Sweet Peas and Snapdragons
and Forget Me Not

Installation
2021 / 2023

Riga Photography Biennal — NEXT 2023: Group exhibition Language of Flowers at the Gallery of the Artists’ Union of Latvia.
Participants: Hedi Jaansoo (EE), Ieva Maslinskaitė (LT), Agate Tūna (LV), Daniel Vincent Hansen (NO)
Curators: Inga Brūvere (LV) and Marie Sjøvold (NO)

*
Edition 5 + 2AP
Inkjet print, framed
40 × 60 cm
2021

Printed on Hahnemühle Bamboo 290gsm acid–free FineArt paper, mounted on aluminium composite and framed in deep oak veneered Nielsen aluminium profile frame with natural oak spacer and Artglass.

I have photographed half-dried cut flowers. I have depicted these with myself, with the wall, with my granny. I have taped the pieces of pictures together and photographed these with more or less fresh flowers, notes, walls and vases. I have pressed wrinkles into clay. I have braided scarves. I’d like to be like a snapdragon, symbolizing the strength of women. I’d like to polish my nails again, but afterwards I’d have to take it off, and I have no time, and then they’ll remain longer in a half-polished state than in polished one. Like flowers in a vase are always longer half-dried than fresh. I’d like to be able to say there’s no need to compress yourself, it won’t help anyone.

The beautiful nymph Paeonia once caught the eye of Apollo. However, Paeonia turned self-conscious and blushed terribly as she noticed that Aphrodite had observed their flirtation. Aphrodite got angry and turned Paeonia into a red peony.

During the Victorian era, people sent each other little flower arrangements to express feelings that were considered a social taboo. Flower dictionaries were used in order to decode the talking bouquets. One of the most popular dictionaries of this kind is “Language of Flowers” (Routledge, 1884, illustrated by Kate Greenaway, a book with numerous reprints). So, during the Victorian era, one had to speak literally through flowers about things that couldn’t be said.

Also, they say you should not let peonies wither, because it will bring bad luck.

I’d like to be like a snapdragon.