Uutisia
 

Francis Joy: Saamelaiset ja kalliomaalaukset (luento englanniksi) Korundissa

5.5.2014 13:25

Francis Joy works as a researcher at the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland Faculty of Art and Design. For the past eight years, Francis has conducted fieldwork and interviews with Sami persons regarding shamanism and rock paintings in Finland, as well as extensive research into the old Sami shaman drums which survived the Christian purges of the 17th and 18th centuries. A lecture on this topic will be presented this evening at 18.00pm at Korundi Art Museum, Rovaniemi.

The lecture has 2 parts to it, the first part addresses new findings in Finland's pre-historic rock paintings which are dated between 3.500 - 7000 years old; of spirit figures which are of a particular design and status, that share many parallels with similar spirit figures found painted on the heads of Sami shaman drums from Sweden and Norway. Much of the literature published about the discovery of rock paintings in Finland, suggests that the origins of the artwork lies in Finnish culture in an ancient past. This new evidence challenges these old views and seeks a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of a possible explanation for the cultural context for the paintings.


The second part of the presentation addresses vandalism and graffiti at over 10% of rock painting sites in present day Finland which is caused by tourism and purposeful destruction. The rock paintings are irreplaceable source of historical knowledge which have immense value for the cultures in Finland, and due to a lack of protection many sites remain vulnerable to further damage. Everyone is welcome