Moderation is no longer in fashion. It doesn’t appear in advertisements, it doesn’t attract clicks, and it doesn’t work as a slogan. Today, speed, growth, and constant renewal are seen as self-evident values — things people are expected to pursue, maintain, and accelerate. Moderation, with its calm rhythm and quiet presence, has faded into the background.

This shift hasn’t happened by accident. Advertising, social media, and a culture built on comparison have created an environment where “enough” is no longer sufficient. Contentment easily appears as stagnation, and to pause is seen as a form of failure. Public discourse has become polarized — extremes dominate, and compromise has lost its value. In an age that rewards hardness and visibility, moderation is often mistaken for weakness.

But perhaps now is exactly the right moment to ask: what comes after moderation? What kind of society is becoming if people no longer recognize what is enough, or are unable to accept limits
— even when they are necessary? What happens to shared responsibility, long-term thinking, or trust, if everything is guided by short-term gain and self-interest?

Maria Mastola is a sculptor, a craftivist and a freeplay assessor, based in Helsinki.
 

MAA-Tila

31.5.-15.6.2025

Opening 30.5. at 18.00-20.00

Wed-Fri 14.00-18.00

Sat-Sun 13.00-17.00

Free entry