Jaakko Helikkilä
Past Artist In Residence
2005

The Armenian photographer, Jaakko Helikkilä, from northern Finland, provokes talk about the history of the Finnish-Swedish border in regards to smuggling and Swedish language politics, as well as the general attitude on life around the border. He has documented people of the White Sea in Russia as they have a rich history of trade, yet the political injustices of Communism have destroyed their culture. Helikkilä tries to trace back and discover the signs of this disappearing culture. In 2005, he was able to travel to California where he received a grant from FRAME for a residency at 18th Street for three months. During his residency, he photographed various Diaspora Los Angeles communities. The photographs were subsequently exhibited at the Venice Biennale. Currently he lives and works in Finland.