Mia Erlin: LASTU

Light art installation Lastu is inspired by the literary history of Jyväskylä and the new era of digitalization with relation to the role of libraries today. The future role of libraries is changing due to the fragmentation of information channels, internet and the rapid growth of digital tools. Libraries offer both digital content and functionality as well as a place to keep up the reading tradition. The title of the installation, Lastu (Chip) is rooted in Finnish literary history. Lastus, chips, were the names for short stories written by Juhani Aho, the first professional author writing in Finnish. Aho lived and worked in Jyväskylä as an active promoter of Finnish language and identity. Chips reflected the relationship between new technology and tradition. The topics often dealt with the mixed feelings of an individual in the middle of technological and political evolution at the late 18th century, when Finland was still under the regime of Russia.  

The suspended Lastus, "flying tinges of adage", form the visual body and an uplifting installation in the library lobby. The story and form of Lastu, that interacts with the visitors form the core of the artistic concept. Lastu represents the interaction between people, information technology and the history of literature. The name and shape of the work emphasize the literary tradition.

The technology used in lighting reflects the future and the digital solutions it offers. Lobby space and light art form an interdependent, mutually supportive, and experiential whole. The dynamic movement of light created by people passing through the staircase creates a special tacit dialogue in the lobby. The work consists of thermoplastic acrylic 'chips' coated with a diffusion film. The chips are reminiscent of a book's page, the ISO 261 standard for paper sizes. The shape of Lastu resembles a flock of pages floating in the air. The work is illuminated with two top-down, high-powered video projectors, one of them connected to a camera. The other projector projects pre-prepared video material, the other projects live image captured by the camera, in which the effect of people passing through stairs affects the surface that lights the work. The work reacts to visitors passing underneath it, illuminating its space relative to the flow in the stairway. The work is dynamic and changes in relation to movement, direction of view, light, and time of day. The shades of light in the work consist of the colour variations of light in the environment.