The Creature is a series inspired by Lassila’s memories of her first cameras and her evolving relationship with them. The devices have been kept, and some still function. As technology advanced, newer models were added to the artist’s collection. Years ago, Lassila created a playful welcome video for her new Panasonic DV camera. Over time, she realised she had developed a peculiar attachment to her equipment. The cameras began to feel like colleagues—ones she wanted to look after.
As the devices aged, they were left on a shelf, seemingly awaiting their end—much like the old animals in the fairy tale The Bremen Town Musicians, where the elderly are set aside. The Creature also serves as a metaphor for aging: do we cast people aside when they no longer function? These reflections gave rise to the first piece—the character of the Creature, along with the video and photographs.
Recycling plays a central role in Lassila’s works and in the creation of the Creature. It was easy to find old electronic waste on the streets or in friends’ storage. The excessive consumer culture is a key theme of the piece, as is our constant drive for faster and better technology. We source raw materials from elsewhere, only to eventually return our old junk to the same places.
As a media artist, this cycle of development also sparks a critical reflection in Lassila. As she puts it, “Something stinks”. In recent years, she has been working on another piece in which she writes ink letters to future generations from the present moment. While she finds technological progress fascinating, not all change may necessarily be for the better.
Nina Lassila (b. 1974, Helsinki) creates works that often draw on text, video, and photography. She is inspired by historical figures, events, and various objects. By combining fact, fiction, and personal stories, she writes scripts for video artworks and frequently develops characters whose narratives she explores. In recent years, Lassila has begun working with recycled materials. Many of her works address themes of identity, gender, and societal norms. She is also interested in social, environmental, supernatural, and political phenomena.
Lassila studied photography in Finland, in the town of Uusikaarlepyy, and at Högskolan för fotografi in Gothenburg. There, photography professor Tuija Lindström encouraged her to experiment with video cameras, which proved to be a natural medium for her artistic expression. She currently lives and works in Belgium.
