Category Archives: Random

I guess the Mid Summer passed

Reading the Finnish newspapers after the Mid Summer national holiday is always depressing. Many people have drowned, died in a car crash or choked in their own vomit. My concentration has been totally in my work and the so called spare time I’ve spent 100 % on building the Blue House that I haven’t been able to participate in any kind of activities like celebrating the Mid Summer or attending festivals or performances. The whole family is pretty exhausted at the moment and occationally I get panicked about moving next week and so many, and I mean MANY, things still needing to be done and fixed. It seems it’s impossible to do what we are supposed to do before next Monday. Especially now, that my partner got ill and is asleep in high fever! I have no idea how we are going to get through all this…

Performances last week during the Kuopio Dance Festival went really well and they were completely sold out. It was great to perform the piece again and there were some of my old friends and very important people in the audience which made me very happy. I’ve been talking with my producer Maija a lot about organising the producing and marketing side of my work better and today we had a good session with a consult about what it is that we really want to and how best achieve that. It was really good and inspiring. So thank you Jari and Maija. Maija also helped us yesterday at the house which was so nice.

I still haven’t decided about the performers for my new work. I didn’t quite imagine it being this hard. I have now three in mind that I could imagine to do the piece with but I have to make we can make all the schedules meet. I’ll have a film shooting session  next week for the solo piece with Maija Hirvanen. It’s interesting how the focus shifts from previous or current works into the new processes and they really start to have a life of their own. Let’s see what comes up with this one.

Hope all of you are well.

Johanna

Extremes

Sorry. I know I haven’t been here for ages.
It has all been more than hectic with work and the personal life, i.e. the house. I don’t know where to begin actually as so many things have been going on and happened.
We had a great period of performances in Helsinki in the end of May with Jaana and Jaap and they all went very well. I had imagined that I would have time to do all kinds of things while I stayed in Helsinki but it turned out that the performances pretty much took all my energy.
Next week we’ll have two more performances in Kuopio in the Gallery Carree as part of the Kuopio Dance Festival. For booking go to www.paikallisliike.net or email aluekeskus@elisanet.fi. The gallery is quite small so I strongly advice you to make a reservation if you intend to see the work.
I held the audition and it was really good to see people working, i.e. moving and talking and doing little presentations. I haven’t decided yet who are the three people I want to work with but I really need to make up my mind soon.
In between everything, I also have visited Stavanger, Norway, again. Had two great days of meetings and spent time with Anne-Marte. Besides the inspiring workdays, I fell in love with the Rhododendrons of Stavanger. Amazing! Wonderful colours, everything blooming – just beautiful and inspiring.
With ANTI-Festival there are pretty busy times going on as well, as we are working on the catalogue. I’m so happy that Maija started working for us in June so that eases the workload for me. Gregg has also been just fantastic, so involved, so active, so supportive. We definitely have a great crew now.
The Blue House would require my work as much as possible at the moment as well. We will be moving in the end of the month so I tell you, there’s more work to do than anyone can imagine. I have kind of known this, but at the moment it’s just extreme… beyond the capacity of imagination. The hours we are working, what needs to be done before we are able to move in, it’s just crazy but the only thing that keeps me going is the thought of being able to move in three weeks.
Now the whole downstairs is cleared and cleaned out for the linoleum flooring to be installed. That starts tomorrow and it was so rewarding to clear out all the mess and tools etc. and to be able to just look at the space. It will be great, once we get to move in. Quality family cleaners Brisbane offer the best professional cleaning cervices, guess, I will decide on them.
Exhausted now.
Johanna

Crushed tomatoes

Another day of work at the Blue House. Treating the panels was kind of meditative today; was focusing on my breath and the movement, tried not to strain my back too much. There was a beautiful, peaceful and silent moment when the children were inside drawing and playing and I was working on the back yard with Pekka. There wasn’t anything else, no visions of the future, no memories from the past, just us working in silence together. The weather forecast promised rain showers for today but it didn’t rain in the end. A few snowflakes were falling from the sky every now and then but they didn’t bother us.

