Finnish artist Kristiina Koskentola (b. 1967) lives and works in Amsterdam. Her interdisciplinary practice is strongly grounded in research and post-humanist debate.
Her art addresses cross-cultural perspectives and themes related to philosophies, coexistence and the entanglement of humans, non-humans and the natural world.
In her collaborative projects, Koskentola often takes on the role of mediator, seeking new ways of participation and alternative perspectives among the complexities of entanglements between humanity and more-than-human essential in our challenging times.
Photo: Rafael E
Kristiina Koskentola: Murder of Crows, 2021, detail. Helsinki Biennial 8.6.–21.9.2025, Vallisaari Island. Photo: HAM / Helsinki Biennial / Sonja Hyytiäinen
Murder of Crows, 2021
Artwork location: Vallisaari Island
On her daily walk through the park from her home to her studio in Amsterdam, Kristiina Koskentola befriended a local flock of crows. She fed them treats, and soon the crows began bringing her small gifts in return: a dried mushroom, a clump of moss, a bottle cap. Koskentola could sense that the crows were social, caring and compassionate creatures. The personal bond she formed with the crows led her to embark on an exploration of shared agency and interspecies reciprocity on a literal, symbolic and ritualistic level.
The project is also informed by her fascination with the symbolism associated with crows in human belief systems. These birds are held to be divine messengers between heaven and earth, harbingers of death, shamanistic spirit animals, and carrion-eaters that carry the souls of the dead.
The macabre collective noun for a group of crows – ‘murder’ – carries a reminder of these ancient beliefs.
Crows are both the main protagonists and co-authors of Koskentola’s video in Vallisaari’s Alexander Battery. Daily reality is intertwined with the otherworldly in this meditative tapestry of images, sound, speech, reciprocity, mythology, science and alchemy. Rounding out the display are the objects gifted to the artist by her bird friends.
The artwork production is supported by Kone Foundation and Mondriaan Fund.