Sami Kero Mobile Sweat: Sompasaari, Baltic Sea, Helsinki
This work by Finnish photojournalist Sami Kero is part of Mobile Sweat—an operating wood-fired sauna that simultaneously functions as a platform for showcasing contemporary photography, sound, and video art. Kero’s image, depicting the popular communal Nordic experience of the ice plunge, aligns with Mobile Sweat’s objective to underscore the significance of social connection as a fundamental aspect of public art.
As a photojournalist, Kero works for Helsingin Sanomat, the biggest subscription-based newspaper in Finland. Sompasaari, Baltic Sea, Helsinki (2017) is part of his larger series Avanto, which means “ice hole” in Finnish. The project contains striking, large-scale topographical views of sauna-goers enjoying icy water plunges at various locations in Finland. The cultural significance of the cold plunge cannot be overstated, and the experience is a crucial complement to the seemingly antithetical sauna-induced heat, the cycle of hot and cold ultimately embodying the pursuit of balance rather than a simple exploration of elemental extremes. This sense of balance extends to the aesthetic composition of Kero’s photograph, which highlights the bather’s relationship to their dramatic natural surroundings, inviting the eyes of each viewer to linger.
Mobile Sweat, which has been touring diverse locations in southern Ontario since September 2022, is featured in Public Sweat, a community program taking place at Harbourfront Centre from March 15 through April 23. This unique project is a fusion of art and sauna culture, largely inspired by sweat-bathing traditions from around the world, focusing on shared values of community, connection, and care.
Following this activation, as part of CONTACT, Mobile Sweat will be parked outside of All Ours Studios, at 62 Geary Ave, where visitors can view Kero’s artwork 24/7 from May 18 – 31, and where Art Spin will present Mobile Sweat Sunday Sauna, a free sauna and art experience on Sunday, May 21, 12–7pm. See the link in header for more event info.
For more details visit publicsweat.com and artspin.ca.
Curated by Layne Hinton & Rui Pimenta
Presented by Art Spin. Mobile Sweat is funded by the Government of Canada; the Canada Council for the Arts; the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario; Harbourfront Centre; and Nordic Bridges.
Sami Kero (b. 1979) is a Finnish photojournalist who works for Helsingin Sanomat, the biggest subscription-based newspaper in Finland. He has covered international conflicts and crisis around the world, including Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Haiti, Israel and DR Congo, though most of his work takes place in Finland.