Documentary photographic serie 2023–2025
The main figure of the exhibition is Pekka (1955–2025); my stepfather and a former carpenter. These are moments of his life, when every day, every moment repeats the same day after day. This documentary photography series is a reflection on humanity and the reality that life sometimes has other plans than the ones we make for ourselves.
‘Then when I retire, I will have time to….’
Pekka had a one-man carpenter company with own wood workshop. He postponed vacations and weekends, when there was a new work order as he never knew if there will be work after that. Trips and events were quietly pushed further into the future, year after year.
All the dreams and travels intended for retirement remained unfulfilled. By the time Pekka retired, he was tired and then cancer was diagnosed. His life changed and he lost his mobility. The photographs reveal Pekka’s stagnant life, sorrow and fatigue, while outside, the world moves forward in all its color.
‘Here I just lie down and wait to die.’
With the exhibition title ‘Then when…’, I also want to encourage you, the viewer, to pay attention to the ‘then when’ moments in your own life, whether they could be transformed into ‘now’. Life is most precious in this very moment.
Sari Sandberg (1975-)
Sari Sandberg is a visual artist from Rovaniemi, living and working in Tromsø (Norway). Her work weaves together photographic storytelling, mixed media, and the profound presence of Arctic nature. Her practice is inspired by the northern winter and the polar night, where colour, silence, and stillness form the core of her work.
While rooted in documentary photography, her practice expands into installations, video works, and soundscapes, creating multisensory environments. Sandberg’s work also engages with broader societal themes, including environmental change and issues that shape the human experience. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in Finland and internationally. This exhibition has been funded by a grand from the Finnish Cultural Foundation.
www.sarisandberg.com
