Artiste
Vit et travaille à Helsinki (Finlande)

Contact :
Punavuorenkatu 20 A 8
00150 Helsinki
FINLAND
pekkaluhta@hotmail.com
+358 50 4927379


Ses préoccupations :
I want to comprehend the words “outdoors-indoors” in a literal sense. I thus want to move about with a white door in public space in Marseilles.
My manner of moving around is walking with the door on my back.

The movement I make includes stopping by and having conversations with the local people I happen to meet. During the many days of moving about I have a sentence of either René Descartes or Paul Cézanne written on the door - or some note about social life. In addition to the usual meanings associated with doors, I emphasise, by my movement, the relation of my living body to the object that, in the form of lifeless matter, in connection with my body, changes into an appendage of mine. I am marked by the artefact, this tumour. This organic and inorganic figure that I wear may become a natural part of the city scenery, but it can also raise questions.

What sort of situations, sites, contacts with people and other creatures will develop as fellow travellers of this signifier ? Because I’m not interested only in observing, but above all in drifting into situations, I also want to try to conduct a bit the manner in which the contacts come about, the curiosity that my combination may arouse.That is why different texts are inscribed on the door each time.
Statements are spatial perceptions of being in the world. They can open an universal dimension (Descartes) or come from situations of site-specific work, yet remain attached to a world of possibilities (Cézanne). Or they can be instructions and warnings, impersonal and encountered everywhere : i.e.dead language.

Quelques dates :
Né en 1954 à Seinäjoki, Finlande
Artiste visuel et performer, critique

1969–1972    Draws and paints, writes, becomes left-handed instead of right-handed because of a traffic accident, which causes a period of artistic inactivity.
Acts at Seinäjoen Nuorisotheatre (youth theatre of Seinäjoki), directed by Kari Selinheimo and Marja-Terttu Wegelius.
1969–2009    Treks in Finnish Lappland, takes trips to the coastal areas and sea archipelagos of Finland.
1978    Is involved in organising Provinssirock, the first new wave rock festival in Nordic countries.
Begins to write poems, criticism and articles at local newspapers Pohjalainen, Ilkka and Kansan Ääni.
1979    Joins Vaasan Ympäristöseura (the environmental association of Vaasa).
1981    Takes part at demonstrations by the river Alta in Northern Norway, writes several articles about them.
1981–1982     Forms the multi-media group Vaasa Palaa (”Vaasa is burning”), which performs at Vaasa city theatre and Provinssirock.
    Joins Suomen Arvostelijoiden Liitto SARV (association of Finnish critics).
Is gratuated at Oriveden Opisto as a director of creative writing, having been directed by the poet Väinö Kirstinä.
Acts as a teacher for amateur writers at Vaasan Työväenopisto (the working man’s college institute of Vaasa).
Writes columns, presentations of artists, critiques, and descriptions of voyages for newspapers, articles for the cultural magazine Lakeuden Kutsu and for the free magazine Botnia Beat published by the association of evolving music Kemu ry.


WORK IN VISUAL ART:

1983–1991    Produces paintings and installations and holds several exhibitions in Finland and also in West Berlin and takes part in many collective exhibitions.
The work was critised by the following fellow artists: the painters Per-Olov Hjortell, Carl Wargh, Jorma Haavisto, Pentti Uusikylä, Veikko Takala, Jan Lind

Private exhibitions (examples):

1984    Water colours, city libraries of Oulu, Vaasa and Mikkeli
1985    Water colours and pastel works, exhibition space Kivirikko, Seinäjoki
1986    ”Juoksu yömaahan” (”A Run to the Nightland”), paintings,
Finnish Cultural Centre, West Berlin
1987    Water colours, acrylics, pastel and ink works, vegetarian restaurant, Vaasa
1988    ”Musta tuuli” (”Black Wind”), paintings, drawings and installations, Vaasan taidehalli
1989    Paintings and objects, Skata gallery, Pietarsaari
1989    Paintings and objects, Gallery Am_, Vaasa
1989    Paintings and installations, Gallery Bianca, Helsinki
1989    Paintings, Gallery Am_, Vaasa
1990    Installations, Aalto gallery, Seinäjoki
1990     Paintings and installations, Näyttelytila Vapauden aukio, Helsinki
1992     Paintings, Gallery1, Turku
1995    Paintings, objects, installation, Gallery1, Turku
2005    Paintings and ink works, summer exhibitions of Harakka, Helsinki
2006    Paintings and installation, summer exhibitions of Harakka, Helsinki
2007    Paintings, ink works and installations, summer exhibitions of Harakka, Helsinki


