Enfold, showcasing brass sculptures under the influence of solar physics. Photography for the exhibition was done by Anna Autio.
Key facts
- Sari Palosaari's Substrate ran at Forum Box in Helsinki from September 4 to September 27, 2026.
- The exhibition occupied the Permanto hall and the Parvi space of Forum Box.
- Cosmic Intimacy places aluminium and brass casts of rosette lichens on solar panels, composed according to recent NASA images of the earliest and most distant galaxies.
- Palosaari collected the lichens from building foundations, water channel walls and air conditioning units.
- Grounding was built on site from gabion baskets and metal fragments collected from city skips.
- Solar Enfold centres on Solar physicist feeding the sculptor, based on conversations with solar physicists and including a model of a solar flux rope.
- Palosaari calls her practice laiduntaminen (grazing) and refers to the installation's sculptural modules as "placentas."
- The exhibition was supported by the Alfred Kordelin Foundation and the Arts Promotion Centre Finland.
Entities
Artists
- Sari Palosaari
- Anna Autio
Institutions
- Forum Box
- NASA
- Art Ii Biennale
- Oulu26
- University of Helsinki
- Department of Geosciences at the University of Helsinki
- Helsinki Biennial
- Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art
- EMMA Museum of Modern Art
- Alfred Kordelin Foundation
- Arts Promotion Centre Finland
- Catapult Contemporary
- Solastalgia
- Synzoochory
- Sunkissed Loiter
- Hakaniemenranta 26 Työhuone
- Same Sea
Locations
- Helsinki
- Finland
- Ruoholahdenranta 3 A
- 00180 Helsinki
- Vienna
- Austria