On Collaboration: The Infinite in the Ordinary

About a year and a half ago, I embarked on a new collaborative practice with artist Janne Punkari, rooted in shared authorship. While I have worked with my daughters and niece for over a decade - and occasionally with other artists, of course - this is the first time I’ve engaged in a process where creative ownership is fully shared from start to finish.

Together, we developed a method for creating photographs and installations in which we both contribute equally, allowing the work to evolve organically through an open-ended exchange.

At the core of our practice is the joy of working together - the lightness of creating something collectively, from beginning to end. Our process invites experimentation, where materials, images, and ideas blend fluidly. We often engage in playful yet disruptive gestures - re-contextualizing everyday objects or conjuring unexpected environments celebrating the accidental and embracing the absurd. We resist the polished, highly controlled aesthetics often found in contemporary art, opting instead for spontaneity and impulsive decision-making.

Found objects take on new roles as active participants, becoming active characters in the work - their histories unfolding as the work develops. A major aspect of our approach has been still lifes - whether in photographs or installations - where the ordinary meets the infinite, imbuing simple objects with a sense of wonder. Everyday objects become symbols of the cosmic. This blending of worlds echoes the way we approach our process - allowing things to merge and evolve in unexpected ways, often giving the simplest elements a sense of wonder.

What I value most about working with Janne is the freedom in our shared process. There’s an openness to the unexpected and a trust that guides the process. Our works arise through chance encounters, accidents, and intuitive decisions. This collaborative, fluid method feels very different and far less demanding than working alone. We allow the work to evolve like a conversation - sometimes playful, sometimes serious - without a fixed outcome. We’ve come to appreciate the subtle tension between control and chaos, structure and spontaneity, blurring the lines between art and life.

Hertta Kiiski is part of Issue 17 by Guest Editor Torbjørn Rødland.

Check out her Artist Feature Plasticenta.