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1981
Volume 11, Issue 2
  • ISSN: 2050-9790
  • E-ISSN: 2050-9804

Abstract

Electrical distribution cabinets are a regular feature on the streets of Helsinki. The surfaces of these boxes are often decorated with stickers, graffiti, event posters and art works which compete for attention and offer clues to a plurality of discourses that signify much about the contemporary life of the city. This article discusses the significance of these cabinets in relation to a series of paintings made for the research project ‘Urban Atlas Helsinki’ during the author’s Fellowship at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies (2022–23). The importance of painting as a research method is emphasized due to the visual nature of the subject matter. Through a close reading of a particular cabinet, insights are offered as to the nature of the discourses contained, and what they signify about Helsinki as a contemporary urban culture.

Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • Kone Foundation, Finland, via the Fellowship in the Arts at Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki
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/content/journals/10.1386/jucs_00092_1
2025-01-09
2025-04-24
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