Varjo Galleria
Rovaniemi
"Piece of street"
Exhibition at Veles gallery "Varjo Galleria" in Rovaniemi.
Two rooms, one with graff/street inspired works and glass paintings.
Second room contains artworks about the industry in Europe and the world.
A text is written about the industrial artworks hanging in the gallery.
You can read it here in the bottom of this page.
Two rooms, one with graff/street inspired works and glass paintings.
Second room contains artworks about the industry in Europe and the world.
A text is written about the industrial artworks hanging in the gallery.
You can read it here in the bottom of this page.
|
Photos from Fröya Andersen.
Photos from Sofia Waara |
Oskari Heikkinen & Arktinen voodoo
|
Industriella revolutionen
(The industrial revolution)
The (first) industrial revolution is the name of the wider social, economic and technological change in agriculture, manufacturing, mining and transportation, that started in the UK in 1750s and ended 1850s.(1) The industrialisation spread throughout Western Europe, Northern America, Japan and eventually the rest of the world and has affected almost everything in our everyday life.
One consequence of the industrialisation was the widespread displacement of population, from rural to urban industrial societies. Peasants lost their jobs in the fields when new machines were invented, and farmers moved to the cities to work in factories where they where needed more then on the farms (In 1900 it took 8 agricultural workers to produce enough food for 11 people. By 1980 the ratio was 1-1000). Many women became unemployed during the industrial revolution due to the new loom (spinning jenny) invention.
At the beginning of the 1800s, 80% of the population was working in agriculture in the UK, at the end of the century only 9%. In the 1500's 90% of the Swedish population lived in rural areas and had its principal place of employment in farming.(2) The Swedish peasant economy was based on subsistence, which meant that most goods was produced on the farm or in the village.
During and after the Industrial Revolution UK came to be called the "The Black Country". The name came from the heavy industry that had polluted the landscapes and cities. The death rate was significantly higher in the cities than in rural areas and the demanfor new labour was high, this led to a constant stream of new people moving in to the cities.(4) When the 1st World War started, only half of the country's inhabitants were farmers, and today world wide more people live in cities than in the countryside. A growing number of them are living in slums.(3)
Work in the factories was consuming and the factory owners had a large supply of labour. Among the workers there were also children working in mines and factories, long hours without food and starvation. The factory owners did not want protection for workers working with the machines and when a worker was killed there was new one to bring in from the street.
This was later changed when factory work required more specialization, because education was expensive the factory owners and entrepreneurs wanted to protect their workers and under the 1800s as a reaction to capitalism, socialism growth stronger, focused on the social protection, workers rights and (capitalistic) industrial society's power elite that was made up of wealthy entrepreneurs and tradesmen.
In the early 1900's attention increasingly industrialization impact of disease, poverty, accidents, natural destruction and death. The need for social reform grew and the contradiction between labour and capital came increasingly evident. The problem of unemployment was also recognized as the employment and supply opportunities became more uncertain in the industrial society compared to the old agricultural society.
Intoxication by profit
Arms industry, the defence industry is growing. The traditional defence contractors consider themselves as security companies that provide armed forces with military equipment, weapons and other equipment intended for military use.
The rich are becoming richer and the quest for natural resources and markets via military means is maintained by incitement and terror balance.
Today, as a result of capitalism in politics, people are forced to live in increasingly precarious conditions while these citizens are at the same time expected to save the banks and a financial system that has no future. Those that can't afford the costs are simultaneously forced into the deteriorating living conditions.
Northern Europe is a part of this game. It is particularly noticeable in the increasing number of military exercises that have taken place over the past decade. Interest in oil and gas in the Barents Region and the Arctic is the reason for the increased rearmament and military presence.
The largest player in the region is Russia, which claims the natural resources together with Sweden and Finland as they are part of NATO's Partnership for Peace.
On the 27 of Nov 2012, China adopts a low-key approach to secure economic interests in the Arctic. Aware of the suspicions some countries have about its intentions in the Arctic, China is adopting a deliberately low-key public stance that avoids talk about minerals, oil and gas and focuses on climate change and shipping routes. China is determined not to be sidelined in decisions that it believes will directly affect its economic interests in the Artic.(6)
In total, Sweden stand for two percent of total world arms trade, making the small country into the world's tenth largest dealer(6) and Norway is no 19 on SIPRI`s list of arms exporters in 2011, and No 16 on the list over importers. Norway’s weapon export has been in a huge growth, this much because of the wars of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Norway’s weapon factory, Kongsberg Protech Systems made an agreement in 2007 with the U.S. Government on a huge delivery of Protector RWS (Remote Weapon Station). At the U.S. Army's website the American defense Stryker brigade writes that “The RWS provides both increasing survival for operators, and a significant increase in the probability for a hit with first shot. It provides greater mortality and more fatalities per charge.” State secretary Roger Ingebrigtsen said at the start of 2011, the arms industry could save Norway when the oil runs out!