I just put a dinner into the oven. I realised that it’s three days in a row that I’ve used crushed tomatoes in the dinner. This is not the first time I pay attention to this but every now and then I get really irritated by this. As you probably know, tomatoes are ‘plants of darkness’ and one should not eat any of them. According to macrobiotics anyway. I’m not macrobiotic but I used to be into all those things much more than I’m now. So the day before yesterday, my son hoped for a pasta with shrimps in tomato sauce and as he had been ill, I fulfilled his wish. Yesterday I made a kind of soy crush for the kids to go with rice. Today I’m doing this eggplant, potato (another ‘plants of darkness’!), zucchini and goat cheese dish baked in the oven, with a little bit of tomato sauce in between the vegies. Well, there might be worst things in life, I don’t know.

I thought about my new works today a lot. Maybe I do the performances in a gallery, so that the video/photographic material from the solo work could be shown as an installation and the group piece still could be performed in the same space. I could maybe get the space for a week or so. The number or audiences that can fit into the space is very limited, which I don’t mind, but I will need to think about that a little more.

Maybe it all starts to fall into its place.

I’m back to listening music, I realize. Fun, inspiring.

Johanna

Lot’s of stuff and all the rest

It feels I haven’t been here for ages. There seems to be so much to do all the time and I sometimes feel I’m drowning into my work load as the work is not getting any less no matter how much I work. There’s always more to do, something to be done better, and better. And better. And if I don’t have any more work to do, there’s always more yoga to be practiced.
Last days have been mad as my computer crashed a week ago. So the Easter holidays I spent in panic and having nightmares about not surviving this busy week as all my ‘stuff’ is the computer. But not only the stuff, but all the emails, the appointments, my calendar… But luckily, Andrei from Humac was able to bring my MacBook back to alive which really saved me from further nightmare. Now my computer not only works but is also better with more RAM! Great.
Seppo from the Arts Council of Finland called me today saying that I cannot apply an artist grant directly from the Arts Council, which I had done. My work often falls into the category of ‘the rest’ and I thought I can apply from them like I do with project funding applications. Well, it doesn’t work that way. One has to apply from a certain council that are visual arts, film, music, literature, dance, design, theatre, architecture and photography. So which box to tick? That’s a question. Only the critics apply directly from the Arts Council of Finland. But what about us, the rest?
I have decided to keep an audition for my group piece in May. I’ve had difficulties with deciding whom to ask to be part of the project and Anniina has convinced me to keep an audition. I’m looking for three female performers who would be strong individuals willing to show their weaknesses, fears, bodies, minds…
Last week with Gregg we went to meet the director of cultural affairs of Kuopio, Pekka Vähäkangas, and he said we should also meet some of the politicians. Gregg is coming over again today and I’ve been arranging all these meetings for us. Well, tomorrow we first hold the TALKS & DEEDS event, we both teach workshops in the mornings and early afternoon and then later in the afternoon we’ll have the public event at the city library of Kuopio. On Saturday there are some press interviews and on Monday we’ll keep this presentation to group leaders of Kuopio’s political parties. Then on Tuesday we’ll meet the head of the Music and Dance Academy to discuss collaboration. And we should also have time to complete the programme of the ANTI Festival 2007 with budgets etc. So a lot to do over the next few days!
I postponed my tax paper’s return date two weeks ago which means that the new deadline is now on Monday. Shit! My tax papers are pretty complicated to do so again I’m facing long nights going through piles of receipts.
Is this ever going to get any better?
Johanna

Performance in Joensuu on Wednesday

I’m off to Joensuu to perform Mulla ei oo mitään päälle pantavaa with Jaana and Jaap on Wednesday. We’ll perform in Taidekeskus Ahjo, Koksi-sali at 7 pm, in case you want to see the work.
mulla-ei-oo_kuopioperformance-001_pos.jpg
mulla-ei-oo_performancekuopio002_pos.jpg

Photographs by Pekka Mäkinen.

It seems I have a million things to do before that and somehow the work is not getting any less by working… And then there are yearly nightmares like the tax papers and grant applications for the arts council of Finland to be sent in by the end of the month. And just to make sure I’m very busy, right after I come back from Joensuu on Thursday afternoon, Gregg arrives in Kuopio at 6 pm. I’m really looking forward to this all, but I don’t understand why everything needs to always happen at the same time? The week is going to be extremely busy so you might not hear more of me this week.
I spent some time today at the Blue House meeting our electrician and plumber. I also ordered the outside wood panel for the house as well as some birch veneer plywood to the ceiling and one wall upstairs.
The weather has been incredibly sunny, warm and beautiful. The snow has melted away really fast and we are very optimistic to get to work on the outside panelling of the Blue House in April or May.

