HARRI PÄLVIRANTABurn Index 11.10.2025 – 9.11.2025
Australia #18 from series Burn Index, 2025Archival pigment print, framed, museum glass
121 x 94 cm
edition 5+2AP
In
my work Burn Index I examine the traces left by wildfires in
nature and near human settlements. I regard the imagery of burning and marks
produced by heat and fire, in other words, I see the traces of fire and burning
as 'imprints', as some kind of indexical signs of the fires.
I approach the subject using expanded documentary methods. My exhibition features photographs of the so called 'imprints' left in the environment by fire and burning and works that I call firegrams. In these works, I have placed branches of trees on large wooden panels and used a blowtorch to char the background. I have worked on this subject during 2023-25 and until now photographed the burned sights of wildfires in Rhodes, Tenerife, Australia, Portugal, Los Angeles as well as South Korea.
Wildfires are partly a natural phenomenon, since throughout the ages some fires have been caused by lightning, volcanic eruptions, heat and drought, for example. On the other hand, some wildfires result from controlled burning, the carelessness of people around nature, and from damaged machinery and infrastructure. However, there has been a downturn in wildfires since the mid-20th century: people now control fire better, and ash application and land clearing are no longer part of agricultural practices, especially in developed countries. Assumably declined forest cover has also reduced the number of fires.
With climate change, however, extreme weather phenomena such as prolonged periods of heat and strong winds have become more common, and forest fires and wildfires have also become more extensive, intense and unpredictable than before. In turn, the emissions produced by fires affect climate change and the increase in fires. Often the social impacts of fires have also been considerable.
Harri Pälviranta
Harri Pälviranta (b. 1971) is a Helsinki-based artist using photography. He is also a freelance researcher and teacher. Pälviranta holds a doctorate in photography from the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture (2012), an MA in media studies from the University of Turku (2005) and a BA in photography from Turku Arts Academy (2000). Pälviranta’s works have been included in more than 150 exhibitions in over 30 countries and he has published five books. He has also published articles on photography in Finnish and international publications, lectured and held workshops in Finland and abroad, as well as worked as a freelance curator. His work is included in many national public collections such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma (Helsinki), the Finnish Museum of Photography (Helsinki) and the Finnish state art collection. In addition, his works can be found in private collections in Finland and abroad. A comprehensive museum exhibition by Pälviranta will be on view at Mikkeli Art Museum in Finland from October 10 2025 to February 15 2026.
