The invitation of art, the art of invitation.
Since 2002, Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen have worked together across participatory cinema, performance, public art, game design and interventions. Across their practice, they explore the dynamics between the individual and the collective. Their art projects often begin with an open invitation and create unexpected, temporary communities. They create concepts and processes and often take on the role of facilitators. Sometimes projects take on a life of their own, as happened with Complaints Choir, which was realised in nearly 200 cities worldwide following their original concept. They are deeply engaged in the questions surrounding participation, including democracy, agency, public space and citizenship.
Their participatory moving-image works include The Making of Utopia, created with members of intentional communities in Australia, and People in White, in which former mental health care clients revisit their experiences with doctors and therapists through storytelling and reenactment. In Archipelago Science Fiction, inhabitants of the Turku Archipelago imagine and act out possible futures for the area.
Their work in public space takes multiple forms. Collective Mindscape, made using Unreal Engine game technology, was realised for the HUS Siltasairaala cancer day clinic. The process involved eight people who have experienced cancer, whose inner mindscapes were transformed into a shared virtual world. Viewers can navigate the world using a touchless screen, exploring different landscapes and listening to the thoughts of the participants. Keskustelupuisto (Conversation Park) invited inhabitants of Rauma into a process of creating a new public space through a two-year, game-like process of negotiations and personal game moves. The duo published a book about the experience (Published by Lönnström Art Museum in 2022), using the project as a case study.
Their interactive video installations include 101 For All, in which a representative sample of 100 Finns discuss divisive topics.
Their recent work The Most Valuable Clock in the World is a large mechanical-electronic clock displaying precious moments donated by people, alongside fragile moments from the natural environment.
In 2017, they were invited as guest professors at the Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Helsinki, and they have also taught at Aalto University. The duo received the AVEK Media Art Award in 2012 and the Ars Fennica Award in 2014.
The Artists
Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen
CONTEMPORARY ART – CODE
CV
EDUCATION
Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen
2000 MFA, HFBK Hamburg University of Fine Arts
1998-99 Guest student at The Helsinki Academy of Fine Arts
Tellervo Kalleinen
2003 MFA, Time and Space Department, Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki, Finland
2000-01 Guest student at Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg, Germany
2000-01 Guest student at Hochschule für bildende Künste Braunschweig, Germany
AWARDS
2014 ARS FENNICA award
2012 AVEK Media Art Award
2012 BEST FEATURE FILM, Lo Spiraglio Film Fest, Rome, Italy*
SOLO AND DUO EXHIBITIONS
2024
COLLECTIVE MINDSCAPE – Hilbertraum, Berlin, Germany
101 FOR ALL – Galleria Sivuraide, Salo Art Museum, Salo, Finland
2019
#BESCHWERDICH – COMPLAINTS CHOIRS – Kunstverein Ludwigshafen, Germany
2017
101 FOR ALL – Kunsthalle Seinäjoki, Finland
2015
101 FOR ALL – Kunsthalle Helsinki, Finland
2012
FORMS OF PARTICIPATION – Shedhalle, Zurich, Switzerland
2011
DREAMLAND – 21 dreams about a president Mikkeli Art Museum, Mikkeli, Finland
2010
KALLEINEN & KOCHTA-KALLEINEN – Artra Gallery, Milan, Italy
DREAMLAND – 21 DREAMS ABOUT THE PRESIDENT – Rauma Art Museum, Finland
COMPLAINTS CHOIRS – Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, Saint Louis, US
2009
MAM10 – Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
DREAMLAND – The Studio of Art Hall / Taidehalli, Helsinki, Finland
2008
FUTURE GAME – Taidehalli / Art Hall, Helsinki, Finland (by YKON)
2007
COMPLAINTS CHOIR – Sparwasser, Berlin, Germany
COMPLAINTS CHOIR – Signal, Malmö, Sweden
2006
LOST AND FOUND – SMAK Ghent, Belgium (+ Mika Taanila)
MICRONATIONS TRAVELLING AGENCY – Sparwasser, Berlin, Germany (by YKON)
COMMISSIONS
Upcoming 2030:
A SENTENCE WE ALL CAN AGREE UPON.
