PHYSICAL LOVE POEM FOR LAND
Kukkonen b. 1988, Finland · Living in the forest
She moved into the forest. She dances butoh in Iceland, in grief for the Earth. She calls herself a gentle radical activist. She is living in an ever-wondrous world full of magic — and she means it entirely.
"As I felt grateful beyond words for all I had been so generously given by the Earth — for how she was holding me in the time of grief — the idea of reciprocity surfaced. I wanted to give something back."
She is tirelessly looking for ways to live responsibly and sustainably in here with each and every being, and values art and actions that can be felt in the real world.
Julia Kukkonen is an artist, innovator, and self-described gentle radical activist. Born in Finland in 1988, she grew up wild and free in Finnish forests — a childhood that became the foundation of her entire practice. After years of living and working nomadically across Europe and the United States, she has recently moved into a forest, joining an eco-community in rural southern Finland.
Her work is mission-driven rather than medium-driven. She moves fluidly between artist, activist, educator, facilitator, and producer depending on what the work needs. Her exhibitions have been widely shown in Finland, across Europe, and in the US, with generous support from Arts Promotion Centre Finland.
Her current mission: to stay soft, and to show care to the world and its beings. Not only those of humans.
"It feels almost like too much of a cliché to say that nature is my biggest inspiration — but as it rings so deeply true for me, I just can't not say it."
Julia KukkonenGreatest inspirations or influences?
It feels almost like too much of a cliché to say that nature is my biggest inspiration — but as it rings so deeply true for me, I just can't not say it. I grew up quite wild and free in Finnish forests and have always felt the interconnectedness with the more-than-human world. And while nature is my teacher and ally, my familiar mother and my source of comfort, it is also constantly changing, unexpected and wild beyond my imagination. And that relationship inspires me. There is always something new to feel, to discover, and to experience.
The poetic, layered stories of existence by directors Sergei Parajanov and Andrei Tarkovsky have made a huge impact on me and my art. Seeing and experiencing paintings by Mark Rothko and Hilma af Klint were deeply spiritual experiences that changed something in me and how I view the world.
Another remarkable influence comes from my spiritual practice. I delve deep into metaphysics, practice meditation daily, and live honouring this beautiful, delicious existence. I see myself only as a tiny part of a vast network of interconnected consciousnesses, a part of a large continuum. I feel the responsibility and gratitude for the Earth, for my ancestors, and also those yet to come.
How did this particular set of visuals come to being — what is the background behind them?
The work was made when I lived in Iceland in 2018. For me, it was a time of deep ecological grief as I was just really embodying the level of environmental destruction and disconnectedness from nature happening in the human world. I lived in an extremely powerful, rural place — mountains, waterfalls and the ocean as my companions. At the same time I was feeling this devastating, overwhelming grief for the lost futures and the dying of the Earth, my first love.
As my artistic practice is mostly body-based, and I also dance butoh, I found it most natural to have conversations with nature using my body. It is the language most cherished to me. In this abstract way of communicating, there is no need for limiting words — only immediate, bodily experienced contact.
As I felt grateful beyond words for all I had been so generously given by the Earth, for how she was holding me in the time of grief, the idea of reciprocity surfaced. I wanted to give something back. And while there is not much one can give for the Earth, there's always time, consideration and gratitude. I was embodying deep love for the Earth and I wanted to express it for her. So, my abstract expression of the feeling — my gift for the Earth — in a form of the Physical Love Poem for Land came to being.
How has the current world situation affected you as a creative — and how do you think the world is going to change moving forward?
After my calendar got wiped empty overnight, I turned to other types of work. I am very fortunate in a way that I live in a rural environment, not confined in a small place, and have been able to be in nature a lot. I have mostly used this opening for quiet work — for contemplation and research, and building an ever-firmer foundation for the work I do. Still, sometimes the situation has felt difficult. I have just been focusing on breathing and existing. I have rested and meditated.
I don't dare guess how the world is going to come out of this. I feel optimistic, but don't want to have naive expectations. I am afraid we may have to face even more grief, separation, and destruction in order to really change things on a collective level. But I really, really hope we don't have to go so far.
Favourite websites and social media you enjoy following?
My heart expands and I get very excited when I encounter beautifully crafted words and wisdom carried from beyond generations, aeons even, or beyond our human realm.
- The Woman Who Ate Fire — Facebook page
- The Dark Mountain Project — essays, art, uncivilisation
- Emergence Magazine Podcast — deeply recommended
- MUBI — an excellently curated film platform
for Land
The work was made when Julia lived in Iceland in 2018 — a time of deep ecological grief, as she was fully embodying the level of environmental destruction happening in the human world. She lived in an extremely powerful rural place: mountains, waterfalls, and the ocean as companions.
As her artistic practice is mostly body-based, and she also dances butoh, she found it most natural to hold conversations with nature using her body. In this abstract mode of communication, there is no need for limiting words — only immediate, bodily experienced contact.
She wanted to give something back to the Earth. And while there is not much one can give, there is always time, consideration, and gratitude. This is what the Physical Love Poem for Land became: an embodied gift.
"My heart was ripped open and vulnerable, and I was conversing with nature a lot, asking advice and soothing for my being from the Icelandic landscapes."
The resulting work is abstract — a bodily expression of feeling, not a representation of it. For Julia, the body is the language most cherished. It speaks what words cannot contain.
Since founding it, Julia has been co-running Sydenkoulu — Place of Becomings: a community project aiming to establish a place for resilient, alternative education for adults. Its focus mirrors her artistic practice — creating and imagining a more beautiful world for all, starting deep from each individual, finding personal integrity, making sense of the world, and discovering areas of agency.
The project runs an online grieving circle for climate-related grief, small group live gatherings, and experimental education formats. More information at sydenkoulu.com ↗
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Antakly Projects is an independent platform dedicated to artists, musicians, photographers, designers, and thinkers at every stage — from emerging voices to established masters. Every interview is selected for depth, not reach.
"I truly believe it is our job as creatives to imagine a more beautiful world for all of us."
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