I CAME TO FINLAND WITH NO INTENTION OF SWIMMING, AN ENTIRE MONTH TO CONCENTRATE ON SOMETHING ELSE, SOMETHING DIFFERENT, SOMETHING NEW. SWIMMING ABSORBS ME, IT TAKES OVER, IT HAS TAKEN OVER EVERYTHING I DO, IT IS MY TIME, MY SPACE, TO THINK, TO FEEL, TO BREATHE, TO BE ALONE, TO BE WITH FRIENDS, TIME TO EXPLORE, FREEDOM, FRUSTRATION, INDULGENCE, COMFORT.

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ONE DAY LATER I FOUND THE 'SWAMP'

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THE SNOW WAS A METRE DEEP ON TOP OF THE SWAMP, AND I STARTED TO VISIT IT ALL THE TIME, VISUALISING WHAT LAY BENEATH THE SURFACE. I LONGED TO SUBMERGE MYSELF. THE LONGING WAS OVERWHELMING, I STARTED TO SEARCH FOR WATER. FIRST I EXPLORED ALL OF THE SWAMP, THEN TAKING A BATHE IN A NEARBY CREEK AND FINALLY WITH THE HELP OF THE STAFF AND FELLOW ARTISTS FROM MUSTARINDA CREATING THE 'AVANTO'

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A CHAINSAW, AN ICE SAW, A PICK, THREE SHOVELS, AND FOUR HOURS OF SUSTAINED EFFORT AND THE AVANTO WAS CREATED. IT FELT LIKE A SACRED SPOT. SOMEWHERE SPECIAL, TREASURED, SOFT, SILKY AND SUBLIME. YET EQUALLY I FIND IT DEEPLY SINISTER, DARK AND FULL OF THE UNKNOWN. IT NEEDS EFFORT, CARE AND HOURS OF WORK TO SUBMERGE YOURSELF EACH DAY YOU VISIT, FOR AS BEAUTIFUL AS THIS WHITE LANDSCAPE IS, IT IS HARSH AND NEVER LETS YOU FORGET IT IS IN CHARGE.

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