This white neon text draws attention to a traumatic moment from the Finnish Civil War, a conflict that fractured communities and divided families. During the war, members of opposing factions would sometimes go door to door under the pretense of searching for a father or male relative—often with violent intent.
The phrase “We came to kill your father” echoes a real story passed down through generations: a child opened the door and was confronted with these words. By isolating this sentence in neon, the work transforms a whispered piece of family memory into a stark public declaration.
The installation exposes how violence enters domestic space, how war reshapes childhood, and how the past continues to haunt collective memory.
Installation views
Details:
- Text-based neon installation
- Dim.: H 17 cm × L 400 cm
- C. by: Ateneum Art Museum, Helsinki