It was not only my first time to get to know Kuusamo and its surroundings, but also my first time to be actively involved in the Chill Survive Network. And I’m very glad I did! In a week time I found inspiration worth a month, fed my wish to focus on Finland and human relation with nature, and – perhaps most important – made new friends. As a multi-faceted group of artists, all with our own experiences and interests, we explored the local history and the contemporary mining activities. This way I learned about local building techniques, folk beliefs, mercury poisoning, radio-activity, micro-bacterial ecosystems in turf houses, visual representations of Kalevala-healings, and the tragic death of many local noaidi (shamans). Our fieldwork included a trip to the Juomasuo mine. This open pit mine is a study location pur sang: here an Australian mining company studies the local ore as they hope to extract uranium and gold. We deeply hope they will not. No matter...