2011
I have collected letters written by anonymous individuals during the pivotal days of the last century.
One of the central themes in Jari Silomäki’s art is the place of the individual in the history of his own time. For this work, he gathered anonymous ordinary people’s texts, which were written at the time of significant historical events: the murder of Franz Ferdinand, the Kristallnacht, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Neil Armstrong landing on the moon, the Fall of the Berlin Wall, September 11, etc. In addition to the text collage, the installation also includes a 16 mm film, featuring iconic images from 20th-century history, which he projects on the bare hunched back of an old man.
The U-2 flight revealed that the Soviet Union was constructing a missile base in Cuba. The world was at the brink of a nuclear war. Sirkka was moved:” There is my darling, over there/ yon the ocean. Oh, why don’t you come, oh woe/ I knew that you’d go, oh oh oh.”
The uprising began in the ghetto of Warsaw. On the same day, Viljo cursed the authorities:” Took away my higher benefits class. I’m getting a medical certificate about my heart condition. They have to pay me my benefits. No way will I eat this mess they keep offering not even if I have to pawn all of my things to pay for it.”
Juan Peron was overthrown in Argentine. Helmi finished a postcard written to her friend saying: ” The apples have grown big and there are lots of them, also in the wild apple tree.”
The uprising began in the ghetto of Warsaw. On the same day, Viljo cursed the authorities:” Took away my higher benefits class. I’m getting a medical certificate about my heart condition. They have to pay me my benefits. No way will I eat this mess they keep offering not even if I have to pawn all of my things to pay for it.”
Two Palestinian terrorists hijacked a Lufthansa Boeing 727 en route from Damascus to Frankfurt. Eila wrote:” The east wind is now getting cold. Must start wearing the fur hat soon. Tapani has a slight cough. That is to say, he coughs sometimes, not always, at night. Spent the weekend in Järvenpää. I left on Saturday morning at 11 and returned on Sunday half five in the evening. Closed my eyes. No news, no new developments.”
John F. Kennedy was murdered in Dallas. On the same day Aatto wrote:” I’m surprised myself to be alive. But this depends ( damn it all) on many things… My Danish ( heart symbol) left last Saturday ( tear symbol).Trisesse… You see, everything got OK before she left.(s’pose) Wa-wa-woom, boy, we really had some fantastic nights…”
Guerillas hijacked an Olympic Airlines flight at Athens airport. At the same time Sari wrote in a postcard:” Marja visited me today, I am so happy about her visit. She leaves tomorrow for Helsinki for two weeks.”
The Apollo 11 landed on the moon. Eila wrote:”Tapani has his first loose tooth in his lower jaw. He doesn’t like it at all, almost cried when he noticed it.”
The Allied troops beached in Normandy. On the same day Reino wrote home from the Finnish front:”Everything is remains the same. More small fights with the neighbor, but he has pulled the short straw almost every time… You wouldn’t believe what my ”dining hall” looks like after two weeks without toothpaste.”
Soviet tanks rolled down the streets of Prague. At the same time, Eila wrote:” I haven’t done any gardening even if it is autumn, and likely will no be doing anything. I don’t know if it is better to sell the house and the find an apartment, or to try and trade. A boatload of big questions for me to think over.”
The Iranian hostage crisis begun. On the day Helena wrote:”I’m sitting in Jarmo’s room in Puistola and am listening to music. It’s cosy here and I feel so much love. Jarmo is out, that is, in the garage fixing his car.”
When the Soviet tanks drove to Moscow parliament building, Johanna wrote to her friend:” Just came back from a two-week holiday. My life has its ups and downs, like waves. There are gray and dark times and then luckily happy days.”
It is the opening ceremony of the Berlin Olympics. An unknown woman writes from Somero:” Grandpa has been at the old saw today. An I have been helping everyone here and there. I have collected hayseeds, been at the fields. Did not help with the treshing. Made good food with lots of care and heated the sauna so hot, that the benches would burn you unless you threw some water on them first. I have been ever so busy. I’m not fit to work outdoors. The hot sun makes me sick. The sun will be the death of me, but then I will not freeze in Malmi. I have been sleeping so far in the storehouse and as you know there is a cross draft.”
