Fine arts student: “One of my favorite things here is the flexibility of the studying structure”
Read an interview with fine arts student Eva Volmerson.
Who are you and how did you realise that you wanted to study at Uniarts Helsinki?
My name is Eva Volmerson, I am a 4th year bachelor’s student at Uniarts Helsinki’s Academy of Fine Arts. I focus mainly on site-specific installations, film photography and moving image practices. I am originally from Russia, where I studied animation and academic visual arts for a few years. I moved to Estonia around nine years ago, where half of my family tree comes from.
Studying ceramics at the Estonian Academy of Arts, I began growing as an artist. The Academy in Estonia provided me with a safe space and freedom for self-expression. After graduating, I kept feeling that I want to work more with space, moving image and sound. By coincidence, I got to know about the Academy of Fine Arts at Uniarts Helsinki just a month before the application period was ending. I really wanted to try and live in Finland as I thought I would be surrounded by a wider international community. I got lucky again, and four months later I received an acceptance letter!
Please tell us one thing you remember about your entrance examination.
It was the second year since COVID had started and our entrance exams were conducted online. We were able to choose the place where we would do entrance work. It gave me a chance to be in a familiar environment, where I could be myself while working on the examination work. We had one artistic task – to create something from nothing during the given five days. The word ‘newspaper’ was given to us, which we could interpret however we wanted. What I liked the most was the complete freedom of understanding the task, but it took me a bit to trust my artistic intuition and to be honest in what I was doing.
What has been the best thing about studying at Uniarts Helsinki and living in Helsinki?
It has been over three years since I moved to Helsinki from Tallinn. One of my favorite things here is the flexibility of the studying structure. Although there are general guidelines for getting credits, in general we get a lot of freedom in managing our own schedules. For me, that has been very valuable as it takes away the pressure of attending courses you are not interested in.
I have also learned to be independent when coming up with routines around creative processes. The approach to studies we have on the Time and Space programme allowed me to realise what my artistic interest is, which is the most important thing for me. Like anyone moving to a new place, I have gone through stages of settling in Helsinki. After the euphoric stage, I started noticing some stable things that were bringing me joy of living here. The international community made life safer and helped me feel understood and accepted. I love cycling, and after moving to Helsinki, I started to feel safer moving within the city. Besides that, the Helsinki landscape allows people to find hiding places in green areas, escape the noise and enjoy the quiet sometimes. It is possible to find a balance between a hectic life and rest.
What is your most memorable study experience?
I want to mention a connection with one of my teachers. Communication with her, studio visits and courses all gave me a sense of peace and security.
It is liberating to let everything I have seen and read to resurface in my works without guilt and anxiety. Besides that, I have met such beautiful people, who are bravely questioning institution structures and exclusivity of art spaces. I am still learning from them about how we can live as people and artists sharing resources, ideas and spaces.
What has been the most challenging thing about your studies?
Sometimes I am torn between balancing my artistic practice and financial responsibilities. Being in this situation does not allow me to feel fully connected with myself, with the university community and the artistic work flow. Some would say it is part of a normal adult life and I agree. And at the same time, this life situation has shown and highlighted how conditioned we are into feeding a capitalistic system that makes us deprived from ourselves and connections. Here, I want to advocate for mental health care. Please, be gentle to yourself, notice signs of burnout and loneliness and ask for help. I am very lucky to be surrounded by people who are not afraid to be vulnerable and critical.
What do you dream of doing after you graduate?
For me, graduation is still a few years ahead, but I do already daydream about possible futures. Although I do not know where I will get rooted geographically, I am dreaming of working on longer projects without rushing along with schedules. I wish to have a space, a studio that would feel like a second home to be able to dream about projects. And I really hope to have time and energy for co-creating. Ideally, I want to be able to work with clay, soft materials, photography, video and audio and I hope to work in a kaleidoscopic space.
What preconceptions did you have about Finland? What do you think about them now?
The biggest preconception about Finland was that it is perfect. I have learned it was a gaze of a person raised in a place deprived from security and safety. There are myths about the Nordics, its ideal and just societal structures. During these three years in Finland, thanks to conversations with people who are citizens, foreigners, or mixed heritage people rooted here, I see it’s not a state of dreams. I can say now, I thought the state and government are always and will always be on the side of people (whichever background they have), and it is just not true. I am thankful for that realisation, and I see so many people who are vocal about the imbalance and cruelty of a state. Hopefully, it will create change. We live in a world of structures and Uniarts Helsinki is not that different, the art world is not that different, and I am hoping for these structures to become more transparent and caring for students.