TO READ TIME FROM THE SHADOWS

If someone thinks that mail art is just postcards, it is time to 
change his opinions in Jukka Lehmus' exhibition at Jangva Gallery.

There, one can view pictures of dead shadows and photocopies of 
human skin, sent from around the world.  The terms of the day are 
communication and copy.

A corner of the light gallery is filled with hundreds of shadows.  
Jukka Lehmus invited people worldwide to send him paper fragments 
of "shadows" and then took them to a cliff area in the woods 
where they remained for one year.

The work is titled, "Shadows of the dead" and is based both on 
the origami birds made for the memory of the victims of 
Hiroshima's bomb and the Egyptian idea of shadow as one of the 
seven souls of man.

- I took the paper pieces out on the Hiroshima day.  I wanted 
also to strech the concept of shadow.  As the pieces of paper 
decayed in nature, they became at the same time shadows of their 
previous state, says Lehmus who has been doing communication art 
for more than five years.

The opposite wall is covered with photocopies of skin, mostly 
hands, sent from different parts of the world.  The work 
continues along the lines of interactivity, hands being very 
important in the communication between individuals - handshakes, 
gestures and touch are part of our everyday life.

"Echo" is the most interesting work in the exhibition.  In the 
Greek myths the tragedy of the beautiful nymph Echo was to repeat 
the words uttered by others, and as she died her body changed to 
patterns of earth and stone. In his video piece shot from the 
nature, Lehmus attempts to interpret Echo's invisible body and 
finally, the nymph has regained her voice.