Finland born visual artist SOPHIA EHRNROOTH has documented young Scandinavian football players since 2013. She has exhibited the first part of this series in Helsinki in 2015. In 2021 she held the Field of Dreams -installation at Bolt Arena, in Helsinki consisting of thousands of footballs arranged on the field.
Field of Dreams is a communal, one-day, performative art installation. Admission is free, and people of all ages are welcome to join the open-air event, which takes place on a football field. Participants are invited to bring along their old football and exchange it for a new one.
Dream of Championship exhibition consists of 20 photographic acrylic prints, short movie and one multimedia work. The exhibition is inspired by the victories and losses in the football fields and the dream of championship. Her son’s strong dedication and passion for football inspired her to dive into the world of the football arenas, a world she was previously unfamiliar with.
FIELD OF DREAMS 2021
INSTALLATION
“No prior experience with art or football is necessary.”
With her installation, Sophia Ehrnrooth wishes to raise discussion about the importance of empowering young people to chase their dreams. Who is allowed to dream, who is permitted to play, and who is accepted as a team member? How can dreams be kept alive? How can they be refreshed and stay relevant?
Consisting of thousands of footballs arranged on the field – each one representing a dream – the visually dramatic installation transports the viewer into the world of play and dreams.
The installation visualizes the power of dreams, joy, and play. It reminds us how children embrace their dreams with boundless passion and enthusiasm. Everyone should have the freedom to dream and believe in their dreams – and this message is all the more relevant in our complicated post-pandemic reality.
PHOTOGRAPHS
“One day, no matter what, I will also be a Champion, like Messi, Ronaldo, Drogba, Zlatan…”
The photographs following young Scandinavian football players display the passion for the game. They show the magic ambience of the big inside-arenas in the North where the lights twinkle like stars in the sky.
For the young players, the dream to become someone special, to become a star, a champion, or even a legend is very strong and real. When not playing in the field, the almost hypnotic fascination continues with FIFA games online. This series of photographs also looks at what happens when injury stops everything.
SHORT MOVIE
“900 Footballs”
2020
About
“Sometimes the greatest victories happen on the sidelines.”
When unexpected storm threatens a Finnish artist’ installation, an assist comes from an unlikely group all too familiar with weathering the perfect storm: The children of illegal immigrants in exile in Rome.
SHORT MOVIE
“Dream of Championship”
2017
MULTI CHANNEL VIDEO INSTALLATION
“879 HEROES BY HEART”
2015-2017
About
The short movie and multimedia installation show four young boys reciting as many football champions as they can remember. Each boy recalls over 200 names. The short movie Dream of Championship (2017) has gone to compete in film festivals in Finland and abroad. The installation version has been exhibited in galleries in Finland, Italy and Japan.
PAST EXHIBITIONS
24.8.2021
Field of Dreams -installation
Bolt Arena
Helsinki, Finland
4.5.2019
MAAM
Museum of the Other and the Elsewhere
Rome, Italy
2.5.2019
MACRO Asilo
Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome
Rome, Italy
27.6.-30.6.2018
Shimadai Gallery
Kyoto, Japan
13.6.2018
PechaKucha Night Oslo
Oslo, Norway
4.5.-3.6.2018
Taidehalli Art Hall
Porvoo, Finland
11.4.2018
PechaKucha Night
Helsinki Design Week
Helsinki, Finland
23.-26.3.2018
Spazio Cerere
Rome, Italy
29.1.-4.2.2018
DocPoint
Helsinki Documentary Film Festival
Helsinki, Finland
28.11.–3.12.2017
Rome Independent Film Festival RIFF
at Casa del Cinema di Villa Borghese
Rome, Italy
7.2.–21.3.2016
at Historical Museum of Boznia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
28.4.–17.5.2015
at Lasipalatsi Exhibition Space
Helsinki, Finland
CONTACT
playartfinland@gmail.com