EGS - This Could Go On Forever

Text by Tomi Moisio

ETERNALLY INCOMPLETE

EGS has become well-known as a graffiti artist, and over the last few years he has steadfastly carried out an artistic process titled This Could Go on Forever.

The work consists in EGS travelling to Estonia and painting a graffiti on an abandoned building. The process is filmed and photographed, and on the basis of the images produced by this the artist creates a three-part glass sculpture in Riihimäki, a town in southern Finland. The same three letters, E, G and S, are abstracted into the sculptures, as also into the graffiti.

The glass work that is created on the basis of the graffiti is packed and taken on his next journey to Estonia, and a new graffiti inspired by it is created before the camera. As the title suggests, this process could go on for ever.

The dilapidated buildings in remote areas of Estonia on which EGS paints his graffiti are relics of the Soviet past: decommissioned factory and office buildings, abandoned kolkhos chicken farms, Cold War missile bunkers. Over the decades, nature has begun to reclaim these man-made concrete structures, to whose grey history the colourful graffiti bring new life.

The performative nature of the process is emphasised by the fact that no-one knows how long EGS’s graffiti – or the walls on which they are painted – will exist. Another graffiti artist may soon come and bomb them (that is, paint over them), or the whole building – or in some cases the remains of a building – may be razed to the ground.

The process has been captured on 8-mm film, a choice of medium that is both significant and deliberate. The hazy and dreamlike quality of the substandard film emphasises the intertwining of memories and the past with the present day.

The use of substandard film could also be seen as a technique that “transfers objects into the world of memories”, as Ville Lukkarinen, a professor of art history, has said of Polaroid photographs.

It is also significant that the films have been recorded with Soviet-made cameras, which were in popular use when the factories themselves were still going full-steam. Analogicity occupies a key position: only the development stage reveals what kind of material has been recorded on the film and how usable it is.

I worked as a photographer and cinematographer as part of the team for the exhibition EGS – This Could Go On Forever, held at Serlachius Museums from September 2022 to March 2023. For this project, we filmed over approximately a year, from August 2021 to June 2022. In total, I took about 560 images on 35mm, 88 images on 4x5" large format and about 24min on super 8 film.