Goup exhibitions and events of environmental art (examples):

1983–85, 1990           The annual exhibitions of Pohjalainen Taiteilijaliitto
(artist league of Ostrobothnia)
1983, 1989        The regional exhibitions of Vaasa province
1984–1986                  The annual exhibitions of Vaasan Taiteilijaseura (the artists
association of Vaasa)
1988            Kuva – ”vaihto/vaihetus” exhibitions, Estonia, Finland, Tallinn, Vaasa
1990               Crossing Boundaries, environmental art event, Väänä, Estonia
1991              Collective exhibition of the group Jos. Kivirikon näyttelytila, Seinäjoki
1992            The environmental art event of Taivalkoski
1993                          ”Tyhjyys”, installations, objects, performances, art museum of Hyvinkää


Group exhibitions of MUU ry:

1988    Floran päivän kukkanäyttely, Muu ry, VR magazines, Helsinki
1988    Memento Mori, Muu ry, VR magazines, Helsinki
1989    Muu We You - kesänäyttely, Billnäsin ruukki, Karjaa
1990    ”Sosialismi” (”Socialism”), Muu ry, Jyväskylän Talvi, museum of Alvar Aalto
1991    Muu ry Moskovassa, Centre of Contemporay Art, Moscow


As a curator of group exhibitions:

1991    The group exhibition of Muu ry ”12 huonetta”, (”Twelve Rooms”), Museum of Contemporary Art, Tampere (also as the writer of texts pertaining to the exhibition)
1992           Polisteetti, Brinkkalan talo, Turun kulttuurikeskus, Turku (also as the writer of texts pertaining to the exhibition)
1993    Siirtymiä muu-aikaan (”Transfers to Othertime – An Event Exhibition), in which installations, performances, Wäinö Aaltosen museo, Turku (also as the writer of texts pertaining to the exhibition)
1993           ”Kosketus”, Joensuun taidemuseo, objects, performances (also as the writer of texts pertaining to the exhibition)

       

MULTI-MEDIA DIRECTIONS, PERFORMANCES, LIVE ART WORKS, HAPPENINGS AND ORGANISED PROJECTS, SEMINARS, CURATIONS OF LIVE ART AND CO-ORDINATION:

Performances:

