Virtual Exhibition: Reija Meriläinen - Crawl Back In

SÍM Residency, in collaboration with the Finnish Cultural Foundation, presents Crawl Back In — a solo exhibition by artist-in-residence Reija Meriläinen Originally on view at SÍM Gallery in May 2025, the exhibition is now available as a virtual experience.

Follow the link to enter the virtual exhibition https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=Nyi6Dric15e

The virtual exhibition runs until 30 September 2025.

Crawl Back In lingers in a state of soft mutation – a space between forms, where desire, discomfort, and tenderness blur. Glimpses of digital intimacy and fan fixations surface and dissolve. Something has been shed. Something unsettled remains. It’s always slightly too much.

Reija Meriläinen is a Helsinki based artist working with video, sculpture, and installations that combine the digital and physical. In their work, social tensions and power are linked to physical and material sensations. While visually soft, the pieces often hint at power relations and violence. Their work combines autobiographical elements with exaggeration and fantasy to push the boundaries of what is normal or comfortable. In their work, they often play with the juxtaposition of something that is both appealing and repulsive – both visually and thematically. Something that can be both caring and violent at the same time – soft and hard. There is always a haptic aspect to their work, whether actual or simulated. Often working with textiles and soft materials, their work reflects the digital media that they consume and the online cultures they inhabit. Reija is passionate about fan art.

Curatorial mentorship by Ástríður Jónsdóttir