Iiris Elena Rusi: Our hearts can break too

The artist acts as both the face and the narrator in a composition that juxtaposes anonymous online commentators with sex workers going about their daily work.

In February 2021, Me Naiset magazine published an interview with Iiris Elena Rusi in its ‘Toisintekijä’ series, which focused on her as a sex worker and visual artist. The interview has since been shared on various social media platforms and discussion forums. The comments sections have been flooded with posts commenting on, amongst other things, her appearance, desirability and moral conduct. After the article was published, Rusi, who had stopped to write a message in Asematunneli, was approached by a young man who, as Rusi looked up, shouted “Pay your taxes, whore!” and walked away smiling. Comments posted online do not arise and exist in a vacuum; they reflect the social climate of society.

Iiris Elena Rusi (b. 1991) is a multidisciplinary visual artist based in Helsinki whose work explores issues relating to morality, sexuality and the various power structures between society and individuals. By drawing on her own experiences and placing herself on display for the viewer, Rusi comments on social issues that are meaningful to her. Whether the final work takes the form of an installation, a video or a photograph, all of her works are performances that are thoroughly and painfully honest.