Commissioned by Kunst und Bau, The City of Zürich, Switzerland
2026
THE MOST VALUABLE CLOCK IN THE WORLD as part of Climate Clock
Commissioned by Invisible Dust, London and Oulu 2026, European Capital of Culture, Finland
2023
THE FINAL SCENES OF DISASTER MOVIES
Participatory cinema & event, Commissioned by Helsinki Festival, Finland
COLLECTIVE MINDSCAPE, Commissioned by HUS Comprehensive Cancer Center,
Part of Kohtaamisia -art collection curated by Taru Elfving, Helsinki, Finland
ODE FOR Y
Commissioned by Y-Säätiö, Helsinki, Finland
2018-2022
CONVERSATION PARK – KESKUSTELUPUISTO – A Public Space Game
Lönnström Project – with Lönnström Art Museum, Rauma, Finland
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2026
WHY DO SHOES RUB AND OTHER QUESTIONS, EKKM Tallinn, Estonia
HAURAS PINTA, Artsi, Vantaa, Finland
2024
FEELS LIKE HOME – a collection exhibition, KIASMA, Helsinki, Finland
2020
ART AGENDA 2030, Helsinki, Finland
ARS Kärsämäki, Kärsämäki, Finland
2019
13th HAVANA BIENNIAL, Havana, Cuba
AN DER NORDKANTE, Stadtgallerie Kiel, Kiel, Germany
OCEAN DWELLERS, Nordic Embassies, Berlin, Germany
REAL WORK, Fact, Liverpool, UK
CONSIDERING FINLAND, Kunstverein Ludwigshafen, Germany
2018
MÄNTTÄ ART FESTIVAL, Mänttä, Finland
CONSIDERING FINLAND, Kunstverein, Ludwigshafen, Germany
2017
101 FOR ALL, Lappeenranta Art Museum, Finland
JOKA HETKI ON POIKKEUS, Riihimäen vanha lasitehdas, Riihimäki, Finland
JUXTABOXING NARRATIVES, ZK/U, Berlin, Germany
SIMULIZI MIJINI, Old Boma, Darch, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
KANSAN ASIALLA, Tampere Art Museum, Finland
2016
IDENTITY, National Art Museum, Kiev, Ukraine
UTOPIAN ART FROM FINLAND, Handwerker Gallery, Ithaca, US
SAMA ASIA NYKYAIKAISESTI KÄSITETTYNÄ Visavuori Museum, Valkeakoski, Finland
2015
WHAT IS TO COME HAS ALREADY ARRIVED Musac, León, Spain
MÄNTTÄ ART FESTIVAL Mänttä, Helsinki, Finland
CANNIBAL MANIFESTO Karst, Plymouth, UK
DOINGS & KNOTS Tallinn Art Hall, Tallinn, Estonia
2014
ARS FENNICA 2014, KIASMA, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, Finland
COSMOS, Shanghai 21st Century Minsheng Art Museum
WHAT IS TO COME HAS ALREADY ARRIVED, Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo
DREAMS. Lönnström Art Museum, Rauma, Vaasa, Finland
SJÄLÖ 9. Tikanojan taidekoti, Vaasa, Finland
TYÖN JUHLAA, Työväenmuseo Werstas, Tampere, Finland
SHENZEN SCULPTURE BIENNALE, China
PARALLAX, Laboratorio Arte Alameda, Mexico City
2013
EDINBURGH ART FESTIVAL, Edinburgh, Ireland
SJÄHLÖ 9, Hyvinkää art museum, Hyvinkää, Finland
I WISH THIS WAS A SONG, Telemark Kunstnersenter, Skien, Norway
2012
I WISH THIS WAS A SONG, Nasjonalmuseet Oslo, Norway
TELL IT LIKE IT IS: CANDOR IN CONTEMPORARY VIDEO ART, Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita, US
ARCTIC HYSTERIA, Centre for Photography ROPSHOTO, St Petersburg, Russia
CAVE ANALOGUES, Retretti, Finland
2011
MERCOSUL BIENNALE, Porto Alegre, Brazil*
MINE, YOURS, OURS, Drugo More, Rijeka, Croatia (by YKON)
CONTEMPORARY ART ARCHIPELAGO, Turku Archipelago, Finland
2010
VOCAL THOUGHTS, Contemporary Art Centre of South Australia CASCA
RAISE YOUR VOICE, Ars Electronica Center, Linz, Austria
MADNESS AND ARTS -FESTIVAL, Haarlem, Netherlands
THE PEOPLE UNITED WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED, TENT, Rotterdam, Netherlands
2009
TIME OUT OF JOINT: RECALL AND EVOCATION IN RECENT ART, The Kitchen, NY, US
BLUE-COLLAR BLUES, Konstihoone, Tallinn, Estonia
RICHTUNG NORDEN, Künstlervereinigung MAERZ, Linz, Austria
