Solidarity JamA second version of the Solidarity Jam made in Mustarinda. The label design is loosely based on the original concept by Anne Knappe. Image copyright: Pauliina Leikas
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Art in Conflict 2011, Labour Museum Werstas, Finland
Financial Times 2013, Mustarinda, Finland People were invited to a forest trip to pick wild blueberries, discuss about the exploitation of Thai migrant forest berry pickers´ situation in Finland and the commons while designing and producing Solidarity Jam that was then sold to support Thai migrant workers' attempt to organize themselves in their struggle against labour trafficking. Since 2005 thousands of migrant seasonal workers, mainly from Thailand, have travelled every summer to work in Finnish forests with a tourist visa. The globalizing Finnish forest berry industry is now totally depended on the input of that workforce that has no official employee status and thus can be exploited freely. This situation, while fuelling racist discourse against the migrant pickers, is also affecting to the Finnish culture´s understanding of the forest resources as commons: cultural and natural resources accessible to all. The Solidarity Jam project is a collaboration between me, artists Markus Petz, Ismo Torvinen and Anne Knappe, Center of Contemporary art Pispala, Migrant Workers' Union Thailand and Thai Labour Campaign. Guests: migrant labor activists Junya Yimprasert and Patchanee Kumnak, chairman of the Finnish Left Youth Li Andersson and eco-activist and artist-activist-biologist Richard Thompson Coon Thanks to Arteles creative center for providing venue for discussions and screening. |
A bus ride and a short presentation during it of Finnish cultural history of the commons was part of the Solidarity Jam programme. Image copyright: Anne Knappe
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A bus full of people from Russia, USA and Finland picked blueberries during a forest trip to Mustikkavuori (Blueberry Mountain). Image copyright: Anne Knappe
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A lunch brake on the Blueberry Mountain. Dessert: blueberry pie. Image copyright: Mikko Lipiäinen
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Migrant labour activist Junya Yimprasert introducing her documentary about thai berry pickers in Finland which was screened in the end of the trip. Image copyright: Anne Knappe
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Artist, activist and biologist Richard Thompson Coon giving a speech during the event. Image copyright: Anne Knappe
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Tasting of the possible recipies for the final product. We also experimented with combining blueberry and Thai chili in a form of a chutney. Image copyright: Anne Knappe
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