Video projection, animation, soft tentacles, sound by Rasmus Hedlund
Tender Tentacles is an immersive artwork combining video projection and soft objects. It is about empathy for other species and the possibility of encountering the unknown. The work was installed in the Helsinki citymuseum's children town and features a large friendly octopus in a colourful underwater world, in whose embrace viewers can safely immerse themselves. The work seeks to dispel the demonising myths associated with octopuses and fade away fears of this highly intelligent creature. Sea monsters symbolise the fear of the unknown, a fear that can be managed by encountering the other. The play that the work makes possible is a good tool for this.
