Installation at Gallery Heino
Morrison II
62x50cm
Framed pigment print, museum glass
Morrison & Friends
2021
4K video | Stereo audio | Duration: 26:50
Esiintyjät / Cast
Morrison
Anna-Sofia Sysser
Eero Yli-Vakkuri
Johanna Blom
Rasmus Hedlund
Tarja Jokinen, Morrisonin ohjaaja / Morrison’s trainer
Kertoja / Narrator Kristian Ekholm
Kuvaaja / Director of photography Paavo Lehtonen
2.kamera / Second camera Mikko Peura
Äänitys / sound recording Mikko Peura
Valokuvaaja / On set photographer Paavo Lehtonen
Äänisuunnittelija / sound designer Kristian Ekholm
Leikkaaja / Edit Paula Lehtonen
Tekstitysten oikoluku / proofreading Idalina Lehtonen
Ohjaus, idea ja konsepti / Director, idea & concept Paula Lehtonen
Documentary videoart piece Morrison & Friends depicts interspecies communications between humans and an alpaca.
I started working on this short film while I was on maternity leave. Motherhood was a new and very bodily experience for me. My senses were open to observe the animal in me, and I experienced first-hand what it really means to be a mammal. The change in my life together with love hormones, made me conscious of the idea of sharing a common origin and connection to all living beings. I wanted to change my anthropocentric perspective and delve into the idea of equal non-human fellow species. We gain new perspectives into alternative realities, methods of communication and knowledge by refocusing and interacting with another species whose senses work differently from ours and who, through those senses, accesses the world in a different way than we do. Instead of space, alien intelligence can be found right here.
Deep in thoughts like these, I came across an article about Morrison the alpaca. Morrison is a celebrity who has appeared on Finnish TV shows such as the Dudesons and Fairytale weddings. Morrison also works with animal-assisted activities and alpaca therapy, visiting nursing homes with her trainer Tarja Jokinen. As a therapy animal, Morrison is used to interacting with people and he is not intimidated by people working behind cameras. This made it possible to create an environment in the studio where the participants seemingly simply needed to be present. Having all these beings spending time together was the basis for my documentary videoart work Morrison & Friends.