Artist spent 140 days without a mirror: It changed her relationship with her body, social media, and consumption

In an era saturated with constant visual self-assessment, artist Rauha Helin undertook an almost unthinkable challenge: abstaining from looking in mirrors for 140 days. The 23-year-old visual artist from Lahti documented this profound experiment, which forms the basis of her photographic installation "Katoan katseelta" (I Disappear from View), currently exhibited at Amos Rex's Generation 2026 show.

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Suddenly, the features I had learned to recognize in myself felt alien.

Helin's journey began in 2023 after a disorienting moment at a mirror, where familiar features suddenly felt alien. This experience sparked a deep inquiry into the mirror's role in constructing identity and the possibility of perceiving oneself differently, or not at all. An initial week-long trial during her art studies in 2024 proved insufficient, solidifying her resolve for a longer, five-month project.

Before commencing, Helin removed all self-portraits from her phone, viewing photographs as a digital substitute for mirrors. The experiment demanded a conscious effort to avoid reflections, a task that proved surprisingly difficult. "Mirrors are everywhere," she noted, recounting the need to develop new routines in public spaces, like washing her hands without glancing at her reflection. She acknowledged that complete avoidance was impossible, accepting reflections in windows and shopfronts as part of the unavoidable visual landscape.

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We have built our perception of ourselves largely through Instagram's image culture.

The absence of mirrors also impacted her roommates, who had to consciously decide to move coverings to see themselves. Helin, belonging to the "digital native" generation, recognized how much self-perception is shaped by online culture, particularly Instagram. Initially apprehensive about venturing out without seeing her reflection, she gradually noticed a shift. Around the 50-day mark, a moment of losing balance while setting up a self-timer resulted in an unexpected fall, leading to a spontaneous burst of laughter captured in a photograph, free from any posed expression.

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I burst out laughing. In that picture, I didn't have time to adopt the expression I...