Look through

In Look through, Liina Ilona Särkkö explores identity and its influence on how we perceive the world and our surroundings. For her, identity is layered, carefully curated from personal experiences, selectively drawn from memories that feel most representative of the self, yet intertwined with the unpredictability of uncontrollable events. While working on the glasses, it became clear that the more elements she added, the less visible the original structure became, and the more obscured the view through the lenses was. No matter how intricate or thoughtfully chosen, each part of the delicate construction contributes to both obstructing and conditioning vision. Through this work, Särkkö invites us to reflect on the complexities of self-perception and the ways our identities shape, and sometimes limit, our understanding of the world.

Liina Ilona Särkkö is a Finnish multidisciplinary artist based in Milan. Her artistic research centres on identity and care, viewing empathy, intimacy, and vulnerability as radical, revolutionary acts that challenge how we see each other and society. Her practice involves layering and collaging self-sourced moving images, found footage, poems, and sometimes sculpture, creating shifting visual narratives that dissolve into what she calls “calm chaos.”

Särkkö’s work investigates xeno and trans-feminist themes, reflecting on the crucial role culture, as well as both written and spoken language, play in the construction of our subjectivity—whether social, precarious, or collective. Through her explorations, she offers alternative perspectives on identity and community, highlighting the fluid and interconnected nature of human experience.
Alongside her artistic practice, she works as an independent curator focusing on the intersections of feminism, electronic music, and contemporary culture, while also engaging in freelance graphic design and ESL teaching.