1988    Performance to video, “Musta tuuli”, (“Black Wind”), Seinäjoki, Alajoen niityt
1989     Performance ”Veda-rituaali” (“Veda Ritual”), gallery Bianca, Helsinki
1989     Performance ”Hopeataivas” (“Silver Sky”), gallery Art Am_, Vaasa
1990    Performance ”Vaellus 80 km” (“A Treak of 80 Kilometres”),
countryside between Vaasa–Seinäjoki
1990     Performance ”Outo attraktori” (”Strange Attractor”), Unen talo, Hietalahden villa,
Vaasa Festival, Vaasa
1991    Performance ” Käsittämätön iltapäivä” (”The Inconceivable Afternoon”),
puppet theatre Peukapotti, Vaasa
1991     Performance ”Uhri” (“The Sacrifice”), Centre of Contemporary Art, Moscow
1992     Performance ”Iho” (”Skin”), Cultural centre Poleeni, Pieksämäki
1992    Performance ”Kasvain” (“A Tumour”), Transaction event, Turku
1992    Performance ”Löytöjä” (“Findings”), environmental art event, Taivalkoski
1992    Performance ”Magnesium”, Polisteetti – opening of the exhibition,
exhibition space of Brinkkalan talo, Turku
1992    Performance ”Kädetön Sarajevo” (”Armless Sarajevo”), Art museum of Joensuu
1993    Performance ”Ruumis on täyttyvä allas” (”The Body Is a Basin That Is Filled”),
event exhibition Siirtymiä muu - aikaan (”Transitions to Muu-Time”,
Wäinö Aaltosen museo, Turku
1993    Performance ”Mutantti” (“The Mutant”), Wäinö Aaltosen museo, event exhibition
Siirtymiä muu – aikaan, (”Transitions to Muu-Time”, Turku
1993    Performance ”Magnesium White”, exhibition
“Tyhjyys” ( “The Emptiness”), Art museum of Hyvinkää
1993    Performance ”Taivasvalinta” (“Celestial Choice”), Merenkulkumuseo, Taiteiden yö
Turku
1993    Performance ”Ettei yksikään joka hukkuisi” (”Lest No One Drown”),
Art museum of Joensuu
1993    Performance ”Heart Attacks”, gallery Opri, Lappeenranta
1997    Performance “Yellow Blue”, Manifesti festival, Aurinkobaletti, Manilla, Turku
1997    Performance ”Mental Metro”, Rautatieasema metro station, Helsinki
1997    Performance “Love is funny”, Sex Snack´n Pop exhibition, Titanik gallery, Turku
1998    Performance ”Bubo 1”, Brinkkala gallery, Turku
1998    Performance ”Bubo 2”, Amorphf!98-performance festival, Suomenlinna,
kasematti Kojootti, Helsinki
1998    Performance ”Bubo 3”, opening of the exhibition Kallion keski-ikäiset miehet,
Gallery Push Firma Beige, Helsinki
1999    Performance, ”Bubo 4”, Poikkeustila festival, Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki
1999    Performance „Bubo 5“, 72 hours, Dritter Berliner Kongress für Performance und
Visual Kunst, Berlin
2001    Performance ”Käsi–te”, Exit festival, Cable Factory, Helsinki
2002    Performance, cultur centre Old Synagogue, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
2002    Performance, Interactions 4 festival, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Poland
2002     Performance, Movement to Performance festival, MOPE, Taidehalli, Vaasa
2002    Performance, NAVINKI 2002, Minsk, Byelorussia
2002    Textual performance “Seinäpaperi” (“The Wall paper”), The 10th Performance
Art Conference, Performance and Photography, Galerie 68elf, Köln, Germany
2002    Performance “Phantom Throat”, Currency festival, Chashama theatre, New York, USA
2003    Performance ”Valid/Invalid I”, Là-bas event, Gallery 2003, Lasipalatsi, Helsinki
2003    Performance ”Valid/Invalid II”, Full Nelson 5 festival, Los Angeles, USA
2003    Performance ”Valid/Invalid III”, Ideologia II biennale, Röda Sten, Göteborg, Sweden
2003    Performance ”Valid/ Invalid IV”, Twelve 4 festival, Tampere
2003    Performance ”Valid/ Invalid V”, Putki festival, Fiskars
2003    Performance ”Valid - War – Invalid I”, Studio Là-bas, Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki
2003    Performance “Valid – War – Invalid II”, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Canada
2003    Performance “Valid – War – Invalid III”, TRANZ <---> TECH 2003,
Toronto´s International Media Arts Biennial, Canada
2003    Performance ”Bieberkopf I”, Taidemuseo, Kaunas, Liettua
2003     Performance „Bieberkopf II“, Gallery Forum Box, Helsinki
2004    Performance “Dry Waterman”, Laitama, Art Goes Camping, Helsinki
2004    Performance ”Kunnianosoituksia!” (”Accolades!”), Taidehalli, Helsinki
2005    Performance, gallery Katariina, Taiteiden yö, Helsinki
2005    Performance, Art Contact evening, gallery Forum Box
2005    Performance, Movement to Performance – festival, MOPE, Art Hall, Vaasa
2005    Performance, Infr´action festival, Art Museum, Séte, France
2005    Performance, Feed Back festival, gallery Tohu Bohu, Marseilles, France
2006    Performance Studio Là – bas, Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki
2006    Performance, Fluxee club, Tehdas - theatre, Manilla, Turku
2006    Performance Back in the Net, Infr´action festival, Séte, France
2006    Performance, Riap 06 festival, Le Lieu, Quebeck, Canada
2007    Performance, Nyrjähdys club, Taidepanimo, Lahti
2007    Performance, Kanneltalon aula, Helsinki
2007    Performance, Art Contact evening, gallery Forum Box, Helsinki
2007    Performance, PAIR 2, international performance event, Lahti
2008    Performance, Taidekoulu Maa, performance event, Suomenlinna, Helsinki
2008    Performance, Dynamical festival, Là – bas, Pannuhalli, Helsingin Kaapelitehdas                                 
2008    Performance, Interackje10 festival, Piotr Tribunalsky, Poland
2008    Performance, Pispalan nykytaiteen keskus, Performance fiesta, Tampere
2008    Performance, Mope08 – Movement to Performance, Kuntsin modernin taiteen
museo, (Contemporary Art Museum of Kuntsi) Vaasa
2009     Performance, Supermarket Art Fair, Stockholm, Sweden