Book cover with abstract graffiti art on a snow-covered building, with leafless trees and a body of water in the background, and the title 'EGS – THIS COULD GO ON FOREVER' prominently displayed.
Black and white photo of industrial cranes near water, with shipping containers and graffiti on a wall in the foreground, and a large message at the top that reads, "EGS - THIS COULD GO ON FOREVER."
Gallery wall with text in multiple languages and a black and white photo of a foggy ocean scene with a small boat.
A two-page magazine spread featuring text in Finnish and English about an art project. The left page includes two photographs: one of packed backpacks and gear in a wooden closet, and another of a group of people sitting at a table surrounded by shop
A collage with a black-and-white photo of a forested area and some buildings on the left, and three color photos on the right showing a highway, a picnic table with food and drinks, and scientific text in Finnish.
A collage of photos including a sunset viewed through a ship window, a person fishing on a beach, a graffiti message on a wall, and a close-up of an art installation or display with various objects on a table.
Two black and white photos of an abandoned, unfinished building with graffiti on walls, debris on the floor, exposed concrete ceiling, and brick walls with some patches.
Graffiti on a concrete block wall: the graffiti is shaped like a speech bubble with the message, 'This could go on forever...' and includes some decorative swirls and punctuation.
A vast ocean with calm waters, under a clear sky with the sun shining on the horizon.
A shopping cart filled with boxes of supplies parked on a wooden deck outside a restaurant, with people sitting at tables in the background.
Open car door revealing a scenic view of a green field with white flowers, bushes, and trees in the distance, under an overcast sky, with a power pole and wires visible.
A highway with directional signs overhead, blue sky with scattered clouds, and green trees and fields alongside.
Colorful stained glass window with beach and summer scenes, including women in swimsuits, sailboats, and a person relaxing on a lounge chair.
An old industrial site with a dirt path leading to a large supporting structure, a tall smokestack with striped bands, power lines, and overgrown vegetation, under a cloudy sky.
Two people creating graffiti art on an outdoor wall amidst trees and natural surroundings.
View of a river with a bridge crossing over it, surrounded by green trees and grassy areas, under an overcast sky. Part of a brick building is visible on the right side and a small white doghouse is in the foreground.
Interior of a restaurant or café with a window view outside showing a parking lot, trees, and street signs; decorated with colorful string lights and a vase with flowers on a shelf.
Peeling paint on a wall with patches of blue, yellow, and white paint layers.
A bathroom with a toilet, a urinal, and a bidet connected to brown pipes on the wall and floor.
Nighttime image of a modern, glowing, teal-blue illuminated dome structure with a grid pattern, partially shadowed on one side, with some greenery and lights in the background.
Overcast sky with heavy rain on a highway, multiple cars driving through rain with wet road surfaces, and a grassy stretch on the right.
Black and white photograph of a calm ocean with a cloudy sky and a rocky shoreline in the foreground.
A black and white photo of a grassy area with dense trees and bushes in the background, and a hill with a structure at the top.
An empty, unfinished building interior with a large window letting in natural light, exposed brick wall, concrete support columns, and a ceiling with a hole and debris on the floor.
Interior of a building under construction or renovation, with exposed concrete ceiling, broken wall sections, dirt floor, and construction debris scattered around.
An abandoned, unfinished building with exposed concrete walls and ceiling. Graffiti art is painted on the walls, and debris including bricks and rubble is scattered on the dirt floor.
Snow-covered hillside with small leafless bushes in foreground, old building, and large apartment complexes in background under cloudy sky.
Sunlight shining through cream-colored curtains onto a dark wall and bed in a dimly lit room.
Close-up view of a wooden fence with a house and satellite dish in the background, showing a worn and textured wall surface.
A black and white photograph of a snowy, hilly landscape with a large, lone, leafless tree on the left and a cliff or excavation site in the foreground. Sparse bushes and rocks are scattered across the scene, with snow covering the ground. The sky is
Graffiti art on a partially exposed brick wall inside an abandoned building, with debris on the floor and trees visible through openings in the walls.
A person holding a sheet with watercolor illustrations of characters, sitting at a table with art supplies such as colored chalks, paper, and small packets of various materials.
A large building covered in dense climbing ivy with some trees and shrubs in front, under a partly cloudy sky.
Three people working in a glassblowing studio, one working with molten glass in a furnace, and two observing or assisting.
An artist's workshop with large windows, various tools, workbenches, and an industrial kiln in a grayscale photo.
Shelf with various bottles of paint in different colors, some resting on top of each other, with a photo propped up among them showing a colorful scene or artwork.
View of a building with an antenna on its roof, seen from inside a vehicle through a rain-covered windshield, with a dark sky and trees in the background.
A wet, rainy highway scene with dark clouds and the sun breaking through, trees lining the road, and a few cars in the distance.
An abandoned, overgrown parking lot with a chain-link fence in the foreground and small white buildings in the background under an overcast sky.
A police car with its emergency lights on pulled over on the side of a rural road surrounded by trees.
People on a ferry deck watching a boat pass by in the water.
View of the underside of a balcony with a black metal railing and a beige wall below with a wall-mounted light fixture.
Nighttime view of colorful houses with a wooden fence and a grassy yard, illuminated by streetlights and a bright flash of light from the right.
A blurry and abstract outdoor scene with green grass, trees, and some structures in the background.
Young man in T-shirt and camouflage pants standing in a snack aisle of a cafe or convenience store, with people sitting at tables in the background.
A round table with various plates of mostly finished food, including pizza slices, fried food, a salad, and a small bowl of sauce. There are drinks, a water bottle, and a phone on the table.
View of a staircase seen through doorway in a building with peeling paint and damaged walls, with a person in a blue jacket walking up the stairs.
A cluttered wooden dining table with items including a camera, portable speaker, notebook, pen, can, empty glass, and a vase with flowers. There is a laptop displaying an outdoor scene, sketches, and a black phone on the table, with two people sittin
A view from inside a car looking out through a rain-soaked windshield at a small open shelter with a glowing light inside, surrounded by leafless trees in a rural area during overcast weather.
View from inside an abandoned building looking out through large, dirty windows at neighboring rooftops and graffiti on the window glass.
Empty stage with microphone, orange amplifier, and cables, surrounded by black curtains and overhead stage lights.
Two colorful abstract sculptures sit on wooden pedestals in an abandoned room with graffiti-covered walls and peeling paint.
A rusted, abandoned structure covered in colorful graffiti, surrounded by overgrown vegetation in a wooded area.
Double exposure photo of a cluttered outdoor space with trees, graffiti on the wall, and a vintage orange car. reflected in a window.
A forest scene with a pile of old, broken wooden planks on the ground in the foreground. In the background, a small wooden structure with blue graffiti art is visible among the trees.
View of snowy landscape with trees through three windows, indoor dimly lit
A black and white photo of a large, rusted, curved piece of metal with holes in it, resting on tall grass in an outdoor area with leafless trees and a building in the background.
Blurred image of a highway at night with streaks of light from moving vehicles.
Two people sitting and looking out from a ferry deck towards the open water with chairs arranged in rows, a life ring nearby, and the sky partly cloudy.
A narrow street with icy and snow-covered sidewalks in a small neighborhood, featuring old buildings and leafless trees under an overcast sky.
Blurry image of a multi-story residential building seen from a moving vehicle window.
Faint outline of trees with bare branches against a slightly foggy sky.
A person near a dilapidated brick wall covered in graffiti, surrounded by leafless trees and snow on the ground.
Three colorful glass sculptures of snails partially buried in snow in a winter landscape with leafless trees and tall grasses.
A black Volkswagen sedan with a dog sitting in the driver's seat and a person sitting in the passenger seat on a ferry or car transport carrier.
Snow-covered shoreline with a flagpole, a flag, a memorial with a flag on top, a leafless tree, a bench, and some small shrubs by the water.
Black and white photo of a shipyard with cranes, shipping containers, and a graffiti-covered structure in the foreground, with snow on the ground.
A rural intersection with a small paved road and a yield sign, surrounded by green trees and bushes under a blue sky with some clouds.
An abandoned brick building with multiple windows is partially hidden behind dense green foliage and trees in a forest.
Abandoned room with peeling paint and graffiti on the walls, dirt floor, and wires hanging from the ceiling.
An abandoned building with a damaged ceiling and broken windows. Graffiti art is visible on the wall, and debris and overgrown plants cover the floor.
An unfinished room with exposed walls, peeling paint, and a concrete floor with moss and dirt. There are two windows letting in natural light. A mural of two children is faintly visible on the back wall.
Two people walking down a forest trail, carrying bags, surrounded by tall trees and lush green foliage.
A black sedan with a dog looking out the open window is driving on a street by the beach. In the background, there is a small white building with a red-tiled roof, a sign that says 'KASITO,' and a striped ladder leaning against the building. The sky
Sun rising behind a dark rocky hill with a few tall grass blades in the foreground.
Small open shelter with a red roof in a green forest.
Sunset over a port with cranes and docked ships, seen from a ship's deck in the foreground.