The Guatemalan president Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán was overthrown in a military coup orchestrated by the CIA. An anonymous writer scribbled beneath the date 27.6. 1954.” It rains often here and the weather is very changeable. We often hear that there is a low pressure front moving in from the British isles – we think it must be the same as over there.We are busy painting and fixing up the kitchen. Mother will paint the sauna windowsills and the doors, then everything will be neat. We will try to get a swing on the lower patio.”
The Mexican revolutionary general Pancho Villa was murdered. On the same day Miss J writes: ”Sweetest summer greetings from the heart of nature. I have enjoyed today to the fullest. In the morning we went to the pond, and A. and E. swam. I had a towel, washed my feet and sunbathed my whole body. Afterwards, we had breakfast and took the motor boat to an island and had coffee there. On the island we sunbathed some more so that every bit of bare skin turned red. Oh, it was sweet to run on the smooth rocks and barefoot on the sand. On the way home we were caught in a downpour, but it was quite romanic to be there in a raincoat.”
The Soviet fighter pilot Viktor Belenko landed in Hokkaido, Japan and sought political asylum from the USA. At the same time Maija sent a postcard to her family:” It is warm here, about + 30 to + 35 degrees Celsius, maybe more. The air is dry, the land harsh, but quite attractive. Living with two wild cats and an americano is tolerable – even fun at times.”
Demonstrations against Slobodan Milosevic broke out in Belgrad. On that day, Vappu sent a postcard from the USA:” Dear mother, I’m writing from this side of the border for a change. We are in Nevada, in a state park camping site. It is free, so there is no telephone here. It is thirteen miles to the nearest village to post this. John will take the postcard there (by moped).”
Princess Diana was in a car accident in Paris. An unknown writes from Germany:” The family is healthy ( Sara is staying home from kindergarten because of a stomach bug) It is making the rounds. We are about to come to Finland, and the girls really should go posthaste.”
The battle of Belleau forest in the First World War. On the same day Wilho attached a note:” If you have well strong work-cart wheels with axles, I ask you to despatch me one on my note.”
The Japanese troops took Manila. On that day Aino wrote:” A healthy girl was born near two in the morning, so Kaarina is now a big sister – she is exactly 3 y 5 mos older than the new daughter. It was a happy reunion.”
ugoslavia was declared a socialist republic and Josip Broz Tito its president. On that day Atto wrote to his friend:” This company does not interest me but royally pisses me off. Not very interested in my ‘studies’. Whatever. S.A. is never going to benefit from me because as I have said before: I’m gonna leave this damn country as fast as possible. And VIRVE ma vie, as I wanna it t’be. All is emptiness.” “
Israel occupied the West bank, Gaza and Golan. The Six Days war began. Eila wrote in Helsinki, dated 5th June 1967:” The weather is not very fair, expect it’ll get better. Aunt Annikki asked me to visit, again. Should I go. I really do not want to go. It is always nice there, once you get there. We’ll see. Haven’t finished the sheets. Should get started on those. Oh, and Tapani asked this morning, when are we going to go to Mikkeli on the motor boat.”
Nelson Mandela gave his speech I Am Prepared to Die at the beginning of the Rivonia trial. On that day Liisa wrote:” I wear the new hat and have gotten used to it. The girl is fine now. I don’t need anything to settle my coffee. The girl went to the eye doctor. Don’t need glasses.”
The army crushed an attempted coup in Togo. Eila wrote:” The old man ran his car off the road and into a field, when the rear tyre blew. The car is a wreck and he has broken some ribs. Had anyone been sitting beside the driver – they would certainly have died. I am afraid that something bad will happen before it is all clear. I phone there every week. There is a phone booth in Laajasalo where you can talk as long as you like for 20 p.”
The Hungarian uprising against the Communist regime reached its apex when 50 000 students and workers marched to the Parliament building. On the same day Simo wrote to this friend in Käpylä, Helsinki:” All of my nice pictures of Mars and my writing were ruined because I had not glued down the edges by accident. Jukka tore them apart. But I will begin again and collect also other pictures from space. Have you heard that Kalle’s bicycle has been stolen?”
16 mm film
Duration: 08 min. 46 sec.
Sound & design: Joni Virtanen
Cameraoperator: Veli Granö
Cast: Esko Puustinen
Financial support: Avek and Alfred Kordelin Fundation