Exhibition: Fluid in Squares
From January 17 until March 31, New Order of Fashion welcomes visitors to Fluid in Squares, an exhibition by Juha Vehmaanperä presented in the NOOF Lab. The exhibition explores binary thinking around gender and how these systems are embedded in everyday spaces. Through material and form, Fluid in Squares reflects on restriction, division and the possibility of fluidity within rigid structures.
Inspiration
The starting point for Fluid in Squares was the architecture of swimming halls, spaces that often enforce rigid binary gender divisions. These architectural systems are translated into knitted structures based on tiles and grids, representing the fixed and regulating nature of such environments. In contrast, the flowing quality of water is a reference to gender fluidity.
“We are always trying to box nature like we’re trying to box humans as well.”
The work highlights the tension between constructed systems and natural fluidity. Fluid in Squares is an individual project funded by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland and will be shown at Oulu Art Museum in May.
Opening
The exhibition opened with a live interview by our host Timothy ‘t Gilde with Vehmaanperä, offering visitors insight into the ideas, references and personal motivations behind the work. Later, it concluded with a hands-on knitting workshop led by Juha, where participants learned techniques such as the tuck stitch to create bubble effects and lace-like wave patterns using wool yarns. Together, the opening and workshop created space for reflection, dialogue and shared making around the themes of the exhibition.
Written by Pollyanna Moss and Dina BeganovićPhotography by Kornel Maziec and Mortimer Dyster