Maija Tammi
The Empathy Machine
8 November - 1 February 2026
Life and death, disgust and fascination, beauty and horror. Contrasts like these are central to the spectacular work of the award-winning Finnish artist and researcher Maija Tammi.
Tammi deliberately situates her work at the intersection where art and science meet. The central work in The Empathy Machine is ‘Hulda & Lilli’. It is presented as an immersive installation that tells stories through a series of photographs and short texts on lightboxes, culminating in a large scale video projection. At the outset, viewers are requested to make a choice, and based on that choice they experience the works in a particular order.
In their journey through the darkened spaces, viewers engage with disarmingly simple, fairytale-like stories that are designed to draw out viewers’ emotional reactions. In its engaging examination of empathy through storytelling, the work is an inventive human experiment, which encourages viewers to probe into the making of their feelings. A ‘debriefing room’ at the end of the exhibition offers possible angles to think
about the work, ranging from neuroscience and biology to film and media studies.
The Empathy Machine premiered in 2023 in Maija Tammi’s solo exhibition at the Finnish Museum of Photography in Helsinki.
This is the first presentation of Tammi’s work in Ireland.
Events/Workshops
Tour
Guided Tour
1:00 pm to
Wednesday, 6 November 2024
Photo Museum Ireland
Joining one of our guided tours is a great way to get to know our exhibitions in more detail. Our experienced guides are extremely knowledgeable about photography in general, and each exhibition in particular. Tours are free of charge, although booking is required.
Cost : Free
Maija Tammi (b.1985) is a Finnish artist, researcher and Doctor of Arts, whose photographs and videos examine the liminal areas of mortality and immortality, science and art. She regularly collaborates with scientists and musicians. Tammi’s work has been exhibited extensively internationally, including shows in Paris, Berlin, Rome, London, New York, Tokyo, and others.
Tammi’s artworks are in the collections of Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, USA, Contemporary Art Museum Kiasma in Helsinki, Finland, and National Portrait Gallery in London, UK. She has four published books, including Hulda/Lilli which won the Finnish Photobook Award 2023.
She has a Master’s degree in visual journalism and she worked as a photojournalist for six years before her artistic career. She completed her practice-based doctorate from Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture in 2017. The work in The Empathy Machine was made while Tammi held the title of Artist Professor awarded by the Arts Promotion Centre of Finland 2020- 24. Her current research is supported by Kone Foundation, Finland. www.maijatammi.com.
Exhibition presented in partnership with the Finnish Museum of Photography.
Supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation.