Eija-Lissa Ahtila (Hämeenlinna, Finland, 1959 – ), On Breathing, 2024, video 4K, 9 minutes, 45 seconds, Courtesy of the Artist and Marian Goodman Gallery New York/Paris/Los Angeles.
On Breathing: Eija-Liisa Ahtila
Renowned Finnish artist and filmmaker Eija-Liisa Ahtila’s On Breathing is a visual reminder to slow down, take a moment, and concentrate on our breath. In this film, Ahtila portrays a stately oak tree consumed by morning fog.
New rhythms appear with Ahtila’s pattern of boxes that focus on parts of the tree emerging from fog before fading away. These, along with the sounds of birdsong, the ebb and flow of the tides of the nearby seashore, and wind rustling through the leaves, all create the illusion that the tree itself is breathing.
In and out, our breaths merge with the sounds and the movement of the tree, creating a shared connection with another living thing. As we focus on our breath, our sense of the passage of time slows, bringing us into a meditative space.
Sponsors
Courtesy of the Artist and Marian Goodman Gallery.
This exhibition is organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.