Anu Raatikainen: Green gaze

Green gaze is an installation created for the aspen trees of Saari manor's Cultural trail. The work consists of numerous reflective eyes that glow in the dark. The eyes, made of traffic sign film, are inspired by the tapetum lucidum membrane found in the eyes of many nocturnal animals. The light coming into the eye is reflected by the membrane back onto the retina, giving the eye another chance to read the information brought by the light - and thus the animal can see better in the dark. Because of the tapetum lucidum, the animals' eyes reflect the light directed at them back to the viewer. Due to this phenomenon called eyeshine, an otherwise invisible animal can be noticed in a spotlight.

Is nature looking back at us? Do trees have spirits? The surreal and playful work invites us to reflect on how the other organisms and species living around us sense us, to think about our relationship with these other consciousnesses and how we approach them. The light utilizing work does not illuminate the natural space with a continuous input, but only works when the viewer is present. In this way, the work disturbs the sensitive natural environment as little as possible.