As part of our on-going exhibition, 28°North and Parallel Weathers, Khoj organised an incense ceremony around artist Katie Paterson’s work titled, ‘To Burn, Forest, Fire’. The project, commissioned by IHME Helsinki, uses scent to explore the first-ever forest on Earth, and the last forest in the age of the climate crisis. The artwork employs the senses to cultivate an intimate, intuitive experience that aims to transport participants through time as a reminder of the increasing levels of extinction caused by humanity. 

To Burn, Forest, Fire explores the scent of the first and last forests through the creation of bespoke incense sticks. The artist collaborated with scientists to define and characterise these forests, the scents of which have been made into incense and burned across a variety of sites around the city of Helsinki, and beyond.

Following the incense ceremony, there was a listening session with artist Tarun Balani, who performed a set from his latest digital album, Where the Ice Meets the Water.

The 28° North & Parallel Weathers exhibition is supported by the Takshila Educational Society, India and the British Council’s Creative Commissions for Climate Action, a global programme exploring climate change through art, science and digital technology.