Henri Airo: War Is a Disaster

Henri Airo’s book tackles an important and timely subject, the legacy of war in Finland. The book is an artistic research project composed of photographs, drawings, and documents. The combination of photographs and archival material is epistemologically successful, as it brings together both collective and personal memories. The layout and design of the book support this approach, allowing the reader to gain a deeper understanding by both reading and examining the images and documents more closely.

Authors: Henri Airo, Ahmed Al-Nawas, Susanna Hast, Noora Kotilainen, Saara Särmä & Leena Vastapuu
Graphic design: Camilla Marrese
Designers: Camilla Marrese, Henri Airo & Toivo Heinimäki
Production assistants: Veeti Valkama ja Petja Heiskanen
Language: Finnish
Publisher: Utu Press
Released: October 2024
Editions: 300
Printing and binding: KOPA, Kaunas (inner) & Kalasataman seripaja, Helsinki (cover)
ISBN: 978-952-65274-2-0

Markus Jokela: Moments and Landscapes of Minor Importance

In Markus Jokela’s book, a classical approach to documentary photography is combined with a contemporary touch. The combination of text and image shows Jokela’s extensive experience in journalism and his mastery of the art of street photography. There is humour in the nuances of both the images and the text snippets. The latter are quotes from overheard conversations in the urban settings of the photographs. This idea of haphazardly overheard fragments begins to guide the reader into a certain way of looking at the images, as they are taken in passing moments on the streets of Helsinki between 2019–2023. A carefully made layout supports the interaction between text and image, and the printing quality is extraordinary.

Layout design: Heikki Kaski
Photo editing: Pete Kuokka
Language: Finnish and English
Publisher: Hatje Cantz
Release date: May 2024
Editions: 900
Isbn: 978-3-7757-5686-0

Nelli Palomäki: SHARED

In Nelli Palomäki’s book, strong images of classical portraiture reveal what it means to be a sibling, a child, and an adolescent. The superb black and white photography in this self-published photobook is a result of a longstanding project of nine years. The choice of format extends the concept of a photobook, bringing it closer to that of a magazine. This also provides an opportunity to display the images at a size closer to their true dimensions. The well designed layout makes one think of a family album. The choice of different papers and attention to detail give the book the feel of a luxury object, a collector’s item.

Other authors: Essay: Antti Nylén
English translation: Jean Ramsay
Proofreading (eng): Minna Jeffery
Graphic design: Tytti Halonen
Image editing: Petri Kuokka, Aarnipaja
Language: Finnish and English
Publisher: self-published
Release date: June 2024
Editions: 250
Printing: Markprint, Lahti
Binding: Lahen Kirjansitomo
Isbn: 978-952-94-8761-5

Jari Salo: The Monolith

In Jari Salo’s book, the images and text are combined in a thoughtful way, bringing forth a feeling of tranquility. There is a balance in the book that creates a dialogue between the monumental and the personal, lightness and heaviness, negative and positive. The monolith becomes a metaphor for fatherhood, and also for hope – integrating a traumatic event into a part of one’s own life experience. The short texts presented alongside the images are both narrative and poetic. The book tells a story of acceptance and survival.

Other producers: Project Director: Sangyon Joo
Project Manager: Yuna Doh
Production Manager: Juyoung Jung
Graphic designer: Yuna Doh
Production: Top Process
Language: Finnish
Publisher: Datz Press
Release date: 1.10.2024
Editions: 300
Isbn: 978-89-97605-71-2

Mikael Siirilä: Here in Absence

Mikael Siirilä’s book comes with an accompanying musical composition by The Humble Bee & Offthesky, allowing the book to be read alongside the audio recording. This fascinating combination of photography and sound gives the book a cinematic feel. The photographic images are precisely composed, and they form an interplay between showing and concealing. By hiding people’s personal features, Siirilä manages to reveal something about coexistence. The design of the object is exquisite, with a playful visual reference to a vinyl record on the cover.

Publishing: Mathias van Eecloo
Music: Jason Corder (Offthesky), Craig Tattersall (The Humble Bee)
Graphic design: Sprflxgrfzm
Language: Finnish
Publisher: IIKKI (France)
Release date 29.2.2024
Editions: 500 + 500 (2nd. edition)
Printing: Escourbiac (France)
Isbn: 978-2-9586157-2-7