Mika Taanila's Media Archaeology in Milan
Finnish artist Mika Taanila (b. 1965) presents works that dissolve boundaries between photography, performance, cinema, and music. His exhibition at a Milan gallery explores how media have transformed the surrounding landscape through an investigation of storage and memory supports. Breaking linear time, Taanila physically alters the objects he examines, turning them into artworks. On view are the sound video installation Optical Sound (2005) and stills from the Black&White Movies series. What appear as abstract photographs are actually the result of a lengthy process: starting from a VHS film archive, the artist selects key scenes, then intervenes on the videocassette itself—using an axe or fire—and transfers the remnants onto photosensitive paper. This 'archaeology of the future' prompts viewers to consider the evolution of everyday objects and leaves them questioning how objects from the past will continue to live.
Key facts
- Mika Taanila is a Finnish artist born in 1965.
- The exhibition is in Milan, Italy.
- The show includes the video installation Optical Sound (2005).
- Still images from the Black&White Movies series are displayed.
- Taanila uses VHS tapes as source material.
- He physically damages the tapes with tools like an axe or fire.
- The damaged tape remnants are transferred onto photosensitive paper.
- The work questions the evolution of everyday objects and media memory.
Entities
Artists
- Mika Taanila
Locations
- Milan
- Italy