Elämän ihmeet (Lapset)
60x76
2009

‘Ciphers’ consists of texts and photographs from out-of-date Finnish non-fiction books. What happens to pictures and words when they are detached from their context? Do they forget what they were once proof of?

The grainy black-and-white photographs in these old books portray exotic places and animals, and the poetic entries describe the most recent achievements of mankind and technology. Is this science? Can sensible be beautiful?

The 1952 edition of Pikku Jättiläinen, a popular Finnish non-fiction book, describes a scale used for measuring the magnitude of an earthquake. It contains ten levels, the sixth of which is: ‘Those asleep will awaken; all small bells chime. The clocks stop, and trees and bushes sway considerably.’

Is it so that mere knowledge cannot solve the mystery of life?