Multimedia and dance performance:

1990–1991    Script, direction, set design, video projection, sounds to a series of multi-media performances ”Matalan Kaupungin sankarit” (“The Heroes of a Low Town”)
Seinäjoki city theatre, Seinäjoki
(award of the year’s artist from Seinäjoki)


Scripts for events, live art and directions:

1993    Happening ”Transgressio” (“Transgression”), planning and co-ordination, Taiteiden yö, Turku
1994             Happening ”Ickniks”, script and direction, Hovioikeuden talo, Turku
1996    Live art events ”Café Titanik”, ten days of events,  planning of the program and co-ordination, Titanik gallery, Turku
1997    Missionary performance ”Parempi taide – parempi tulevaisuus” (”Better Art – Better Future”),  planning and co-ordination, art fare, Turku
1997    Performance event ”Trans April”, planning and co-ordination, Titanik gallery, Turku


Live Art exhibition processes:

2002              Live art process “Hyperborealis” I–II”:
1) Simulation of water colours exhibition ”Hyperborealis” and opening, video of it, Gallery Storm, Vaasa,
2) A Weekend event at Platform gallery, Vaasa, in which
performance ”Leikkaa ja tuhoa” (”Cut and Destroy”), and
three-day writing performance ”Hyperborealis II, maiseman ajattelu” (“Hyperborealis I”, The Thinking of Landscape”)

2003    Live Art exhibition Informer, a three-day painting and word processing performance, näyttelytila Gallery 2003, Lasipalatsi, Helsinki,

2003             TV-performance Informer, Voimala-program, TV 1

2004    Live Art  work ”Yhteisnäyttely” (”Group Exhibition”), a new presentation of the exhibition by the group Jos 13 years after, Lennätin gallery, Harakka, Helsinki


Curator of documentary exhibitions of live art:

2001    Dokumentary exhibition Performance.fi, catalogue and documentary exhibition of Finnish performance art, Muu Gallery, Helsinki
2004    Documentary exhibition of performance art, curator, Studio Là-bas, 2000–2003, Jangva gallery, Space Contentions event, Helsinki
2005    Documentary exhibition of performance art, curator, Inter/national festival of Studio Là-bas, Kaiku gallery, Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki


Performative lectures and schools, meta-performances:
 
2004    Muu-kiertokoulu (“Muu evening school”), curator and organizer, lecture performance, Muu ry gallery
2005    Kiertokoulu (“Travelling School”), meta-performance, curator and organizer, Myymälä2 gallery, Helsinki
2005    Muu – iltakoulu II (“Muu evening school II”), meta-performance, curator and organizer, Muu ry gallery, Helsinki
2005    Muu-iltakoulu (“Muu evening school”), meta-performance, curator and organizer, Harakka auditorium and Lennätin gallery, Helsinki
2005     Performatiivinen iltakoulu I (“Performative evening school I”), meta-performance, curator and organizer, exhibition space Forum Box, Helsinki
2006    Performatiivinen iltakoulu II (“Performative evening school II”), lecture performance, curator and organizer, exhibitions space Forum Box, Helsinki

Seminars:

2005    Taiteilijan vastuu (“Artists’s responsibility”) seminar, curator and organizer, texts, Ateneum-sali, 10 – 11.12.2005, Helsinki
2008              Taiteen arvoitus (”The Enigma of Art”) seminar, curator and organizer,
Là-bas_ bbeyond, Taidehalli 19.1., Helsinki


Live Art gallery:

2007    Ruumiillisen taiteen gallery (the gallery of corporeal art), Itsenäiset – sarja (The Independents series): artists’ meetings, one-day exhibitions, process works, performance installations and performances,
curator, organizer, exhibition space Välivuosi, 5.11 – 15.12.2007, Helsinki


As an organizer of discussions and panels:

2008        Là-bas_ Dynamical, a panel on Performance politics,
25.5., the seminar room of Kiasma, organiser, host
2008        Là-bas_ discussion on photography and performance, curator, host,
Muu ry gallery
2008    Là-bas_ Performance Focus: archive discussion, 9. 11., seminar room of Kiasma, Helsinki
2009        Nordic Performance Art, 2nd Meeting, participant, Stockholm, Sweden

Curator of Là-bas_ performance events:

