Author Archives: Johanna

About Johanna

artist and curator

Good day (got the grant and much more)

Today was a busy but quite an interesting and good day in the end. First, I got a very exciting email asking if I was interested in one international project (which I was) and in the evening I got a text message from the regional arts council of North Savo saying that I have been given a one year artist grant for 2007. This is good news, but to be perfectly honest, I had applied a longer grant and was quite disappointed that I didn’t get one. It just makes the long term planning and commitments so much more difficult as I have again no idea how I will fund my work in 2008.
But now is now, and things are definitely moving to the right directions. I’m sipping champagne (the cheapest you can get in Alko), called my mom and just finished working. I sent my DVD to Norway today, talked with Emma Puikkonen on the phone about continuing to perform Cosmetics and green peas (yes!) and had a great Skype session with Gregg about the Talks & Deeds programme and ANTI 2007 artists etc. So yes, it was all inspiring and exciting.
Working with Jaana over the weekend was great, as usual. It is so much fun, crazy and reaching and referring to so many directions and issues and traditions. I just love working with her and I really do hope that audiences will find the work and pick up all the contradicting statements we make in it. And I hope they will forgive me my all but perfect figure! No matter how hard I practice ashtanga, it just stays the same…
But I’m not letting my body, my weight, my intelligence, my financial situation or my age to stop me. It’s all going to be out there and it is only through them, that I can resist, contradict and point out the issues I, we want.

I’ll be waiting for your congratulations and flowers and other possible gifts. You know how to reach me.

Johanna

Stupid text message of the week

As I was my way to the Blue House today, I got a text message from my ex-collegue saying that he has contacted his layer because people are still contacting him although he does not work with our organisation anymore. I mean…I’m really terribly sorry I don’t have all the control over all kinds of listings and sites that one can find in the Google! I sure wish I did. And this is a person who sabotaged my work for one and half years. I had already thought that I don’t have to have anything to do with this person, but bang, there he is again in my Nokia N73 (and not my work phone) ready to sue me!
With the amount of hatred and bitterness, he must be really sorry he ever worked with me and feel really ashamed that he got the biggest recognition an artist can get in this country together with me. Poor him. I really hope he’ll have a better Karma in his next life. I’m not sure he’s done that well in this one though.

So besides this stupid incident, I had a good day. I’m having rehearsals with Jaana for the weekend and was preparing things today like bringing sheets and towels to the apartment where she’s staying, arranging for her to get the key etc. This is our last rehearsal in February (we’ll have another week to work in March) so it’s getting quite exciting. We both are a bit overworked at the moment, so let’s see what we can pull together over the weekend. I’m sure it will be fun and therapeutic for me!

My son is staying overnight with his friend, the others are sleeping, too. I should also get some sleep now.
Stay well,
Johanna

Bright, cold days

The sun reflects from the snow so brightly, that it is time to look for sunglasses. I was a bit fed up to go to the rehearsal studio today but the walk on the ice in the bright sunlight made it all right. Even the brisk icy wind on the cheeks didn’t bother too much. Time in the studio was nice and mellow, I did my asana practice which I haven’t done for far too long. So it is was a bit sticky, achy and not very flowing but it was still good to do and be in and with my body. And alone in the space, just with my body and my thoughts. Bliss.

Yesterday I was at the Blue House and noticed a few mistakes in the electrician’s work. I called him and he came over and promised to fix them today. I don’t know if he’s been there or not but I found out that also plumbers hadn’t measured the pipes for the upstairs’ toilet properly… It’s really annoying to fix other people’s mistakes especially after you have paid them and then they haven’t done their job properly. And it’s not their house, so they don’t really care.

Yesterday we also decided that it is going to be Domus. Our kitchen, I mean. I signed a contract including the cupboards, sink and worktops. Not cheap! I hardly could sleep last night as I was worrying about the future bankruptcy… But it is going to be beautiful and stunning – but that is of course just my opinion. Now I’m concerned about the kitchen appliances as that is the next huge investment.

I’ll post some images of the kitchen if I’m allowed by the Silja from Domus.
Now I have to dash to the daycare to pick up my daughter.

