THE COAL ORGAN
2026
The Coal Organ is a sound sculpture focusing on the single largest contributor to climate change, coal burning. Jaakko was granted access to now defunct Salmisaari power station in Helsinki during its final operating days to record the sounds of its machinery and the ambiences of its massive underground coal silos that reach the depth of 120+ meters below sea level, the deepest point of the city of Helsinki.
The work consists of a three channel sound work that was crafted of the recorded material, resulting in a constantly evolving texture rich soundscape. For its visual counterpart, Jaakko edited previously unpublished scanning electron microscope images of particles emitted from a coal fired power plant into a series of three abstract pieces, which were printed onto plywood boards with customized speaker mounts.
3 speakers, 60x60cm plywood boards, stands, media player, constantly changing loop
Supported by: Finnish Cultural Foundation, the North Savo Regional Fund
Photos from the power plant recording: Juuso Martikainen
