The Moss children are independent, they don’t need the help of adults.
– artist Kim Simonsson
The moss giants are the first works by Simonsson to be shown outdoors in central Helsinki. Originally created for the French festival lille3000, the giants will continue their journey in the autumn, when they will be permanently installed in the forests of Söderlångvik manor on Kemiö Island.
Kim Simonsson’s moss giants form a community of exceptional children. The artist has given each child a task, all of which are equally necessary to maintain the giants’ harmonious coexistence. Some carry various tools on their backs, others are accompanied by animals. The giants talk in Finnish sign language.
Themes of childhood have preoccupied the artist since the early stages of his career, when his child characters challenged cultural norms of desired and inappropriate behaviour. Today, Simonsson’s artistic work is also influenced by his trials and joys of parenthood. For instance, the moss giants reflect the artist’s experience of learning sign language; he speaks in Finnish sign language with one of his two children.
The journey of the moss giants continues in the autumn. Their final destination is Söderlångvik manor, Amos Anderson’s summer home on Kemiö Island. Each giant will find a permanent home in the woodland next to the manor. Over time, the giants will start to fade and offer a growing ground for lichen, moss and other organisms.
The exhibition is curated by Kai Kartio.
Kim Simonsson
The sculptor Kim Simonsson (b. 1974) lives and works in the artist village of Fiskars in Western Uusimaa, Finland. Known for his unprejudiced storytelling and strong knowledge of materials, Simonsson uses clay to sculpt animal and human figures. He typically works in oversized or true-to-nature scales. Finalized with mouth-blown glass, fibres or everyday utensils, his works are set within carefully crafted fables laced with both oddity and innocence.