Johanna

Longing, house, clothes, worries and www

Busy days since coming back from Glasgow. I’ve been a bit blue, missing Rebecca and Andrew, the presence of so many wonderful artists and general passion for live art. Nikki and Colin had once again created a fantastic festival with about 80 artists from around the world. At the moment I feel that the most important works for me to see and experience were by artists Guillermo Gomez-Pena, Rosie Dennis and also Nic Green who is a very young artist based in Glasgow. But I’ve found a touching naivety and sincerity in her works and a kind of romantic enthusiasm. I’ve seen two of her works and also her performing in Grace Surman’s piece in Bristol last year. There is something about Nic that I really like but at the same time something troubling, which is a nice feeling. There were lots of other interesting things and strong works, too many to list here. But one more has to be mentioned! The first time I saw Curious live with their new work (be)longing. It was very good to see and I found it really beautiful in its simplicity but it was kind of long. But I also saw it in the late evening having already watched works for about ten hours…so maybe it wasn’t the best time. But I really enjoyed it. Also some video works I’ve seen by them have been great. And of course Marcia Farquhar! She was just amazing and it was just amazing to see her work with an archive of her clothes.
I had very inspiring meetings and conversations with Daniel and Lois from the Live Art Development Agency. They were also very pleased with our decision to choose Gregg Whelan to be my co-artistic director which, acknowledging their experience on the field, I highly value. We also hope to work with them in the future.
It was also really great to meet with other live art festival producers from the UK, Belgium and France and I sense a great passion to promote live art and artists. Let’s see if we can be part of a live art focused EU-project in the future. It would be fantastic and I really hope we can find a way with ANTI to work it out.
It was fantastic to have Andrew and Rebecca over in Glasgow as well, although they didn’t present work in the programme. Last year they were artists in residence along with Richard Dedominici (who also has shown work at ANTI) and I must say I missed the kind of presence they brought to the NRLA last year. And there were so many other people I so much enjoyed seeing like Jennie Klein, Steven Hodge, Dominic Johnson, Manuel Vason, Deen, Eleine Kordys, Andrew from LADA etc….

When I flew to Glasgow, my luggage was lost for two days. What a nightmare! I had all my new great clothes with me that I didn’t get to wear because for the first two days I just had to wear the same clothes. Actually, I had to by lots of new toiletries (cleansing milk, tonic water, shampoo, toothpaste, deo etc.) and some new undies to survive. It’s a pain with the new hand baggage regulations. Well, luggage arrived finally and I got to wear my new boots, jacket and Ponten skirt which never goes unnoticed. And Andrew and Rebecca got their Nordic Walking sticks…

I’ll have a rehearsal period with Jaana next week and I’ve been booking some studios space for us and also just for me individually. Today I was supposed to send material to our graphic designer but I didn’t manage. I didn’t get our exact performance dates in Helsinki from Jaana yet, Pekka is still working on some photos and I decided to go and do some at the Blue House today. It was so great. At 1 pm the light in the house is so beautiful at the moment that I just had to take a few photos.

upstairs1

upstairs2

yoga1

yogaview

downstairs

Mladen, who has been and is working on my website, emailed me today and it’s all moving on at least a little bit now. There has been all kinds of obstacles on the way and Mladen has now moved to Sweden, but I hope you’ll have patience as we sure do our best to set it up. Backloading removal services were perfect too.

I still don’t know about the artist grant for this year from the regional arts council and it’s really depressing. I know I didn’t get anything from the Finnish Cultural Foundation and that also put me down. Sometimes I feel I’m too old for this kind of uncertainty. By this time, at 33, and having worked as an artist professionally for 10 years, after receiving a State Prize for the Arts among others, I should have a little longer time phrase than 9 months in which to develop work. Don’t you think I deserve it?

Johanna

Glasgow

…was fantastic! Well, I actually didn’t get to spend so much time in the city itself, but I had a great time. It was so good to visit NRLA again, see so many great artists and promoters and friends. This time around it was all very busy, lots of performances and durational pieces, many meetings and talks and discussions. Many projects planned and discussed. It all was so inspiring and exciting that it is almost scary to be back in Kuopio. Because life here is nothing like that. There is very little sense of support, enthusiasm, experimentalism. It was so great to meet people from all over the world who are so excited about ANTI –festival and find it extraordinary and fantastic that we do it each year. So do I get any vibes like that over here? The answer is no. None. But maybe it is also the cultural difference in behaviour and language. But I’m sure it is not only that. On my way back yesterday, I thought that maybe it is my destiny to move to Britain at some point. You know, in 1997 I was supposed to, but didn’t in the end because of love and my son. So maybe when I’m older, we’ll sell the Blue House and move to Britain. I already have suggested house swapping with some friends in London. The only hindrance at the moment is the fact that Blue House is not yet finished!
I went to the Blue House today with my daughter by bus. It was the first time we took a bus there and it wasn’t that bad. I was so exhausted that I didn’t really do any work there, I just watched Pekka and Juho working on the upstairs’ floor and I measured some walls and windows. It all looks very good but there is a lot of pressure time and money wise at the moment…
I need to get some sleep now. More about NRLA etc. is coming up in few days.

