COMPLAINTS CHOIR IN GEORGIA

Last November we facilitated two parallel Complaints Choirs in our two German “home towns” Berlin and Dresden as part of the Nordwind festival. It was a long time dream to host one in Dresden, our aunt Gabi had asked already many years why we never organize one in Dresden. After completing the process in Germany we thought that Berlin and Dresden will be the last stations of our long journey with CC, but we were approached by an interesting new foundation based in Switzerland called Artasfoundation. Their mission is to bring artists into conflict areas to organise projects there: see their mission statement here. They asked us to organize a Complaints Choir for their pilot project in Georgia in Camps for Internally Displaced People. In March 2014 we will be in Georgia to facilitate the process in two camps near Gori.

image: A village built for IDPs from the South Ossetia war zone, photo by Gorod – SKY

SPEECH KARAOKE AT ROTTERDAM FILM FESTIVAL

Speech Karaoke Action Group will host a workshop and club event at Rotterdam film festival 2014! The workshop takes place on Sunday January 26th and the Karaoke Club on Wednesday January 29th at 8pm. Welcome!

EVENT
Speech Karaoke works similar to a traditional karaoke. In a relaxed bar atmosphere one can choose a speech from a karaoke booklet that contains a wide range of speeches: from the obvious classics to legendary movie speeches to the most obscure Finnish wedding speech. Our real karaoke host from Finland Mr.  Julius Valve welcomes anyone to step on the speakers desk and deliver the speech of their choice.

image: a visitor of the Ghent speechkaraoke club performs Coach Flowers locker room speech; perhaps the most brutal locker room speech recorded.

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ARS FENNICA EXHIBITION FEBRUARY 7 – APRIL 20 2014 AT KIASMA

Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma hosts an exhibition introducing works of the 5 artists / artist duos who are shortlisted for Ars Fennica Prize.

Kuva: Kansallisgalleria/Pirje Mykkänen. Kuvassa vasemmalta lukien taiteilijapari Tellervo Kalleinen ja Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen, Riitta Ikonen, Leena Nio, Pauliina Turakka Purhonen ja taiteilijapari IC -98, eli Patrik Söderlund ja Visa Suonpää.

INVESTMENT ZONE – BANGALORE JOINED PROJECT!

We are very excited to announce that  “Investment Zone“ – our new project in Gelsenkirchen, Germany – was confirmed to have a partner from Bangalore, India. The local art organization Jaaga jumped on board to facilitate the project locally parallel to the one in Gelsenkirchen. As the game starts in April 2014, both processes can be followed from the project web site.

Investment Zone is a game and an experiment. We are looking for 10 people in Gelsenkirchen and Bangalore to sign up to a 6 month game in which an empty piece of land in the city is put in use according to the participants ideas. Small grants are given in bi-monthly meetings, where decisions about the next investment moves are made. The participants can team up and combine their grants or aim to realize just their own ideas.

game rules at www.investmentzone.info

The project is originally commissioned by KunstRepublik. It is produced by Urbane Künste Ruhr, a division of Kultur Ruhr GmbH

LIVING AS FORM – SOCIALLY ENGAGED ART FROM THE LAST 20 YEARS

We would like to point you towards an exceptional exhibition, website and book that surveys 20 years of socially engaged art. The project portraits more then 100 projects becoming instantly a valuable resources for those interested in art practices that “blur the forms of art and everyday life, emphasizing participation, dialogue, and community engagement.”

Of special value is the Social Practice Archive that includes a short presentation of 366 projects.

We are proud to be included with the Complaints Choir project in this important survey produced by Creative Time in New York.

VISIT TO TEUTONIA

I am currently visiting Teutonia in Southern Brasil. Tellervo and me are taking part to the Mercosul Biennial in Porto Alegre. A chapter of the biennial titled “Cadernos Viagem” sends 10 artists to different regions in Brasil to produce a new work. Curator Jose Roca suggested us to go to Teutonia, since it is a small enclave of a German speaking community with a strong tradition of choral singing. So, here I am in the middle of Brasil speaking German with people living in Fachwerkhäusern helping to facilitate the 1st Complaints Choir of South America.

YKON (of whome we are proud members) will as well take part to the biennial with the YKON game and a new commissioned work.

PEOPLE IN WHITE AT HOT DOCS

We are glad to to celebrate the International Premier of our latest film  “People In White” at the renowned documentary film festival HOT DOCS in Toronto. The film centers around doctor-patient relationships in mental health care. It portraits 11 people suffering from mental illnesses telling and re-enacting stories about different mental health care workers who have treated them.

Check the Hot Docs website for further info and screening times.

TWO ARTICLES AND A RADIO PROGRAM

Turku Sanomat run a longer piece on the upcoming Archipelago-Science Fiction project for the CAA. Check out the photo: artists at work…

Helsingin Sanomat had a personal review of People in White running at DocPoint.

And YLE radio run a very, very long interview here. It was made by Eve Mantu and aired in her weekly show. (In Finnish and I believe only accesible for Internet users located in Finland, mp3 will follow)

OLEN LIBERAALISOSIALISTI–ZENARKISTI–INDIVIDUALISTI–KOLLEKTIVISTI–SKEPTIKKO–HUMANISTI–KAPITALISTI–ROMANTIKKO–KOOPERATIIVISTI–NIHILISTI

„Olen liberaalisosialisti–zenarkisti–individualisti–kollektivisti–skeptikko–humanisti–kapitalisti–romantikko–kooperatiivisti–nihilisti“ – näyttely on toinen Kuvataideakatemian näyttelysarjasta Kuva Kiertää, joka esittelee Kuvataideakatemiasta valmistuneita nuoria taiteilijoita suomalaisissa taidemuseoissa. Näyttely toteutetaan Suomen Kulttuurirahaston tuella ja yhteistyössä suomalaisten taidemuseoiden kanssa. Näyttelyn lähtökohtana on ollut Henry Demarest Lloydin (1847 – 1903) vastaus     kysymykseen hänen poliittisesta suuntauksestaan: „Olen sosialisti–anarkisti–individuaali–kollektivisti–individualisti–kommunisti–aristokraatti–demokraatti“

OHJELMA

* la 29.1. klo 11–18   Puhekaraoketyöpaja
* la 12.2. klo 13–16  Radikaalimuotokuva-yleisökeskustelutilaisuus johdattelijoina Hanna Saarikoski ja Johanna Raekallio
* pe 18.2. ja 1.4. klo 16.30–17.30  Teehetki taiteilijoiden kanssa