Author Archives: Johanna

About Johanna

artist and curator

Thoughts from the swimming hall

I got a one-year artistic grant until the end of the year and in my mind I’m working on the new production. The challenge is the lack of production support so it’s kind of impossible to proceed with the plans in terms of the people involved. But I’m working on it and have to hand in another two funding applications next week. Besides working on the grant applications, next week I’m busy with completing the soft skin / harsh life & Festive work DVD, having some ANTI meetings and going through the submissions for ANTI 2008.
I’ve been going to the gym quite intensively lately in the near by swimming hall. After the work out, it’s great to have a sauna (which I don’t have at home – shamefully un-Finnish) and maybe a little swim although I don’t usually have time for it if I do a full workout. But the best part is to sit in the sauna and have a shower with all these wonderful women aging from small babies to something like 100 years. Where else is it possible to be naked among some many women from different ages and backgrounds? And see a wonderful selection of female bodies of all shapes and sizes! I just love it and have realised that I need to bring my daughter to the swimming hall more often. Of course the swimming itself is a great exercise but equally important I think is to realize that there are as many different bodies as there are people and everyone is equally beautiful and valuable.
When I was a young girl, I used to go to the swimming hall with my father. He worked in 3 shifts so every now and then he was at home during the day and that’s when we went to swim. I never really learned to love swimming halls and I’m kind uncomfortable with the conditions after the swimming and sauna in the halls. Not the nakedness but somehow I cannot really enjoy the changing, drying hair and trying to dress up after wards the way I can at home. Sometimes I’m also really annoyed with the screaming and loud teenagers as I’m kind of running away from all that to go to exercise and be with my own thoughts. But you cannot have it all, can you?
Tomorrow we are shooting for another Suomi express fro YLE 2 and our topic is the prize of food in Finland. Let’s see what comes up.

Johanna

Happy to be at home

Today I went to the office, first time after my oh-so-inspiring trip to Glasgow. The office felt dusty and dirty, which it also is… somehow I’m not inspired to clean it and all the paper and crap is just there to make the air bad. But it was a beautiful, sunny and bright day and I didn’t feel jealous of my friends in Thailand and Brazil. Not today.
In deed I felt so happy about visiting Glasgow, seeing all the great work, meeting colleagues and artists, having late night discussions with living legends of performance and live art, planning future festivals, panels and projects. What could be more inspiring?
I took one photo whilst in Glasgow. Maybe you know that image, but I still find it amusing. Peruna, a design label by Marks & Spencer, means potato in Finnish. It doesn’t really sound like the most attractive brand of clothing but rather funny.
peruna.jpg
I bought a couple of books during my visit. One is Eat Pray Love and I must say, I really enjoy reading it. I’ve been missing having time to read and somehow strangely during my trip it again became possible as there was so much waiting around at airports etc. But I do love that book although I’m only in India, in the book I mean. At the moment I’m just happy to be at home.

Johanna

Traveling to Glasgow / NRLA

Travelling is such a hard job. During the last couple of years I’ve been making more journeys and been away from home and family and although I’m excited about the things I’m involved in and the places I go to, I am starting to feel how it eats up my energy – especially as I haven’t had a chance to take enough time off and recharge. The only really nice memories are about flights in Costa Rica. I guess, you can can imagine the beauty of this destination. Yesterday I woke up at 4.27am, an airport taxi picked me up at 5am, my first flight was at 6.15am and another at 8.20am. It was a great ride, I talked to the taxi man for awhile and told him how I was also a taxi driver and recently just had to compare cheap taxi insurance quotes at utilitysavingexpert.com. I hang out at Manchester International airport, tried to stay awake and spend the eight hours I had to wait until my last flight to Glasgow. Because of all the despair of not having slept enough, waking up so early and waiting around for so long, I decided to treat myself with a large cappuccino (not big like I tried to explain) and a blueberry muffin. That’s another thing about travelling; it’s so easy to end up eating really unhealthy stuff because I might not have the time to go to good restaurants to eat proper food, I cannot cook, I usually don’t have the money to go to best restaurants and if I’m not really careful, I end up eating too much salty and fatty snacks like crisps, creamy pastas, heavy sandwiches and drinking too much coffee. And then feeling tired and overwhelmed by the travelling, I reward myself with wine. I’m such a heroine.
Well, this time I’m trying to be optimistic and I took my gym gears and Polar F6 with me. I went to the hotel gym in the morning as I know it makes me feel better. I’m hesitating to say that as I have taken my yoga mat along on some trips where I haven’t really done much of it. Anyway, maybe it’s more of an emotional support, trying to stay healthy and happy although not at home.
And of course the crew at home just think I’m having the time of my life, you know, not being at home, not needing to worry about dirty dishes, cooking, children – just watching art, having meetings with artists, curators, programmers and colleges. And when I get back home they want to punish me for the time off from home, or ‘holiday’ as they see it. What as vicious circle!
Anyhow, I’m just trying to say that I admire people who travel a lot in their jobs. It’s not easy. Maybe it’s the age, my workload or the family situation, but I’m sure it’s never simple.

Well, over the next five days I’m at the National Review of Live Art, doing my job.

