Maija Savolainen's photographs renew the sailing imagery
In the photos, young female sailors leave the harbor, hoist the sails, and cope with harsh weather conditions. The photos convey a sense of togetherness, friendship, and fun. They lack the luxury, technological orientation, and competitiveness of traditional male-dominated sailing images.
Doctoral researcher and photographer Maija Annikki Savolainen believes that photographs have enormous potential for creating new communities, cultures, and futures.
She is currently working on her doctoral thesis at Aalto University's Department of Art and Media, for which she has photographed young women sailing. Savolainen wants to challenge the general image of sailing—it is not just an individual and, in particular, male-centered competitive sport with its sponsors, as is commonly seen in the media.
However, the doctoral research is not only about diversity and representation. It is also an artistic study of the environmental catastrophe in the Baltic Sea, such as the annual mass occurrence of blue-green algae.
Savolainen has followed sea scouts and observed how sailors are in constant interaction with nature – and with the damaged ecosystem. Coexistence is made possible by reciprocity and a common language – phytography – between the women sailors and the blue-green algae.
The first artistic part of the dissertation was created in collaboration with graphic designer Päivi Helander. The collaboration resulted in Phytopia, a utopian story set in the archipelago, which tells of women's sailing culture and the prevailing blue-green algae problem. In addition to Savolainen's images, Helander has developed a visual "alphabet" of blue-green algae formations and treats algae as a language system.
Exhibition:
Maija Annikki Savolainen & Päivi Helander: Phytopia
August 8–September 7, 2025
Photography Center Peri ry, Vanha Suurtori 5, Turku
Opening times: Wed–Fri 12–18, Sat–Sun 12–16
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