Category Archives: Life

in Stockholm

I have the luxury to spend a couple of days in Stockholm before traveling to Uppsala where I’ll perform on Thursday.

Last night I hardly got any sleep as I had so much work to finish before the trip that I was really late packing. I had maybe 1-2 hours sleep before getting up at 4am so was rather exhausted. Luckily my flights were on time and all went smoothly. I arrived in my hotel in Södermalm very early and was rather doubtful that they would have any rooms available but they did and gave me one at something like 10am. I was so happy and had a little nap before heading off to town for my business.

In the evening I went to visit Fotografiska and ended up walking a route that took me to completely new places in Stockholm. Here are a few pictures from the way.













Nicest thing today has been speaking Swedish – after my course in academic Swedish this spring I really really enjoy catching up with the language. And now it’s just lovely to be able to speak better Swedish and use the language. Great! You never know where life takes you.

Hope to see you in Uppsala on Thursday!

Johanna

milk load

I performed MILK last Friday in the Functional Studios in Kuopio. I had completely forgotten what a nightmare that show is to organize!!! It took 14 hours from me to pick up all the props and materials including the dance carpets, empty milk boxes, fresh milk, bags to pack the boxes into and the bucket in which I bathe and then to set up the space, tape the dance carpets, organize the milk boxes in chronological order and back them, then to get ready for the show, perform, shower, clean up and pack everything and transport all the gears into different storages and places. I WAS EXHAUSTED.

But of course the greatest thing was to perform and to experience once again that the work is strong and it really touches people, provokes ideas and somehow also connects. So yesterday when I went to the studio for my training, I got such a warm and lovely feedback which made me feel very happy and also more connected to that place and the people who work and train there. So it was a beautiful experience.

I need to thank my son Zulani and his friend Elina who help enormously before and after the show! And I couldn’t have survived without the help of my daughter Justiina with whom we taped the dance carpets earlier during the day! So it’s all like a family business except that it’s not a very good business… Well, call it collaboration then!

I’ve been deep into dialogical and relational aesthetics and I need to work on my article rather intensively this week… Lots of work still to do. And in fact I have so much work in May and July that I can only focus on one thing at a time otherwise I’ll go crazy. But if I’m still alive in the end of June, I know I can be very pleased and proud of myself and will really enjoy a proper holiday. But until then, back to work now! So probably not a very active blogging season ahead of me – but I’ll try my best.

Hauskaa vappua!

Johanna

participatory art work

I realized that I’m in a middle of creating a participatory art work which is completely lacking necessary resources.

Johanna

getting ready for the upcoming MILK performance

Another busy week behind. Wanted to post some images from my trip to Paris & Lyon but haven’t had time. I’ve been rehearsing this weekend for my upcoming Milk performance in a private event in Kuopio. We also made some milk cartons to advertise the performance.

I’ve been busy with ANTI stuff, organising my own upcoming works and performances, exercising, writing, reading, thinking…I’m off to Jyväskylä at 5.15am tomorrow morning so good night now!

Johanna

feeling free

Aargh, been traveling and away from home a lot and haven’t had time for regular work outs. So my run yesterday was pure bliss, followed by kettle bell work out! The sun was shining and my new Nike free trainers were excellent. Check out the Liikkeelle event in Argoshalli in Stockmann where there are a lots of running gears presented until the 15th of April. And the Nike free trainers are on sale!


I’ll post something about the trip to Lyon & Paris later but I brought home these gorgeous French mustards… Very tasty with some chevre and rye bread!

Johanna


working and working and baking

I’ve worked so much during the last week, including all weekend. Writing, reading, emailing, planning, making budgets… Interesting stuff but too much of everything. I feel tired.
But since I was doing all that at home yesterday, I also found some to bake. I made gorgeous bread with sunflower & lin seeds and for the first time ever, with my daughter we baked korvapuusti, kind of cinnamon rolls. Yammy!


I’m aware that the s/s 2012 collection of Minna Parikka is not even in the shops yet, but GSUS, have a look at these kitty shoes from her a/w 2012 collection. I sooooo want them! They are so my shoes and without even trying them on, I know I will wear these, a lot. Oh, look at the colours! The ears! The perfect heel!!!! Can’t wait for the autumn…


Have to get to bed now. Jyväskylä calling very early tomorrow…

Johanna

Kuopio-Vienna-Kuopio

Last weekend I was in Vienna, Austria, in one of our EU project meetings, UP TO NATURE. I left of Friday which was the beginning of the skiing holiday in Kuopio. The Kuopio airport was packed at 5.30am with wealthy families travelling to skiing holidays either in Lapland or somewhere in the Alps. I have never ever been able to take my family on a skiing holiday and I must say, I felt a bit jealous. I realized, once again, very concretely, that there are all these people who can afford to take their whole family on holidays (and have all the expensive skiing gears along) – in fact, for them is normal to take family holidays at least once a year abroad. I also realized that instead of having a proper skiing holiday, I was on a work trip for the weekend. Never mind that, because I really, really, enjoyed our meeting. It was great, useful, inspiring and informative. So thank you so much Thomas, Olivia and Nicole at brut Vienna and Helen & co and Hedda, Philip & co for a great meeting. We have created a great project and I’m really looking forward to the outcome. Unfortunately, I’m not able to make it to the first festival in Vienna, but I am planning to visit Bristol in June and Oslo in August. How exciting!



