Wilma Hurskainen

Wilma Hurskainen’s monograph The Woman Who Married a Horse examines the relationship between humans and horses. In art, the horse is a symbol that does not seem to wear out with time; it rather seems to defy definitions. In her images, Hurskainen borrows horse stories from girls’ books and folklore. The book tells about the ability of the photograph to create something dream-like. The seemingly innocent images also raise questions of the meaning of free will, cooperation, responsibility, and language. Communication between two species is possible but it is always limited. The animal seems to have served as a mirror in which humans see a reflection of themselves, a reflection they have no other access to. But the more instrumental the human being’s attitude towards the animal is, the more muddled his mirror becomes.
Wilma Hurskainen (b. 1979 in Vantaa, Finland) has previously published two monographs: Growth, 2008 and Heiress, 2012. Her works have been on display at several solo and group exhibitions in Europe and Asia.