Johanna

Thoughts

Things have been kind of hectic lately and I haven’t had the possibility to reflect on anything or write my blog. The beginning of the year is kind of hard to handle for me as I don’t have continuous artist’s grant or jobs and I’m kind of on top of nothing wondering how to pay the bills and balance the situation with the family. Well, I have a couple of things coming up but they are not enough to sustain the situation so it takes sometimes a lot of effort to try stay focused and calm and not to stress to death.
My performances last week in Helsinki went well although in general I found the trip really exhausting and energy consuming. Without the help of two lovely Maijas, I wouldn’t have survived the circumstances. I’m really grateful to them but realize that I cannot always travel around with two personal assistants. So better help and support from the organisers is definitely needed in the future.
On Monday was the first shooting of Suomi express, a weekly TV-programme at the Finnish national television in which I participate every third week. It was quite fun and nice. It came out on the 30th of Jan and you can watch it online at Yle Areena for another week or so here http://areena.yle.fi/toista?id=1053086. You can also search for Suomi express at Yle Areena and you’ll find the programs available. I will be commenting on some current topics with Atik Ismail every third week at least for the spring. It’s funny not to know who watches the program (it’s broadcasted prime time) and many people have said that they saw it. On Friday I went to the gym and think some people recognized me from the program as I felt I was strangely under scrutiny.
I’ve done several grant reports this week, visited tax office and tried to sort out my home office, which is a real chaos. Today I threw away probably a ton of papers and magazines but still it feels like a mess. I installed a new printer today so it’s getting a bit better to work in the office but most things are not in their place yet. I do feel tired of all the unfinished things as they are everywhere you turn. But I found an invitation to take part in a medical research which I had completely forgot. They are making a research on diabetes and as part of that you’ll get information about your blood (like cholesterol etc.), liver and kidneys. I think I’ll take part, at least I get to know something more about my health as I don’t have any regular health service provided which people in proper jobs have.

Johanna

the latest column in Finnish

Joulupukin koti

Mistä lähtien Joulupukin koti on ollut Kuopiossa? Minulle on jostain syystä kokonaan jäänyt hämärän peittoon, että mitä ihmettä on tapahtunut. Miten voi olla mahdollista, että Joulupukin koti on ilmestynyt Kuopion Rauhalahteen jouluaatoksi ja 30.12.2007 – 10.1.2008 väliseksi ajaksi? En ymmärrä!
Kuten ihmiset ympäri maailmaa tietävät – ja erityisesti lapset – Joulupukki asuu kaukana Suomen Lapissa, sanotaan oikean Joulupukin nettisivuilla. Tämän minäkin tiesin. Sen sijaan Rauhalahden ja Kuopion matkailupalvelun nettisivuilla ei anneta minkäänlaista taustatietoa, miten tai miksi yhtäkkiä Joulupukin koti on siirtynyt Kuopioon. Epäilyttävää. Joulupukista eri kulttuureissa voi lukea vaikkapa Wikipediasta, mutta siellä ei kyllä ole mitään mainintaa Kuopiosta, Joulupukin yhteydessä siis.
Pohjoisesta kotoisin olevana ja suoraan puhumiseen kasvaneena minusta on jo sinänsä outoa, että vanhemmat ja aikuiset kollektiivisesti valehtelevat lapsille Joulupukin tuovan heidän itsensä hankkimat lahjat. Erityisesti minua oudoksuttaa, jos yli 10-vuotiaat uskovat tähän valheeseen, vaikka Joulupukin tarina on kyllä viehättävä. Mutta nyt ei kyseessä olekaan pelkästään Joulupukista lepertely vaan myös hänen kodistaan! Mistä lähtien Kuopiossa on keksitty alkaa valehdella – lähinnä venäläisille turisteille kai, että Joulupukin koti on Rauhalahdessa? Tämähän on jo niin irvokasta kopioimista, että minua suorastaan huolestuttaa oikean Joulupukin pajan ja kammarin puolesta. Joulupukin tekijänoikeudet kuuluvat Korvatunturille, valvooko niitä kukaan? Teosto, Kopiosto? Eikö kukaan välitä?
Eivätkö lapset ansaitse rehellisyyttä? Entä turistit? Jos matkustan jonnekin, ihan mihin tahansa, minua ei kiinnosta turistitoimistojen pystyyn panemat kulissikylät vaan paikkojen historia, luonto ja kulttuuri oli sitten kyseessä vaikkapa Bob Marleyn koti Jamaikalla, kuumat lähteet Azoreilla tai Preikestolen Stavangerissa. Ehkäpä juuri tämän vuoksi en ole myöskään käynyt Joulupukin pajassa Napapiirillä, mutta siihen sentään liittyy aito Joulupukin tarina, kuten ihmiset ympäri maailmaa tietävät. Mutta kaipa tässäkin suhteessa ihmiset ovat erilaisia. Ja etenkin kaupungit.

Johanna Tuukkanen

Artist’s Body of Work

There are painters who have worked with the same material, similar colors and one theme throughout their carrier, for 30 years. There are live artists who work with the imagery of burlesque in each of their work and don’t we all know live artists who work with cutting and bleeding in their art, in every work they do.
After the overwhelmingly positive feedback of soft skin / harsh life and Festive work, I’m left thinking how in contemporary dance or in performance someone can see that as a weakness? That an artist has a style, individual take on a certain theme or subject, a personal way of working she or he has developed over the years? And how many writers there are that in their personal way write about similar issues over and over again, and how that is just fine? What is a personal handwriting of a contemporary dance maker or a performer? And why she or he shouldn’t have one? Why should s/he jump from one aesthetic, method or concept into another in each work?
I am definitely proud of the body of work I have created and yes, there are methods of working I have developed and that I will stick to. There are also certain themes of sensuality and femininity that I will be always working with. And this I see as a strength, not a weakness.

Johanna