My time in Finland is rapidly coming to an end. I leave on Monday, scary.
Since I went to Stockholm I've had a busy last few weeks in Lapland. As per usual around this time of year I've had a few deadlines in quick succession. But thankfully, everything has managed to go well.
Last week I spent the day at uni putting up an exhibition with a group of other exchange students, where I'm currently displaying two of my projects. Exhibition hanging is one of the most stressful things in the word. Getting things properly mounted and then straight on the wall is a nightmare. Personally, I won't be using foamboard for a long time (watch me want it at my degree show). For displaying my work An Organised Mess I mounted several panels onto foamboard before using fishing wire to hang them from the ceiling.
For whatever reason cutting in a straight line has become difficult for me, sticking straight has also become a challenge. Lucy helped me to cut and mount my panels which was easier said than done. The foamboard had an adhesive side which meant I didn't have to use spray mount, one of my many artistic enemies. But this came with it's difficulties as once the print was stuck it was stuck, to try and move it would potentially rip it and then what would I even display? Anyway, after a lot of swearing, some last minute trimming and one monumental cock up which meant I couldn't display one of my images I'd mounted them. The next barrier was actually hanging the prints which actually went surprisingly well. Indephoto was done.
The day was made even more hectic by a number of factors; I had two lots of work to sort out, it was very warm and by the time I finished hanging my work it was about 4.30/5pm and we were supposed to be opening at 6. Luckily, Adaptation Charting was a bit simpler once I got hold of an old Apple Mac and I plugged my memory stick in. The evening was a very successful one, the feeling of relief that the exhibition had been pulled off was huge.
That Friday I was back in uni to hang my other exhibition for Art Practice and my year long project. This consisted of a lot of measuring, not so quick maths and a lot of up and down on a step ladder. We had the opening on Monday which also went really well. Instead of a speech the students and staff read poems or prose for a minute at the same time to open the exhibition. I've never heard of an exhibition being opened in that way before and I loved being part of it. It was so great to see the work you've caught glimpses of throughout the year in full and intentionally displayed. We had the critique for the class this week and hearing more about everyone's work and intentions was so interesting. They're a very talented bunch.
Whilst all this has been going on, Rovaniemi has been in the grips of a heatwave. I've even got a legitimate tan line. It even got to 28 degrees the other day which I never thought I'd get in LAPLAND the home of SANTA. I'm woefully underprepared for this week of warm. I've been wearing jeans for much of it and I don't know if I've ever felt more sorry for myself. Absolutely sweltering.
I find myself procrastinating a lot at the moment, hence writing this blog post right now. I'm trying to pack but also trying to prolong it for as long as possible. Packing the last nine months into two bags is proving very difficult, I'm questioning how I've accumulated so much stuff and how I fit it all in when I moved last August.
Packing is also making me reflect a lot on how I feel about leaving Lapland and going home. I'm feeling mixed emotions about it, I'm really excited to go home because I've been away for a long time, but equally it's very scary to go back into something I've not been settled into for the last nine months. And the more I think about it, nine months is a long time. Even though it doesn't feel like 5 minutes ago I got on a plane to move here for uni. I know that a lot will have changed at home and I'll have to get used to it again, but I suppose I won't ever stop adjusting.
