Mari Halonen: The best thing is Freedom, the scariest is the Darkness

The drawings in this exhibition are based on Halonen´s experiences as a community artist working with the elderly. In her works, Halonen explores aging on both a societal and personal level. Throughout her life and career, Halonen has met hundreds of elderly people. She has visited homes, assisted living facilities, day centers and various communities. She has encountered people enjoying the best time of their lives in retirement, as well as those who require care at a relatively young age.

“Dementia is a frightening and strange disease. I have had the opportunity to see life from many perspectives, and the one thing we all share is that we age. While drawing, I reflect on my own future: What do I wish for myself? How do I want to spend my old age? I put myself in the position of someone with dementia and ask how I would want to be treated if I could no longer express it myself. What truly matters in life when the body becomes frail or memory fades?”

The state and future of elderly care are discussed in the media daily. The situation is inevitably heading towards a crisis, as large age cohorts grow older while a significant number of healthcare workers retire. The need for care and assistance will be enormous. Who will take care of us, and who will receive care? What does a dignified old age look like? What does a dignified death mean?

Alongside the uncertainties and fears associated with aging, Halonen also wants to highlight its positive aspects. The joy of having time to do things one has always wanted to do. Joining a grandma punk band, trying new things for the first time, reading as much as one wants, traveling, attending concerts and hockey games, falling in love again, and resting when needed. The best thing about aging is freedom.

The exhibition consists of three parts:

1. The Builders of the Welfare State – 100 Elders

After the war, people rebuilt Finland, repaired and renewed, worked hard, raised children, and gave their all. What do we give them in return?

2. A Comic Strip on Aging

“This series illustrates my work as a community artist and explores the many sides of old age. While drawing, I place myself in the position of an elderly person, capturing moments and encounters in care homes. I also reflect on the changes that come with my own aging. I try to understand and accept aging—and through that, life itself. I remember my own parents’ aging and passing. Can we comprehend the relentless speed of time, which seems to accelerate with age, even as the days feel monotonous? The experience of aging is constantly evolving. Stereotypical images of grandmothers sitting in their cottages persist, even though today’s elderly are active participants in society.”

3. Memory Game

“This section fantasizes about a good old age. It is wishful thinking, deep emotions, imagination, and a dream that, if dementia were to come, it would not take away my inner world.”

The works are created using ink, drawn with a brush and dry ink pen, wooden sticks, as well as unconventional materials like lichen and paper towels.

Many thanks to the Arts Promotion Centre Finland for supporting this exhibition.

Mari Anneli Halonen (b. 1980) is a community artist, illustrator, and ceramicist interested in ink drawing, finishing ceramic objects, and having coffee with grandmothers. In her community art work, she engages with people through conversation, singing, playing music, illustrating memories, and live drawing. She also leads the Grannypunk band and is a member of the Tähtisumu Collective in Kuopio.