I also went to the opening of Imagetanz and saw a very strange performance…

Like I said, we are having the skiing holiday here but Vienna was very summer like already. It’s so strange to be located literally on the edge of Europe and see weird middle European road signs like this way to Budapest and this way to Prague… This was my second time to stay in hotel Fürstenhof, the strange but nice old fashioned simple hotel. This time I had a nice & spacious room and I slept surprisingly well. We also had some lovely dinners & drank some gorgeous Riesling and Grüner Veltlieners so I had a great time in Vienna! And I spoke some German, feeling very proud of myself.

Although I just received excellent grades from the economics of culture course and exam, please have a look at this wonderful article (in Finnish) by theatre director Esa Leskinen about why art shouldn’t bring any economic benefits!

In general, I have felt rather depressed recently as I haven’t received any project funding to produce my upcoming works. So I’m facing the same old same old questions of what to do, if to do then how or not do at all. Very inspiring start for new productions!

For the sake of the international women’s day, I wore Minna Parikka’s fuchsia Women are dangerous animals boots and went with my daughter to see a wonderful dancer Tuovi Rantanen performing a solo by the wonderful choreographer Ervi Siren. Women rule!

Johanna

-32.7 in Kajaani

Was teaching dance critique in Kajaani this weekend and really enjoyed it a lot. Inspiring conversations, lots of short choreographies as part of Kajaani Dance weekend, many collegues and good talks with Kira Riikonen and Sonja Pakalén for example. Busy and tiring but a great weekend!
Now waiting to get the results of the Finnish presidential elections…. As you may know, I’ve been in the support groups of Pekka Haavisto so it’s very exciting to see how the Finns have voted in the second round. But whatever the result, Pekka is the winner of these elections. He has brought very important issues into public conversation and I’m forever grateful for him for that. Pekka photographed with me in one of his campaign events in Kuopio by Savon Sanomat photographer Marko Happo:

Johanna

some moments of the past week

On Wednesday I went to Helsinki to learn about the new EU culture programme proposal Creative Europe. But my train was 1h 35mins late and I missed the most important part. Great. Luckily I had scheduled a few other meetings so that my whole day wasn’t completely wasted.

On my way home I popped in the Iittala shop on Pohjoisesplanadi to have a look at their sale products. Nothing for me there but instead I discovered the new KoKo mug in lovely pale pink and mint! Had to buy one each, they are so beautiful and just what I’ve been missing, a bigger mug. I’ve been so in love with the thin Kartio (35cl) glasses that I bought another two in sea blue. By the way, Iittala still has -30% sale for their members until the end of January so use it! And if you are interested in the KoKo mugs, they are on sale -20% in Sokos in February… It was actually very funny in the Iittala shop – as you are a member you tell your name at the cashier so when I told my name, the sales woman asked me if I’m from Kuopio, and I said yes, and she said that she has voted me in the parliament elections some years ago!


I also popped in to the Minna Parikka boutique on Bulevardi and Minna herself was also there. We had a nice chat and she showed some pictures from her upcoming spring/summer collection which looks great by the way, colorful, bright and fun! She also said that she’s decided not to move to London at the moment which I think is great for Finland and Finnish design & fashion world.

Last weekend I made my first ever American pancakes and they were simply delicious! I put some blueberries into the dough and we had them with honey and whipped cream, ooh la laa…



The presidential campaigns are heating up in Finland and I’ve also participated in a few acts supporting Pekka Haavisto. He’s in Kuopio today by the way so come and meet Pekka if you are still hesitating who to vote! Check the schedule of his visit here.

These pictures of the flash mob by Pekka Mäkinen:



I have to get to cultural economics now…I am a great and productive researcher…



Have a great day!

Johanna

cultural diversity and other thoughts

The first weeks of January have been a bit difficult and depressing. I didn’t receive funding from the Dance Council to produce my upcoming group choreography which has left me very puzzled. It’s again this situation where I’ve spent a considerable amount of time preparing this work, gathered most of the team for the work and now there’s not enough resources to produce it. What to do? Cancel the whole thing? Produce 1/3 of the plans? And what is that, artistically?

I’m still waiting to hear from few funds but somehow the situation doesn’t seem very promising. I have a similar situation with the international collaboration that I’ve worked on with Rebecca French. So let’s see what happens…

This week I spent two days thinking about multicultural cultural policy and cultural diversity in Finland. Multiculturalism has become more present in the Finnish society since the 1990s but why is it still in such an infant stage in the Finnish cultural policy? It’s about time for the Arts Council to reconsider and rethink their organization, structure, strategy, and funding decisions!

Minzi is one of my favourite clothing shops in Finland. It’s located in Jyväskylä where I spent a few days this week. Actually the first item I ever bought in Minzi, was a Lumi Accessories handbag a few years ago. It was on sale and advertised on their website. So I emailed them and asked them to send it to me to Kuopio – which they did. This is the kind of service I like! Since it’s the sales time at the moment, I went to have a look what they had in Minzi… and found this gorgeous Tiia Vanhatapio hat which I already had a look at earlier in the autumn but it was a bit too pricy for me. But now it was on sale and I’m a happy owner of my first Tiia Vanhatapio item.




My glasses by Kenzo, the woolen scarf by Marimekko.

And the silver ‘Carpe Diem’ pendant by Efva Atling.


Johanna