Rainer Paananen: Sound of Alchemy – Rounds and Other Forms

Sound of Alchemy – Rounds and Other Forms explores basic geometric forms, sound and the material dialogue between them through experimental photography and a multidisciplinary artistic process.

At the core of Paananen’s practice is a string instrument of his own design, which simultaneously produces sound and leaves a physical trace when played. The instrument’s operating principle is based on a tool known as a chalk line, used to mark a straight line between points A and B. Having previously explored the relationship between sound and photography, Paananen’s practice has gradually expanded into a broader question of how perception, movement and form can be translated from one material into another.

In some of the works, the starting point is a simplified seascape. The horizon is rearranged on the surface of photographic paper through charcoal applied to the instrument’s string and the movement of playing. Other works are guided by geometric problems: how can a circle be drawn with a device that primarily produces only straight lines, or what happens to a form when it is repeated, cut, shifted and played?

Playing has a meditative dimension in Paananen’s work. His experimental process draws parallels with minimalist drone music, in which sustained chords and masses of sound form a continuous sonic foundation. A single work may be created through uninterrupted playing lasting anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, allowing the process to reach hypnotic states through sound and repetition. At the same time, sound becomes a spatial and temporal part of the process.In the exhibition, photography is not merely an image that records the surrounding world. It
functions as a surface and material within an event where movement, sound and form become one.
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Rainer Paananen (b. 1990, Tikkakoski) is a visual artist and photographer based in Jyväskylä, Finland. He holds a M.A degree from Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Since 2011, Paananen’s work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in Finland and internationally, including Helsinki Design Week, Paja & Bureau (Helsinki, 2023), Helsinki Kunsthalle (Helsinki, 2021), Turku Kunsthalle (Turku, 2021), Paris Photo (Paris, 2018), Photo London (London, 2018) and Vienna Contemporary (Vienna,2018).