Beyond the Old Border

Mänttä XVI Art Festival, Mänttä, Finland, 12 June – 31 August 2011

“Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother” curated by Otso Kantokorpi

The sculpture installation Beyond the Old Border / Vanha raja ylitetty (Munakukkula), 7 parts, wood, 2011 is based on the artist’s father’s notes, drawings and photographs in the front during the Winter War and the Continuation War in 1939–1944.
His war time “black booklet” includes an epilogue written after the wars:

It was quite a time when this notebook was bought
and quite a time when it was filled.
It’s in the past and it’ll stay there, no hoping for it
again, for there were never worse times in the Finnish
army during the years of “freedom”.
4 years, 10 months service without interruption,
including the Winter War and the Continuation War,
which began on 10 June 1941.
Civilian life began on 19 November 1944.
No one can be envious. Fortunately, finally it was over.
“Peace on Earth and goodwill to the people.”
Heimo Koskinen

Oli se aikaa se, jolloin
tämä vihko on ostettu.
Oli se myös aikaa, jolloin
tämä vihko on täytetty.
Takana on ja pysyy,
toivoa ei voi uudelleen,
sillä Suomen armeijassa
ei koskaan ”vapauden”
aikana ole sen kurjem-
pia aikoja vietetty.
4 v. 10 kk. yhtäjaksoista
palvelusta, joka sisälsi
talvisodan ja jatkosodan
joka alkoi 10.6.1941.
Siviili koitti 19.11.-44.
Ei voi kukaan kadehtia.
Onneksi lopulta ”Ohi!”
”Rauha maassa ja ihmisillä hyvä
tahto.”


Heimo Koskinen