Hope you are all well.
Johanna

I’m off

This is just a quick hello. I’m off now, my taxi is picking me up at 5.20 am. I’ll meet Gregg Whelan in London and then continue to Glasgow. It’s really freezing here at the moment, something like -35 degrees and I just hope the planes are on time.

So the next five days will be busy with seeing work and having meetings. I don’t know how much I will be near internet connection but I’ll keep you posted.

Hope to see you all in Glasgow.

Johanna

Perfection is precision

Lot’s of things been going on.

For some reason, today I thought about a performance I did I guess in 1994 and especially one line that has stuck to my memory:

Perfection is precision.

In the performance, which was titled Big Offer To Container, I collaborated with Niia Maria Mjetchinsky who is a Danish writer and poet. We both wrote texts for each other and that line is from Niia Maria’s text. I still think about it. Today it came to my mind as I was watching Pekka and Juho putting boards up on the walls at the Blue House. A lot of details to take into consideration, a lot of decisions to make i.e. how a board and a windowpane connect? In case you don’t, learn more about EZ Window Solutions. Those of you who haven’t built or renovated might not have a clue what I’m talking about, but it is all in the details. Perfection is precision.
I called our plumber today about a few details and he came over to the Blue House. It was really good to go through things with him and actually I feel like I’m sometimes more aware of how those pipes should run and where exactly than the professionals. Do you know how many times I have thought about changing profession? Our plumber, who is related to artist Paavo Räbinä, just came back from Thailand where he went for a three-week holiday. Not bad. Also, the plumbers never work after 4 pm or the weekends. Never.

As I’m writing this, I’m listening to Antti Tuisku, Kate Bush, Jukka Poika (Pläski) and Madonna, whose new DVD I’m desperately waiting for. The day before yesterday I asked for it in the shops but it’s been released in Finland today. Didn’t have time to go to the shops today though. I’ve seen Madonna in live concert only once in 2005 and because of the Blue House I couldn’t go to see her on tour last year. From one arts officer in the Art Council of Finland (who was in the same crew with me in 2005) I heard that last year’s tour was not as good as the Re-Invention tour so I don’t really feel sorry but since I’ve loved Madonna since 1986, I of course want to see the DVD.

I also was supposed to go the Gallery Carree today but didn’t manage. Instead, I went with our plumber to Ahlsell to look at the central vacuum cleaners and toilet seats. Much more interesting…

I cooked a beautiful dinner with millet, broccoli, carrots, leek, garlic, tofu and sesame seeds. Everyone loved it. Pekka’s 17 year-old daughter has been staying with us and I must say I really wonder about today’s youth! Obviously, people are very different, but when I was 17 my interests where not in Japanese cartoons and animations. I guess I was more worried if I’m HIV positive than anything…

Hope you are all well and in good health.

Johanna

The column

was published today. For those of you who don’t get the Kuopion Kaupunkilehti, here it is (in Finnish):

“Kuka saa, kuka jää ilman?

Alkuvuosi on monelle piinallista odottelun aikaa. Lukuisat kolmannen sektorin toimijat ja taiteilijat odottelevat päätöksiä erinäisistä toiminta-avustuksista, apurahoista tai hankerahoituksista joku kaupungilta, toinen valtiolta, kolmas taidetoimikunnalta, neljäs lääninhallitukselta ja joku näistä kaikista. Toiminta on käynnissä tai ainakin sen pitäisi alkaa, mutta rahoituspäätöksiä ei vielä ole. Tilanne on monelle toimijalle vaikea. Miten rekrytoida ihmisiä töihin, millaisia sopimuksia uskaltaa tehdä ja kuinka paljon voivat työntekijät joustaa?
Ja mitä sitten kun päätökset tulevat? Jos avustusta ei tulekaan, miten käy suunnitellun toiminnan ja vireillä olevien hankkeiden tai projektien? Tai jos avustusta tuleekin, mutta vuosi toisensa perään se on toiminnan laajuuteen nähden riittämätöntä? Miten esimerkiksi taiteilijat, kulttuurialan toimijat ja yhdistykset pystyvät toteuttamaan pitkän aikavälin tavoitteita ja strategisia linjauksiaan ja tuottamaan valtakunnallisesti ja kansainvälisesti korkealaatuista ja kiinnostavaa sisältöä kun rahoitus on joka vuosi katkolla ja päätökset tulevat suunnitelmallisen toiminnan kannalta aivan liian myöhään?
Tuntuu, että monilta odotetaan kohtuuttoman suurta joustoa ja luottamusta huomiseen, ilman minkäänlaisia turvatakuita. Pelissä voi olla perheen toimeentulo, etenkin vastavalmistuneilla päätös asumispaikkakunnasta, kenties jonkun toisen työn vastaanottamatta jättäminen hankerahoituksen jatkumisen uskossa.
Vakituisessa työsuhteessa olevien lienee lähes mahdoton ymmärtää millaisessa tilanteessa useat korkeakoulutetut, Kuopion kaupungin imagolle ja vetovoimalle tärkeät kulttuuri- ja taidealan toimijat ja kolmannen sektorin organisaatiot ovat. Ja mitä nämä toimijat sitten ovat tehneet Kuopion imagon eteen? Tuottaneet esimerkiksi kansainvälisiä, valtakunnallisia tapahtumia, vauvoista vaareihin ja mummoihin kohdistuvia projekteja, useiden taiteen alojen teoksia, näyttelyitä ja esityksiä, vähemmistöryhmiin kohdistuvia hankkeita ja tietysti verotuloja. Ja monille, luoneet Kuopiosta innostavan paikan elää ja asua. Olisiko kohtuullista huomioida tällaisen voimavaran tarpeet hiukan paremmin ennen kuin toimijat vetävät johtopäätöksensä ja siirtyvät heitä paremmin huomioiviin kaupunkeihin tai maihin? Tutkimukset osoittavat, että kaupunkien vetovoimaa mitataan niiden tarjoamilla kulttuuripalveluilla. Osaamista täältä ei ainakaan puutu.”
ANTI -festival’s ex-producer Maija emailed me today which was a nice surprise of the day. She is currently in Göteborg in Sweden and I really miss her, in work and privately as well.

