Eero Yli-Vakkuri
Maïmouna Jagne-Soreau’s provoking text A New Nationalism (2017) celebrates the nation state as a melting pot. I’m game for postnationalist welfare state!
[…] multiculturalism has been a good temporary alternative […] everyone who doesn’t fit the Finnish stereotype, struggle with issues caused by this model.
Art critic Otso Kantokorpi is warming up to the idea that artists can make art without artworks (Trans-Horse is mentioned!).
Send an application for a residency/grant in New York for Kordelin foundation and the Finnish Cultural Institute in NY. Fingers crossed for Trans-Horse NY.
Met with Maria Oiva for an interview concerning her Digi-artist venture. She is going to blog about the discussion.
Learning about Tania Brugueras’ “Useful Art” concept from Claire Bishops’ book Artificial Hells (2012). “Useful Art” feels fitting to Trans-Horse activities (even better than “Maintenance Art”). The chapter “Conclusion” (pg. 275) is really good to read. I don’t agree with her critique of participatory art.. Art/Education/Activism is not about my relationship to the Other but about Our relationship with the world (the horse). There is more in the world then masters and slaves, there is also the world. The text is filled with useful quotes such as: “Critical pedagogy retains authority, but not authoritarianism”.
They want us to use our bodies as keys. Fingerprints and iris scanners open doors.
The Cruel Radiance of What Is course came to an end. My last teaching gig was on Monday but all of the students skipped class! Only 2-4 students attended the course in general so their absence didn’t feel like a protest. People who joined the kettlebell workout were really delighted of the style of teaching I’m currently into. We met with Mikko, Miina & Arttu and two students yesterday for our final joined meeting. We ended up talking chop but the event was fun.
Visited Perfo performance event in Tampere on Thursday. Saw performances by Asko Nivala (a “failed Hannibal Lecter” / meet-is-murder cabaret), Suvi Suvereeni (a very fluid collaboration with Siri the intelligent personal assistant. A low key, personal approach to the technology yielded revelations on how the technology perceives us!), Tuuli Tuikka (an anti-art & anti-capitalism manifest on how nature and creative experiences are commodified. She shredded and packaged a flower into plastic containers) and Joulumaa (a four member noise ensemble doing a faux-ritualistic, holistic noise show. The sounds were too orchestrated for my taste and their stage work came of as flamboyant. I did get to see a 16 channel mixer being used as a percussion instrument, which is a novel sight).
After the festival I chatted with Janne Rahkila about rejoining the Perfo crew for next year. I’d continue working with the streaming system.. I’m hesitant about the gig. I don’t believe in live-video streams anymore. Perhaps I should make interviews of the artists as text and brief synopses of their performances instead. Also met with Timo Bredenberg and we had the last meeting of our “In the Flow” (Groys 2016) reading circle (some ideas in the book are useful but the authors style is too tandy).
I’m now preparing for a grant award event at the Taidehalli. I got a “The Young Artist Grant” from the Finnish Art Society. Also got a techo gig (with a workout theme) for next years Kontula Electronic. I’ll likely be joined by Kristian Ekholm (and Pietari if he finds the time. I haven’t talked about this with him yet). Also got news from Antoine that our Trans-Horse proposal for Signal festival is being processed by the production crew.
Uplifting news all around.
Filmed the morning shift at the mounted police force stables in Ruskeasuo. Cleaned a few boxes and got to help with police horse feeding.
Questioning the nature of reality with cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman podcast by YANSS is very provocative. It starts slowly but the talk packs a punch. Highlights are available also as text.