The Baltic Centre is set to unveil a new public artwork designed by artist Henna Asikainen in partnership with Roua Horanieh, as part of the celebrations for the 80th Anniversary of The Moomins.

‘To Own Both Nothing and the Whole World’ has been co-commissioned and co-produced by Counterpoints Arts and Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, and made possible by the support of Moomin Characters Ltd. It is part of celebrations marking 80 years since the publication of the first Moomin story by Tove Jansson, which had a focus on displacement. The title of the exhibition is a quote from Snufkin, one of the characters in the Moomin stories.

The project delves into concepts of home and belonging, contemplating the effects of displacement on both human and non-human realms. It acknowledges that nature serves as our primary habitat, essential for the establishment of any home. The materials incorporated in the artwork are gathered from the local landscape, each possessing its own captivating narrative—uniting communities in unforeseen and significant manners.

Central to the work are Taihaku cherry trees (donated by Alnwick Gardens) and their remarkable migration narrative, where a single migrant tree in the UK became a crucial element for the entire ecosystem, rejuvenating the extinct community in its native land of Japan. The exhibition also includes migratory bird nests, each with its own tales of movement, resilience, and adaptation, as well as 200-year-old tree roots that were planted during the Napoleonic Wars here at Howick Hall Gardens & Arboretum and were recently uprooted by storms. Willow and other foraged treasures from community gardens are featured within the artwork, alongside a tree that was downed by a storm in a local suburb, serving as a poignant reminder of nature’s unpredictability and the cycles of loss and renewal.

Our involvement here at Howick Hall on this project began towards the end of 2024 when we received a hopeful call from Henna asking if we could provide any tree roots for an art initiative. Our head woodsman, Andrew Ball, took Henna on a tour of the estate, sharing its rich history and showcasing the recent trees that had fallen due to the recent storms. Over the next six months, Henna and her team became regular visitors to Howick Hall, they would spend time on the roots, making sure to carefully and delicately eliminate the muddy residue. They would document the trees and their sounds and even recorded an early morning dawn chorus at 4am! Their last visit included a picnic and a stroll around Howick and included guests from Namibia, Trinidad, Iran, China Nepal, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey (Kurdish), Finland, Syria and Britain. As Roua expressed so beautifully, “a united nations of admirers of the United Nations of trees in the arboretum.” The amazing photographs that were captured from their day together are located to the right of this post.

The team here at Howick Hall Gardens & Arboretum feel proud and privileged to have played a small role in such a wonderful concept that truly weaves together the artistic narrative during a significant event such as Refugee Week.

We want to encourage everyone to explore the incredible work done by the team at the Baltic Centre during their exhibition time.

For more information please visit: Henna Asikainen & Roua Horanieh: To Own Both Nothing and the Whole World | Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art