Reija Meriläinen - SNUGGLESAFE

Snugglesafe is a collection of works made up of video, sculptures, and installation that reference cats and pet care.

The care shown in the pieces is not just tender or pampering. It is also forceful, painful and full of repetitive routines. Keeping and staying alive requires constant maintenance and appropriate tools.

The cat is tightly swaddled to keep them still for the duration of the feeding. The temperature of the milk is first tested by dripping some on the wrist. Drip, drip, drip. The warmth and smells bring about a motherly presence that can be sensed on the skin and in the air.

The artist has volunteered as a foster home for homeless cats through Kisu ry for several years. Kisu ry is an animal rescue organisation working towards bettering the welfare of cats in Finland.

Exhibition text: Jaakko Uoti

Music & sound design: Minna Koivisto

Assistant: Kolya Kotov

Exhibition documentation photography: Johanna Naukkarinen courtesy of gallery Titanik

Installation at gallery Titanik

Body (with Pepp on top): fake fur, styrofoam, padding

Pepp: alpaca wool fabric, glass eyes, foam rubber, padding, wood, thermoplastic polymer, metal wire

Emo and Pissbox (Pepp and Body in the background)

Emo: silicone, 2 litres of water, fabric, buckles, studs, metal rings, leash (held by Master Longclaws sculpture from 2021)

Emo sculpture dripping water out slowly into the Pissbox sculpture

Pissbox: plastic, thermoplastic polymer, paint, scented clumping silica cat litter

Wound: pigmented ballistics gel, metal pipe, plastic, foam rubber, foam clay, hot glue

Froggit and Natie sculptures installed onto wall-mounted cat furniture

Natie: the mechanism from a kicking fish cat toy, alpaca wool fabric, foam rubber, padding, pigmented foam clay, hot glue, metal wire.

Touching Natie is allowed. Natie reacts to hitting, shaking and throwing.

Froggit (2016): pigmented ballistics gel, plastic model of a pelvis

The Body Absorbed the Kittens: cat tree, wood, fabric, padding, silicone, a SnuggleSafe inside (a microwaveable heat pad for baby animals, stays warm for about 8 hours, touching is allowed)

Stretch (holding the door): Flexi retractable leash, pigmented foam clay, fabric, studs, metal rings (held by Master Longclaws sculptures from 2021)

Snugglesafe: HD video, 29 min, music and sound design: Minna Koivisto
Content warning: force feeding, death, small amount of blood. Some viewers may find parts of the video upsetting.
Hoods on speaker elements and Woof pet hut for the subwoofer made of foam rubber, fake fur, and fabric.

Link to the video available upon request.

Hestu (claws in) & Hestu (claws out): Arm chairs, fake fur, padding, thermoplastic polymer, metal wire. Sitting is allowed.

Detail of Hestu (claws out)

Floor cushions: fabric, fake fur, foam, padding

Chio: Feliway pheromone diffuser (using a synthetic version of feline facial pheromone), alpaca wool fabric, foam rubber, padding, pigmented foam clay, hot glue, metal wire, thermoplastic polymer, paint

Link to Snugglesafe video available upon request:

reijamerilainen@gmail.com