Throughout Mikko Rikala’s career, he has focused on different conceptual ways of visualizing the passage of time. Wind, tides, seasons, and many other various means found in nature find their story in his creative language. In Rikala’s most current series, he utilizes collected objects both natural and man-made from his childhood that carry a memory for him. The photographs depicting his hands touching this assortment of objects are symbolic of the act of releasing the memories embedded in their history. They all play a part in Rikala’s relationship with his approach to humanity and the natural order within the world we coexist with. "I have been collecting small items from both the natural and man-made worlds since I was a child. Each of these objects has a story behind them. By touching and looking at these objects, I am activating my memory. Similar to how seashells and coins are part of a greater natural system, my memories are intertwined with a collective memory that shapes and sustains our humanity," explains the artist. Part of this project was recently shown at the Prix Photoforum exhibition at Kunsthaus Pasquart, Biel in Switzerland.