Through their creative work, Kaisa and Christoffer have given thought a physical body. The book’s 800 pages and 1,600 unique images are physically tangible, just as the food that the reader, viewer, or experiencer of the work eats or the environment in which they live are tangible.  

The work’s material basis allows the experiencer to travel through time with the Duck. A journey during which the observer can familiarise themselves with and experience in their own way, the Duck’s insights on the relationship between science and religion. The Duck highlights philosophers, thinkers and scholars from antiquity through to the present day. The cosmologist Enqvist will appeal to the Finnish reader, while those familiar with philosophy will be drawn to Pythagoras, Descartes and Wittgenstein. The Duck’s scientific themes range from mathematics to astronomy to neuroscience. It even circles the bust of Marx with a solemn air.

The Duck does not preach its own religion but rather marvels at the twists and turns of Western science and thought, which it considers flimsy or even contradictory in the grand scheme of life.  

The duck’s very nature encourages the reader to find their own answers. Our understanding of the world has evolved over thousands of years, not just in our own lifetimes. It is good to know our roots. According to the Duck, right back to the Upanishads. Nowadays, religions and different worldviews are allowed to be on display. Open religiosity is quite accepted. Kaisa and Christoffer’s work leads their fellow travellers to subtly ask themselves whether now might be a good time to stop waffling and live out a conviction that respects life. The reality perceived through words and theoretical models is getting away from us if it hasn’t already. Scientists and lay people are wary of talking about important issues.  The Duck gives the reader permission to discover and speak out. Here, the reader and experiencer of the work is supported by a reference list of the texts the Duck discusses.

Plato advised that humans would do well to know themselves. A person is not a god, not even with all the knowledge in the world at their disposal. Indeed, there are more things in Heaven and on Earth than we humans can even imagine, let alone know. Hence, the Duck’s message that we can find a way to live that is good for both us and the world.

The Duck isn’t ashamed to stand in front of its audience. He has something to say. As a particular form of presentation, the comic book gives many things to its audience. One can read the text quickly and follow the story’s arc. However, the images and the mass of the work force the reader to examine how things are said and the broader functional meaning of the words. As the reader leaps towards the expected twists and turns of the story, they soon realise they must turn back. Thus, the work lives with its audience.

This work is the Duck’s monologue, or is it? He is in dialogue with the reader. The reader may agree or disagree. The Duck’s gestures, expressions, and the objects he handles have a presence and make the work even more substantial.

Ville-Matti Vilkka
Philosopher, PhD