Hope to see you Joensuu on Wednesday. I’m off to bed now.
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

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

Fed up, out of job and without grant

Last couple of days have not been very special. Most of my time has gone into dealing with the local officials of ministry of labour. As my artist grant finished by the end of 2006 and so did my job, I have had to get all kinds of papers to prove that my artist grant is really finished and that my job did end (and proof why it ended). It’s a part time job to be out of job!
So it’s all been a bit frustrating. And the waiting for grant decisions and project fundings is not that great either.
Well, ANTI –festival got one funding decision today that didn’t make me smile. From the city of Kuopio the festival got the same amount than last year and since some project funding has stopped, all in all it means cuttings in the budget. Great. And the saddest thing is that the officials in the cultural office of Kuopio are more than well aware of our situation and there has been a lot of writings in the local media that the future of ANTI –festival has to be secured. So once again, the funders did nothing to help the
festival.
The mood now is waiting; waiting for personal grant decisions (will I be able to go on with my artistic work as I have planned?) and waiting for ANTI –festival’s budget to get confirmed. Waiting and waiting, wondering if I’ll have some form of income this year and at the same time working on the plans and projects without knowing if they’ll be funded or not.
Well, this is normal for many artists I guess, but it sure is tiring.

Some good news with I don’t have anything to wear, though. The performance space in Kuopio is now confirmed and we will perform the piece four times in the Gallery Carree in March. Great. We were also very well presented in the spring programme of Zodiak in Helsinki (where we’ll perform in May) with this image.
KleTu1_pos

Photo by Pekka Mäkinen.
Let me know what you think.
Johanna

Trying to arrange time to read Getting things done

It’s become a joke in my family lately. That I don’t get to read my Getting things done -book. But anytime I do, even a few pages or one chapter, it’s so inspiring and buzzingly exciting that I can’t sleep. My mind instantly starts to apply the techniques into my chaotic life and I vision this less stressful and more balanced life in which I don’t anymore run from one about to explode situation into another day after day. In which my work, shopping, budgets and deadlines are well planned and balanced i.e. I will have time to buy groceries and I will have energy to cook healthy food every day, I won’t skip any yoga practice, I will have time to be and relax with my children, I will have time and energy to do household stuff like cleaning or doing dishes before it all becomes such a chaos that it takes a whole day to do dishes, that I will have more time to think, be still and quiet for something new and unexpected to appear.
I’m back to normal schedule today although altering schedules is the normal one for me. But kids start their school, day care and hobbies again after a two week break. I didn’t get to sleep and relax as much I hoped, as there has been a lot of work to do at the Blue House (which we are building). But during the last week or so I have been able to sleep longer nights and I really have felt how tired I actually am. But I’m not yet back to the rhythm of waking up early as it feels so easy to stay up until 2 or 3 am.

On Saturday we travelled to Mikkeli to the New Year’s celebration party hosted by Pirjo Ala-kapee. The party was quite boring and the bus trip really long. But of course it was great to be invited and I had a few nice chats with one photographer from Mikkeli, one teacher whom I know from the Greens and then Arja and Ari. I drank some nice white wine from Valamo monastery, a bit too much I guess, as I wasn’t feeling very energetic yesterday.
I have a lot of things to organize concerning the new piece I’m working on. Jaana will come to Kuopio on Wednesday and I’m really looking forward to enter the process again and seeing how things have developed since we last worked. And I have to get my performance trousers shortened by Wed!
Johanna

Welcome and Happy New Year!

I want to warmly welcome You all to my blog. And from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone who has helped me and been involved with setting this all up – you know who you are.

I hope this blog brings my artistic work and physical artistic deeds and observations closer to You and You closer to me. In the near future, I’ll be writing about the process of creating a new piece of work in collaboration with Jaana Klevering titled Mulla ei oo mitään päälle pantavaa (I don’t have anything to wear) which is about to premiere in Kuopio, Finland, in March. I’m also working on a solo work with a film and documentation crew and a group piece due to be premiered later in the autumn 2007. The solo work is kindly supported by the Arts Council of Finland and the group piece by the Regional Dance Center Kuopio but more production funding needs to raised. So there’s a lot of work coming up.

But before it all really goes on after the Christmas break, I’m travelling to Mikkeli on Saturday where the governor of the Province of Eastern Finland, Pirjo Ala-Kapee, is hosting a New Year’s celebration party. Time to have some fun although it feels like I don’t have anything to wear!

I’m looking forward to reading Your comments.

Johanna