I’m off to National Review of Live Art next week and I’m really looking forward to seeing new work, meeting artists, producers, art officers and friends.

I bought with my daughter two DVD’s of Cold Feet today. Cold Feet was my absolute favourite series ever and when I bought the first season on DVD about a year ago I was delighted to watch it and cry in peace. Now I’m looking forward to new emotional trips.

Johanna

Schedules

There’s been a lot to arrange, schedules, rehearsal times, performance schedules, schedules for the new solo project with Maija Hirvanen and Pekka Mäkinen, ANTI –festival’s schedules with the new co-artistic director (I’ll let you now soon who s/he is) and with the Blue House and the family.
With the collaboration Mulla ei oo mitään päälle pantavaa (I don’t have anything to wear) we have now confirmed the premiere to be on the 15th of March and we’ll have four performances in Kuopio. Then we’ll perform on the 28th of March in Joensuu, in May 8-10 times in Zodiak, in Helsinki, and another two performances in June in Kuopio.
I wrote a column for the Kuopion Kaupunkilehti a couple of days ago. The paper is going to be out on Saturday for those of you who are interested.
I’m off to Glasgow next week and I’m really looking forward to seeing new works and meeting artists. I also have quite a few meetings scheduled already now.
Today, once more, I had a meeting with he Domus kitchen’s ladies, and I must say, it all looks very good. I’m very satisfied with their material, stuff and offer. It’s not exactly cheap, but it seems reasonable. I have to drag Pekka to look at the plans before we can make a deal with them, though.
It’s time to say good night now. Another long day tomorrow with writing grant applications and reports of last’s year’s grants.

Johanna

Can a feminist give a vote to a man?

That was the question of the day.

After cleaning up the flat in the morning, I went with the kids to the market place and Café Burts where the kick off of the campaign of the Greens was held. The general election is going to be held in March and in the region of North Savo we have a very exciting possibility to get a first Green representative to the national parliament. Our candidate Raimo Tuomainen is a wonderful person; he’s an academic who, at the same time, is very down to earth and easy to approach. He has been involved in the Greens for a long time but this is the first time he has stepped from the background to the spot light. And I’m very pleased he did. I myself was a candidate in the general election four years ago, and was asked last year again but I said no. And I’m so happy I said no and stuck to my point although many tried to talk me over. Raimo is so much better candidate than I ever would have been!
Raimo talked beautifully today about celebrating fatherhood, about new fatherhood and how much men are missing by working too hard when the children are young and how men are sometimes completely set aside from their families. I also think that he is a very good person to promote equality between the genders. With Mari Puoskari (a candidate in Helsinki who is also the chairwoman of Green Women whose board member I was 2005-2006) Raimo shared views about women’s euro (=80cents) and the glass roof women run against during their carriers.
But it’s not only equality that is important to Raimo. He also values highly art and culture.
So I think it’s better to vote a man who is aware of the gender inequalities than a woman who thinks all professional success is up to the individual’s talent and effort, no matter what you have between your legs.

So today was a confirmation for me. I’m not going to hesitate to give my vote to a man.