Reaching Suomi

By Aurelia Meinhart

Project description: The way of leaving everything familiar behind.

The starting point for my thoughts were the photos of my father, which he took during the war. His path took him to the north. During the Second World War he served in the 3rd mountain infantry division in Norway, Finland and in the area around Leningrad, where he captured impressions with his camera. Even as a small girl I found these photos very fascinating. I always asked myself what his motivation might have been, for take photos in the midst of a war action. As a young soldier he probably wanted to show the atmosphere of the north – the light – to his loved ones at home.

I picked one photo from this collection. It shows a landscape in central Finland and three airplanes: one Junker 52, one Stucker and possibly one Heinkel He 70, called “The Lightning”. This photo was taken around the beginning of April 1942.

I used this photo as a basis for my serigraphy. “Dear Mother”, which also on the print, was part of a letter that my father sent to his mother.

The photo was printed on 1000 pieces of thin silk (28 cm x 28 cm).
I will take 600 of these silk pieces on my journey through the Baltic countries to Finland. I will distribute them or use them for installations along the way. I will document the reactions on photo.