IM/POSSIBLE COMMUNITY, Shedhalle Zürich, Switzerland
LET US BE US, Emil Filla Gallery, Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic
ARCTIC HYSTERIA, Ludwig Museum – Museum of Contemporary Art – Budapest, Hungary
HAPPY TOGETHER, Konstihoone, Tallinn, Estonia (YKON)
2008
POSSIBILITY OF CHANGE, Ålands Konstmuseum and NIPA, Mariehamn, Finland
HISTORY ACTS, Gothenburg Art Hall / Göteborgs Konsthall, Sweden
COMPLAINTS CHOIRS @ MARABOUPARKEN, Marabouparken, Stockholm, Sweden
BUSAN BIENNALE, Busan, South-Korea
U-TURN, Quadrennial for Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, Denmark
ARCTIC HYSTERIA, NEW ART FROM FINLAND, P.S.1, NY, US
ARS BALTICA TRIENNAL: DON ́T WORRY BE CURIOUS, NGBK, Berlin, Germany
CONSPIRE, Transmediale, Berlin, Germany (YKON)
2007
ARS BALTICA TRIENNAL: DON ́T WORRY BE CURIOUS – Stadtgalerie Kiel, Germany
KUMU, Tallinn, Estonia– Pori Art Museum, Finland
BIENNALE OF YOUNG ARTISTS, Tallinn, Estonia
2006
FREMD BIN ICH EINGEZOGEN, Kunsthalle Fridericianum, Kassel, Germany
ART LINK, Gothenburg Art Hall / Göteborg Kunsthall, Sweden
SWEET PUNCH, Physics Room, Christchurch, New Zeland
MOMENTUM, Moss, Norway
SINGAPORE BIENNALE, Singapore (by YKON)
ARS06, Museum of Contemporary Art KIASMA, Helsinki, Finland
NAKED LIFE, Moca Taipei, Taiwan (by YKON)
LIAF 06, Lofoten International Art Festival, Norway
METAPHYSICS OF YOUTH, Pescara, Italy
UTOPIAS, Éigse Carlow Arts Festival 06, Ireland
FANTASTISKT FINSKT, Skulpturens Hus, Stockholm, Sweden
EV+A, Limerick, Ireland
2005
Artspace, Sydney, Australia
PIENI TAIVAS, Kunsthalle, Helsinki, Finland
THE FIRST UNIVERSAL EXHIBITION OF MICRONATIONS, Sonarmatica, Sonar Festival, Barcelona, Spain
PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS (A SELECTION)
2026
Play House, Aine Art Museum, Tornio, Finland (by YKON)
2022
BIASED, Espoo Theatre &, Espoo, Finland (in collaboration with with Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen, Ami Karvonen, Fred Nevche and Matija Kezele. Creative Europe -programme
2021
Playing Adults, Performance, Trouble Festival, Brussels
2017
Temporary Pavilion for Permanent Negotiations, Cure Park, Taak, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2013
THE SUMMIT OF PRACTICAL UTOPIAS, Brioni, Croatia (by YKON, with Electra and Drugo More)
PERHE MENEE KOTIIN, Helsinki Festival, Finland
2012
PALIKKAOOPPERA, Kerava Art Museum, Kerava, Finland (with Maija Hirvanen)
2003
THE SUMMIT OF MICRONATIONS*
Curators of Amorph!03 Festival, Artists Asoociation MUU, Helsinki, Finland
LET ME, Performance Festival Odense, Denmark
SCREENINGS (A SELECTION)
2025
Love and Anarchy, Helsinki international Film Festival
2016
EMAP – SAVE OUR SOULS, Seoul, Korea
2014
Japan Media Arts Festival
2013
Kino Der Kunst, international competition, München
2. Kyiv International Short Film Festival, Kyiv
Moving Images -Art Fair, New York
Helsinki Short Film Festival, Helsinki
Lens Politica, Helsinki
Schillertage -festival, Mannheim
2012
Tampere Film Festival, Finland
Kyiv International Short Film Festival, Kyiv
2Annas – Riga International Short Film Festival – international competition, Riga
2011
MOMA, New York
Doc Point -festival, Helsinki
Hot Docs -festival, Toronto
Tampere Film Festival, Finland
Rome film festival, Rome
Rendezvous with Madness -festival, Toronto
Fokus Video Art Festival
Kunsthallen Nikolaj, Copenhagen
2010
IMPAKT -festival, Utrecht
4th CAIRO VIDEO FESTIVAL, Egypt
KETTUPÄIVÄT, Helsinki
2008
Unmasked, New Museum, NY