A lamp is a simple, functional item that goes almost unnoticed in a room; it stands beside us, an immobile observer of our daily home lives, there for the laughter, tears, boredom. The lamps here are all real lamps, sourced from recycling centres and charity shops, lamps that people have lived with in their homes and are correspondingly worn, chipped, scratched, faded, stained and imperfect.
In this installation, these silent helpers are given a voice, silently broadcasting messages into the room. But instead of saying ‘Home sweet home’ or a motivational slogan like ‘Live, love, laugh’, the lampshades bear apologies, reveal secrets and vulnerabilities, feel lonely, feel fake and fear death. The texts are snatched phrases and thoughts: ‘Sorry’, ‘Pretend it is not happening’, ‘You tire me out’. The home can be seen as a mirror of the psyche and these lamps serve such a function. Collectively, the lights sketch out a playful and morbid state of mind. Some simultaneously play on the nature of a lamp (‘I feel artificial’, ‘Burnt out’, ‘False dawn’, ‘Dying light’).
Domestic interiors are normally largely private affairs, hidden from others by walls and curtains. In this window exhibition, the private domestic world is thrown open and exposed to people going about their business on the streets.
The work straddles the worlds of interior design and art, the boundary between our private and public worlds, and the line drawn between comfort and discomfort.
Duncan Butt Juvonen’s exhibition is part of the Booked 2026 festival, which will expand to other venues in addition to MUU Helsinki Contemporary Art Centre (Cable Factory). The Booked exhibition at the Cable Factory will be on display from 6 to 14 September 2025.
Duncan Butt Juvonen is a British–Finnish artist who was born in Britain but has been living and working in Finland for around 20 years. Duncan graduated with a distinction from the master’s programme of the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts in 2009, having studied his bachelor’s degree in the UK.
Duncan has exhibited internationally in various galleries and museums (in 11 countries), he has been awarded numerous awards and grants, and his works are in various collections (such as the Saastamoinen Foundation Collection and the Finnish State Art Collection).
www.duncanbuttjuvonen.com