Swedish weapons has been used in areas of conflict such as Burma, Colombia, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia according to Swedish Amnesty. Swedish weapons has also been used of the Tunisian regime against protesters during the Jasmine revolution. Bofors, now Saab Bofors Dynamics - one of Saab AB's six subsidiaries, has since the birth of the rocket launcher "Carl Gustav" (1960s)been a respected player in the arms industry. Carl Gustav has been sold to over 40 countries and widely used by dictatorships in Burma, Cambodia and of American troops in Vietnam. Today Carl Gustav is in the hands of the African and Asian child soldiers (6).
The Bofors affair was revealed in the 1980's in Sweden, extensive arms smuggling to dictatorships and bribes to Indian policy-makers.
Five of the permanent members of the UN Security Council are among the eight largest arms exporters. The same members, whose primary task of the Security Council is to decide on "the maintenance of international peace and security", is paradoxically also the world leader in the industry that represents its opposite (6).
The weapon industry's importance make politicians not to decide on peacekeeping decisions, which should be obvious.
While the financial crisis precipitates banks, and paralyses states the top 100 arms companies have increased their sales by 100 billion. The world's military expenses are concluded to the amount of about 10 000 billion in 2010, increased by 8 percent, or $ 14.8 billion, since 2008 and 59 percent since 2002 (6).
The UN estimates that it circulates over 550 million "light weapons" in the world.
These weapons are used not only by the military but also of Brazil "cleaning squads" whose task is to keep the streets clean of street children and poor people and African warlords provide child-soldiers with guns.
Kaunisvaara Vs Mammon
The mining industry has been the key to the development of civilisation, underpinning the iron and bronze ages, the industrial revolution, the infrastructure of today's information age and is considered one of the world's most dangerous occupations.
The deadliest year in U.S. coal mining history was 1907, when 3,242 deaths occurred and the lowest death rate was 65 mining fatalities in 2007 with 11800 annual injuries.(10) Most of the deaths nowadays occur in developing countries, like China who had a mining earthquake accident with a death toll of over 9,000. Officials recorded more than 2,400 deaths in China's coal mines in 2010.(11)
Investment in mining is profitable and the mining industry is expanding at the expense of people and nature. In 2001, mining industry produced over 6 billion tons of raw product valued at several trillion dollars and apart from Antarctica mining takes place in all of the world’s continents. Mining capital investments worldwide increased from $US 16 billion in 2001 to nearly $US 80 billion in 2011. (9)
Mining techniques can be divided into two common excavation types: surface mining and sub-surface mining.(7)
The nature of mining processes creates a negative impact on the environment both during the mining operations and for years after the mine is closed. There are upwards of 560,000 abandoned mines on public and privately owned lands in the United States alone.(12)
Environmental impacts of mining include sink-holes, loss of biodiversity, pollution of soil, ground water and surface water. The water in mines contains dissolved heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. Contamination resulting from leakage of chemicals can also affect the health of the local population. In some cases, additional forest logging is done in the vicinity of mines to increase the available room for the storage of the created debris and soil.
There are over 50 mines in Finland. Besides them, 15 mining projects is planned within the next few years. In addition, over 40 companies explore the possibility of establishing themselves in Eastern Finland and Lapland.
In 10.11.2012 Radioactive emissions 50 times higher than normal have been detected in waters close to a nickel and zinc mine in Finland located in the Kainuu region, Talvivaara. The mine in Talvivaara has Europe's largest custodian of nickel sulfide and Talvivaara Mining Company confirmed the breach was uranium. The mine is situated close to Tornio joki one of the last untouch rivers in the world. Finnish nature conservation requires that the operation of Talvivaara mine is cancelled.
In Perth at the AGM of the Australian based exploration company Hannans Reward Ltd, investors were notified by the Saami Council and affected Saami communities that complains to the UN if the company goes ahead with its open-pit mining plans in Northern Sweden, home of the Indigenous Saami people. Through their subsidiary Kiruna Iron and Hannans is in the process of developing several open-pit mines in crucial Saami reindeer grazing pasture.(13)
In Australia, plans are to open nine new giant mines in Galilee Basin that will generate nearly 700 million tons of carbon dioxide when the mines are used to full capacity.(8)
Swedish AP-fonderna has invested millions of dollars in the company Canadian mining Goldcorp that contributes to serious violations of human rights and environmental degradation. The Swedish government wants to strengthen mining industry growth and competitiveness but plans for new mines face resistance around the country and the world.
- (1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolution
(2) Lagerqvist, s 309
(3) www.un.org/.../pdf/MDG_FS_7_EN.pdf
(4) Blockmans & Hoppenbrouwer, s. 218
(5) -
(6) SIPRI - Stockholm International Peace research Center. (http://www.sipri.org)
(7) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mining
(8) http://www.supermiljobloggen.se/2012/09/australiska-jattegruvor-hotar-globala.html
(9) http://www.mbendi.com/indy/ming/p0005.htm
(10) Mine Safety and Health Administration - MSHA:
http://www.msha.gov/MSHAINFO/FactSheets/MSHAFCT2.HTM
(11) BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-15604288
(12) Kertes, N., (March, 1996). US abandoned mine count still a mystery - General Accounting Office report. American Metal Market, Retrieved August 27, 2007.
(13) http://saamiresources.org/