2005    Là-bas_ Hohtavat ruumiit (”Shining Bodies”), curator, Studio Là-bas, Cable Factory, Helsinki
2008    Là-bas_ Performance Focus: performance matinée, curator, 8.11., seminar room, Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma
2009    Là-bas_ Eletyt tilat I (”Lived Spaces I”) – meeting of photography and performance, curator,
14.3. Museo Meilahti, Helsinki.
2009        Là-bas_ Eletyt tilat II (”Lives Spaces II”) – meeting of photography and performance, curator,
25.4. The Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki

Teacher of performance:

2001    Performance course, Oriveden opisto
2005        The art institute of Lahti, performance course for advanced students    
2005–07    Taidekoulu Maa, teacher of Julkinen tila ja taide (”Public space and art”) course, curator and organiser of Tuesday lectures.
2005–08    Teacher of site-specific performance at the basic studies for space/time department of the Academy of Fine Art, Helsinki
2006–09    Courses of performance analysis at the department of performance art and the
Theatre Academy.
2007        Performance workshop, summer course of animators, Viittakivi, Hauho
2007        Lecture on history of Finnish performance art, Ars Nova museum, Turku
2007–08    Course on performance history and special considerations within general studies of Theatre Academy and Academy of Fine Arts at departments of performance art and theory and space/time, Helsinki
2008    Performance improvisations, department of performance art and theory, Theatre Academy, Helsinki
2008    A course of site-specific performance within the context of environmental art project Hiidentie, Theatre Academy, Academy of Fine Arts, the commune of Pertteli


Planning of performance teaching:

2006–07       Plan for a two-year studies in department of space-time at Academy of Fine Arts and department of performance art and theory at Theatre Academy, courses:
Site-specific performance,
History of performances and special considerations.



PUBLICATIONS, TEXTS, VIDEO/DVD DOCUMENTS, PHOTOGRAPHIES, ARCHIVES:

Publications and texts, archive of interviews:
   
2001         Performance.fi., poetic essay, Amorph!01 festival
2004        Writings from the underground, Studio Là-bas catalogue, 2000–2003
1998–2006    Dozens of articles, essays, criticisms, artists’ presentations to the magazines Taide, Theatre and Kritiikin uutiset
2008          Amorph!08 – foreword to the artist matricle
2008    Performancen paikkasidonnaisesta koulutuksesta (”On the Site-Specific education of Performance”), essay in a book
Pedagogía de la performance, writings compiled by Valentin Torrens, Espanja
          
A book ”Nykyperformance Suomessa” (”Contemporary Performance in Finland”), which discusses Finnish performance art of the last 10 years – based on personally collected material of interviews and documents, comprising over 50 artist and specialist interviews (150 hours) – is in the making.

An essay on Finnish video performance, which includes notes on works from last few years, based on the collections of Av-arkki and Kiasma, on personal archives and documented performance festivals.


Video/dvd documentation, photography:

1991    Matalan kaupungin sankarit, a document
1992    Fata morgana, video
    Mundus principia, video
    Pohjoinen dokumentti (“Northern documentation”), video
1997     Café Titanik, 30 min, two weekends of happening
2001    Video Performance.Fi, 59 min,
Finnish performace art 1998–2001
2004       Là-bas_ Selected performances 2000–2003, DVD, 4 tuntia

1989–2009     Documentary material of live art, performances and processes, approximately
300 hours.
Interviews and a discussion with performance artists, over 50 artists, approximately
150 hours.
Personal archive of photographic documents of live art, which is representative of live art events 1981–2009.


MEMBERSHIPS:
           
SARV, since 1981
Muu ry, since 1988, board 1990–92, 1999–2000
Seinäjoki artists’ association, years 1989–2003
Arte ry, since 1995, board 1995–96, gallery board 1996–98
Av-arkki, since 1996
Harakan taiteilijat, an artists’ assocciation, since 2004
AICA, since 2005

GRANTS:

City of Vaasa 1981, 1983–88
Vaasa province art board 1982–84, -89, -91
Vaasan Saskiat 1985, 1988, -89
City of Seinäjoki 1991
State board of performative arts 1991
SARV 1991
Oskar Öflund Foundation 1992
Arts Council of Finland 2002, -03
FRAME travel grant 2002, -03, -06
                  State art board 2004, annual grant (critics)
                   SARV 2004
                  Arts Council of Finland, target-specific grant 2005
                Finnish Cultural Foundation, annual grant 2006
        VISEK     2007