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OSKARI RUUSKA


Oskari Ruuska’s works are sensuous. They are often immersive and site specific and explore themes of belonging, desire and touching. The installations, which contain sculptural elements, light and moving images, stimulate the eyes as well as the other senses by using features such as steam, humidity and scents.

Ruuska has lately been interested in different spaces and places where desire can be acted out. 

His work Cruising (2021) was a steamy installation inspired by public saunas and other commercial spaces where men cruise for sex. Ruuska has documented these queer culture spaces using video and photography. Along with stories based on Ruuska’s own personal experiences, these form part of his creative process. 

Oskari Ruuska (1994) is from Helsinki, and he also works in Berlin. Ruuska graduated with a Master of Arts degree in time and space arts from the Academy of Fine Arts in 2022. He has also studied at the Art School Maa in Helsinki.  


@oskariruuska

https://oskariruuska.com

Exhibited at Taidehalli 22.4.-28.5.2023

ARTWORKS 

Beach on Uranus
installation
2023

Ruuska’s work Beach on Uranus, to be displayed at the Nuoret 2023 (Young Artists) exhibition, is a follow-up to his previous works. The steamy installation, which glows with orange light, is related to Cruising, and its theme furthers Ruuska’s ideas.

The title of the work refers to the term Uranism invented in the 19th century to refer to gayness  and gender diversity, before today's established terminology. The beach created by Ruuska is imagined, but there you can be in contact with other Uranians. The imagined beach helps Ruuska to look at the world from a Uranian position: familiar elements from everyday environments are somehow stranger - more magical - but possible. Familiar elements are picked from memories, but are also colored by memories.

Assistance in 3D modelling of details (steam equipment) Eetu Sihvonen
Assistance in programming Tuomo Rainio
Assistance in transalations Eero Lampinen, Aino Autere and Elina Nissinen



Image & Text Credits: 
Bio and artwork texts - Krister Gråhn & Oskari Ruuska
Artist’s portrait - Patrik Rastenberger
Artwork images - Oskari Ruuska