On the 16th of March 2020 the Finnish government announced the closure of all schools across the country and reinforced the lockdown recommendations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The maja – stick huts – I began to see on my daily walks led me to consider our in-built attraction to the minimalism and simplicity of the natural landscape and the impulse for self-preservation.
On the 14th May 2020, most primary schools in Finland re-opened after a two-month closure. The maja that hadn’t already been dismantled quickly disappeared under a cover of summer foliage. The following photographs were made during the two months schools were closed to pupils.