Human life is often seen as a series of actions designed to remove friction. We continuously develop tools, routines and technologies to streamline, facilitate and reduce inconvenience. A world without friction is the promise of life without resistance.
Sometimes it also seems as if humanity is deliberately generating friction by creating conflicts and structures that complicate the lives of communities. At the individual level, friction is constantly created in decisions, emotions and relationships.
Without friction, life could be free from any tension, but also incredibly boring. Without it, there are no problems to solve and no creativity, which is born out of the need to solve said problems. Friction is a disturbance and a burst of energy, an error and a force that keeps us awake and alert to react. It can, and perhaps should, never be completely removed.
Friction is a series of works by Ville Salervo that explores the tensions between man, nature and technology. The exhibition also draws on the world of science fiction. Salervo is a Kotka-born graphic designer, illustrator and artist whose work has previously been introduced in Kotka in the mural collection at the Pihkoon koulu comprehensive school. In Salervo’s colourful works, typographic elements and symbols meet imaginative characters. In 2025, his work has been recognised in the international Society of Typographic Arts STA100 selection and in the Grand One and Finnish Comms competitions.
The exhibition is supported by the Finnish Illustration Association and Freelancegraafikot ry.
Ville Salervo’s website: villesalervo.com