Anne, Aki and God (1998)   © Crystal Eye Ltd, Helsinki

Anne, Aki and God is based on the true story of a man who, in a state of psychosis, invented an imaginary woman as a companion. As the artist explains: 'Aki V resigned from his work as a computer application support person at Nokia Virtuals, became schizophrenic and isolated himself in his one-room flat. His mind started to produce a reality of its own in sound and vision...'

The installation takes the form of a casting session, with five male actors auditioning for the role of Aki (shown on television monitors), and seven female applicants auditioning to be his fictional partner Anne (shown on the projection screen). Hovering above the proceedings, two different 'Gods', male and female, offer advice to Aki. As the viewer moves between the self-consciousness of the untrained actresses vying for the role of Anne, and the various interpretations of Aki by the professional performers, they are offered glimpses of the multiple personalities competing inside Aki's mind.