Under the Moon: Ft. Riitta Ikonen & Youth Filmmaking Open House
About Event
Join us to celebrate the harvest moon (and Chinese mid-Autumn festival!) on Friday, October 10th as we kick off the return of our Under the Moon series — a gathering of climate art, science & action every full moon, open to anyone.
There will be mooncakes 🥮
This moon, we are welcoming artist Riitta Ikonen. Ritta will present an in-depth exploration of the award winning 14-year collaboration with Karoline Hjorth, Eyes as Big as Plates, along with her many other projects that explore the blurred boundaries between humankind and ‘nature.’
If you have been wondering how many people can you fit in an aspen bolete outfit, whether or not to include air holes in an enoki bag costume this halloween, how does a dead man’s fingers rot exactly, or whether a trichophyton rubrum suit should come with a fragrance, this talk is for you.
This event will also be a chance to learn more about our 2025-2026 climate filmmaking program for NYC youth, in partnership with NYC Service’s Youth Action 50 program.
We look forward to welcoming you! 🌾🌕
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Originally from the deep forests of eastern Finland, Riitta Ikonen works through performance, wearable sculptures, participatory performances and mail art. After completing her MA at the Royal College of Art in London in 2008, she has exhibited internationally holding shows at the Barbican Centre, Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Peabody Essex Museum and the London- and Pyeongchang Olympics. Ikonen lectures at schools and universities and advocates for interdisciplinary collaboration for actionable change.
Eyes as Big as Plates is a long-term exploration of relations across beings, with its images exhibited, published, and collected by art institutions worldwide, including the Barbican Centre in London, the Norwegian Museum of Photography and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki. Karoline and Riitta have traveled across five continents and 17 countries, using a blend of art and action research to ask the question, “What is nature?” The duo works with complementing skills through photography, wearable sculpture and text, with a core mission to highlight dialogue on radical system change on interspecies relations.
ABOUT YOUTH ACTION 50
Youth Action 50 (YA50) is a NYC Service initiative for 50 diverse, youth-led groups in New York City to develop community solutions, receive mentorship from city government advisors, and propose policy recommendations. Participants engage in hands-on projects to address community needs and turn their ideas into advocacy and policy efforts, aiming to empower young people and ensure their voices are heard in shaping their communities. Here On Earth is now part of the YA50 2025-26 network.
Learn more about the opportunity and how to apply here (or come to our event)!
ABOUT US
Here On Earth is an environmental arts initiative that empowers youth through filmmaking and reconnect urban communities with the nature within and around us. We bring together environmental artists, scientists, and activists to provide interdisciplinary events for the public. We also offer filmmaking workshops and fellowships for youths to nurture young climate storytellers. Together, we aim to drive imagination and action toward a more sustainable future.
Where
Under the Moon: Ft. Riitta Ikonen & Youth Filmmaking Open House
About Event
Join us to celebrate the harvest moon (and Chinese mid-Autumn festival!) on Friday, October 10th as we kick off the return of our Under the Moon series — a gathering of climate art, science & action every full moon, open to anyone.
There will be mooncakes 🥮
This moon, we are welcoming artist Riitta Ikonen. Ritta will present an in-depth exploration of the award winning 14-year collaboration with Karoline Hjorth, Eyes as Big as Plates, along with her many other projects that explore the blurred boundaries between humankind and ‘nature.’
If you have been wondering how many people can you fit in an aspen bolete outfit, whether or not to include air holes in an enoki bag costume this halloween, how does a dead man’s fingers rot exactly, or whether a trichophyton rubrum suit should come with a fragrance, this talk is for you.
This event will also be a chance to learn more about our 2025-2026 climate filmmaking program for NYC youth, in partnership with NYC Service’s Youth Action 50 program.
We look forward to welcoming you! 🌾🌕
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Originally from the deep forests of eastern Finland, Riitta Ikonen works through performance, wearable sculptures, participatory performances and mail art. After completing her MA at the Royal College of Art in London in 2008, she has exhibited internationally holding shows at the Barbican Centre, Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Peabody Essex Museum and the London- and Pyeongchang Olympics. Ikonen lectures at schools and universities and advocates for interdisciplinary collaboration for actionable change.
Eyes as Big as Plates is a long-term exploration of relations across beings, with its images exhibited, published, and collected by art institutions worldwide, including the Barbican Centre in London, the Norwegian Museum of Photography and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki. Karoline and Riitta have traveled across five continents and 17 countries, using a blend of art and action research to ask the question, “What is nature?” The duo works with complementing skills through photography, wearable sculpture and text, with a core mission to highlight dialogue on radical system change on interspecies relations.
ABOUT YOUTH ACTION 50
Youth Action 50 (YA50) is a NYC Service initiative for 50 diverse, youth-led groups in New York City to develop community solutions, receive mentorship from city government advisors, and propose policy recommendations. Participants engage in hands-on projects to address community needs and turn their ideas into advocacy and policy efforts, aiming to empower young people and ensure their voices are heard in shaping their communities. Here On Earth is now part of the YA50 2025-26 network.
Learn more about the opportunity and how to apply here (or come to our event)!
ABOUT US
Here On Earth is an environmental arts initiative that empowers youth through filmmaking and reconnect urban communities with the nature within and around us. We bring together environmental artists, scientists, and activists to provide interdisciplinary events for the public. We also offer filmmaking workshops and fellowships for youths to nurture young climate storytellers. Together, we aim to drive imagination and action toward a more sustainable future.