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Day 63 – Sunday 3/9/17
Weather conditions: 16 degrees, blue skies
One should aways follow their gut instincts, because shit happens when you don’t. I had been out filming predominantly with the drone to mid afternoon and came back to the residency house feeling fatigued. However, because the weather was good I thought I should push on as blue skies are a rarity these days. I made my way to a cleared area on Kiiviontie and started filming, I was just about to finish the second aerial sweep of the clearing when the incident happened. The drone got caught in a pine and these trees are massive. As you can imagine I found myself in rather a distressed state. My biggest concern was to try and locate the tree the drone was in before the battery died. Fortunately I saw the drone moments before it disappeared into the foliage. I hopped into the car and made my way back to the museum where I hoped to pick up a set of binoculars. I rang Jaakko, who I knew hunted so I figured he would have a set, but this was not the case. Hannele, another member of the museum’s staff came to my rescue, she rang her husband Ilkka. Within 20minutes we were on the road heading back to Kiiviontie armed with binoculars and rope [for tree identification]. I dived into the forest with the binoculars, looking up to the canopy I tried to spot the drone. However, it was Ilkka’s keen eyes that eventually found it, wedge on limb high above. As you can image there was joyous relief. My aim for the day was to locate and mark the tree. However, my expectations were exceeded. Before the close of day I had the drone back. Hannele and Ilkka contacted their neighbour Matti who is an arborist. Armed with a small chain saw he free climbed 20metres up the tree removing an occasional tree limb. He then used a long stick to nudge the drone free from the branch. It fell 20metres to the ground. The battery was dislodged along with a small plastic case. Other than that all was well. Fortunately the forest floor was covered with moss, which would have broken the fall. When I returned to Einola I took it for a test flight in the museum’s grounds, all appears to be working but I will get it checked over when I return to Australia. I conclude that the reason it got caught in the tree was because I started the descent too early. I have to say I am very grateful to Hannele, Ilkka and Matti, because of them my drone was rescued, it was a wonderful close to the day. To mark the occasion, and honour Ilkka and Matti the drone has a new name Ilma, which means Air in Finish.
Day 65 – Tuesday 5/9/17
Weather conditions: 13 degrees, blue skies
At 2.10 I gave my fourth artist talk. This time to a group of year 12 Mänttä high school students. I expect this will be the last talk I give during my residency, which is slowly drawing to a close. Over the course of the residency my presentation skills have improved immensely. I spoke slowly and succinctly telling the students about my practice and the B–CSC. For the talk I created a small video with some of the footage I have gathered from my field trips to the forest and I chose a selection of plant room recording. The students were attentive however shy and reluctant to ask questions. Heli their teacher would ask questions and get me to elaborate from time to time. The talk came to a close at 3.30pm.
Day 67 – Thursday 7/9/17
Weather conditions: 16 degrees, grey skies and rain
I rose at a reasonable time and joined the museum staff at their morning coffee break. It never ceases to amaze me how much quieter the different environments are here in Mänttä compared to Australia, be it an indoor or outdoor area. For example in the staff area I swear if you dropped a pin you would it hear it land. I had arranged to meet Jakko that morning in order to access to UK 16 and the outside plant room. Gösta's Pavilion has four plant rooms, UK 16 is probably the loudest and it’s not that noisy. Gösta's Pavilion is the newest edition to the Serlahius museums gallery spaces. Completed in June 2014, it extends from the Gösta Museum. I spent 5 hours in UK 16 recording different perspectives of the machines that control the Pavilion’s air-conditioning/heating and air-ducts. At 3.15pm I packed up and headed up to the museum’s restaurant, I was absolutely famished. I still had another area to record but my hunger had to be abated before I moved to the outside plant room. The food in the restaurant is great and residential artist get the staff discount of 50%, which makes it affordable. At 4pm I headed to the outer plant room and settled in for another recording session. I had it my head that I would probably knock this room over in 30minutes, it was a small room with barely any sound. Boy was I wrong, l spent 150minutes there mainly recording with the DPA 4060’s. On closer inspection of the machines I found various nooks and crannies where I could insert the microphones. Based on the successful recording outcome I had in the outdoor plant room I’ve decided to revisit the other plant rooms one more time just armed with the 4060’s.
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I have been very productive on the recording front, although most of the sounds I have gathered relate to Hidden Spaces. I think my recordings of the Serlachius museums’ plant rooms are some of my finest work. Visually I’m on track, however I have still to master the drone. I can't seem to get the exposure right but all will be corrected in Final Cut Pro X.
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