Elian Mikkola: TRAPP

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Elian Mikkola, “ TRAPP,” 2023

(courtesy of the gallery)

TRAPP - the spacious body and its archival frame

Elian Mikkola’s work examines the impact of historic German film actor Ruth Leuwerik upon ideals of Western femininity. Leuwerik starred as Maria Von Trapp in the 1956 film Die Trapp-Familie (The Trapp Family), a precursor to the popular Hollywood version The Sound of Music. Working with remnants of this 35 mm film sourced from the Berlin archives in this time-based light and sound installation, Mikkola dismantles and reconstructs the power of Leuwerik’s mediated identity. Ultimately, Mikkola frees Ruth from her celluloid construction, giving her dimension and boundless possibility. Through this counter-archival act, Mikkola likewise liberates themself as an artist, filmmaker, and individual.

Elian Mikkola (b.1990) is a Finnish queer filmmaker and media artist currently based between Treaty 4 Regina and Tiohtià:ke, also known as Montréal, Canada. Mikkola works closely with both analog and digital images and explores themes such as memory, spatial dependences and queer belonging. They’ve done extensive research in the field of eco-processed film since 2017. Mikkola finds motivation in challenging film traditions that have been dominated by the Western world and cisgender artists and approaches this critique primarily through personal archives, found footage and comedic release.