Of corn spirits and other creatures

In our last performance as part of our project in Vörå (Vöyri), we explored the significance of the so-called corn spirit (or: grain spirit) in harvest traditions. In both Central and Northern Europe, people were afraid of upsetting the corn spirit and thus risking poor harvests. After the harvest, sacrifices were made to appease the spirit.

No one had ever seen it, but people were certain that it roamed the fields in various animal forms. We reinterpreted these images and made the corn spirit friendly.

Also see:
Sir James George Frazer: The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (1890)

Fotos: Kim Blåfield

[PRESERVED // Rågens rike / Finland 2024-25 deals with the question of the identity-creating significance of rye for Finland - especially in the region of Vörå, resp. Ostrobothnia - and how this relationship can be reflected artistically ("Rågens rike" means "Kingdom of Rye" and describes this very region - Finlands granary) The project is hosted by Abramsgården in Vörå (Vöyri) in the Swedish speaking part of Finland, a cultural center in the countryside run by Dorothee Schulte-Basta and Peter Lüttge. Scheibe & Güntzel = Jan Philip Scheibe and Swaantje Güntzel].

With the support of:
Finnland-Institut in Deutschland für Kultur, Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft GmbH, Mikko Fritze, Finnlines
#Vöråsparbankaktiastiftelse #harryschaumanstiftelse #grannaslantbruk
#perjohangrannas #tommyantill #abbeberglund

#art #participartoryart #contemporaryart #grainfarming #rye #roggen #ernte #harvest #harvesttraditions #jamesfrazer #thegoldenbough #cornspirit #dergoldenezweig #brauchtum #traditions #customs #finland #finnland #vörå #vöyri #animals #masks #abramsgarden #kimblafield #preserved #scheibeundgüntzel #österbotten #ostrobothnia #stoppelfeld #korngeist #grainspirit

Nordic heat waves, a rushed harvest and a harvester from Westphalia

We didn´t make it back on time to Finland. Due to the recent heat wave in the north, our rye ripened so fast that it was ready before the originally calculated date and had to be harvested as soon as possible. Fortunately, the village and our hosts were there and the harvest already took place on Wednesday. Our agricultural advisor arrived with his brand new (!) combine harvester, which had just been delivered to him from Westphalia, and our photographer Kim was available to document everything for us which was a great relief.
We were connected live via video. At least that was something.

The rye was so dry that it no longer needed to be taken to the drying facility.
We now have 700 kg of rye.

Next week we will also be back.

[PRESERVED // Rågens rike / Finland 2024-25 deals with the question of the identity-creating significance of rye for Finland - especially in the region of Vörå, resp. Ostrobothnia - and how this relationship can be reflected artistically ("Rågens rike" means "Kingdom of Rye" and describes this very region - Finlands granary) The project is hosted by Abramsgården in Vörå (Vöyri) in the Swedish speaking part of Finland, a cultural center in the countryside run by Dorothee Schulte-Basta and Peter Lüttge. Scheibe & Güntzel = Jan Philip Scheibe and Swaantje Güntzel].

Thank you, Kim Blåfield, for the great images!

With the support of:
Finnland-Institut in Deutschland für Kultur, Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft GmbH Mikko Fritze
Finnlines
#Vöråsparbankaktiastiftelse #harryschaumanstiftelse #grannaslantbruk
#perjohangrannas #tommyantill #abbeberglund

#art #conceptualart #participartoryart #preserved #scheibeundgüntzel #vörå #vöyri #rye #grainfarming #claas #harvester #grainfarming #finnlines #finnlandinstitut #mikkofritze #kimblåfield #finland #finnland #heatwave #westfalen #westphalia #abramsgården #ostrobothnia #österbotten #roggen #roggenfeld #ernte #erntezeit #climatecrisis

Mämmi Mämmi Mämmi
About yesterday

We were lucky and the rain didn´t fall while we were performing. And we were lucky to have a photographer because the one that we usually work with (Erik Åhman) turns out to be the brother of one of the singers of the band KAJ who will represent Sweden at the ESC. And understandably he is very busy at the moment travelling with them. Funny enough the whole band is from the area and the whole area is going nuts about it. We found replacement in Kim Blåfield who will send us the official performance documentation next week, so for now its just the afterwards mämmi feast. It was great that so many people came. Stay tuned for more.

And thank you @[email protected] for the lemon and orange slices. That was a great addition to the mämmi/memma.

Fotos: Scheibe & Güntzel and Dorothee Schulte-Basta

The project is hosted by #Abramsgården in Vörå, supported by #Vöråsparbankaktiastiftelse #harryschaumanstiftelse #Finnlines #finnlandinstitut #grannaslantbruk #perjohangrannas #tommyantill #abbeberglund

#art #contemporaryart #conceptualart #participartoryart #finland #finnland #zeitgenössischekunst #konzeptkunst #partizipativekunst #ostrobothnia #österbotten #Vörå #Abramsgården #rågensrike #rye #performanceart #preserved #scheibeundgüntzel #farming #grainfarming #finlandsweden #participartoryart #sowing #sowingseeds #spring #easter #mämmi #memma #malt #ostern #erikåhman #esc #kimblåfield #soundperformance #performance #kaj