What do I need in this overstimulating world? How much space do I want to take up in this society, and in what way?

Liisa Addi has created a safe visual world in which to explore these feelings. The Big Space invites us to face our fears, step outside our comfort zones, and embark on a journey of self-discovery together with an Alter Ego.

How far do we dare to go when we create a second self? How grandly and how high do we truly wish to fly?

 

Bästard gallery, Põhjala tehas

 

If The Big Space becomes overwhelming and we instead wish to hide from the world, we can escape into The Small Space. What does the safe environment we need in order to rest look like? What are the needs of our inner child so that we can feel secure, cared for, and at ease?

The contrast between the two spaces helps visitors explore their deeper thoughts: do I want to be more visible and courageous, or do I long to feel safer, more protected, and nurtured?

Liisa Addi explores how important it is to have an environment that meets our needs, enabling us to become the most creative version of ourselves.

 

 

Our well-being is influenced by many different factors in the environment around us. Unzelm helped create a lighting design that sparks curiosity, encouraging visitors to ask themselves: What kind of light makes me feel safe? How can different types of lighting affect our mood and well-being?

 

 

Liisa Addi’s curiosity about art, environment, and mental health gave rise to a holistic and multifaceted project: a six-week event series in which she brought together specialists from a variety of fields. The goal was to invite people to experience space, other people, and their own needs in a deeper way.

The program included a range of discussion evenings and workshops, such as mental health physiotherapy, breathwork therapy, creative writing, and painting practices that support mental well-being. The discussion evenings focused on how we can better support ourselves and others who are neurodivergent, and how society can more effectively embrace and include human diversity.

The project was aligned with Mental Health Awareness Month and Autism Awareness Month. Its aim was to highlight how much we can improve our mental well-being when we become more aware of the needs our environments place on us. While we may not be able to transform our broader surroundings, we can influence our immediate environment, as well as our need to take up space: both mentally and physically.