Juha Pekka Matias Laakkonen

Juha Pekka Matias Laakkonen is known for his uncompromising investigations of the relationship between humans and nature. While his works may at first resemble studies of nature, they in fact challenge the boundaries of the natural and the extent of human intervention within it. With an often ironic tone, he points to the human urge to preserve the existing state of things—an impulse that, from a broader perspective, can appear both self‑important, paradoxical, and ultimately futile.

As part of Bringing In The Tide, Laakkonen contributes a performance that can be experienced throughout the exhibition period and across various locations within the Wadden Sea ecosystem. For the exhibition, he develops a series of nature‑based tools, which he shapes through slow, hands‑on processes. The idea behind these tools is to carry out forms of nature care that are as unproductive as filtering the wind or showing birds where to land.
The performance unfolds as a poetic, humorous, and critical commentary on the regulations and protections that determine who is permitted to act within protected and conserved landscapes. It points to the paradox that nature—such as in a UNESCO World Heritage site like the Wadden Sea—often appears most protected when interventions take artistic or aesthetic form, yet remains negotiable when economic interests are at stake.