Henna-Riikka Halonen
dal 17/4/2014 al 3/5/2014
Segnalato da
17/4/2014
Henna-Riikka Halonen
Uqbar - projectspace, Berlin
Fictitious Entry. The series shows artistic research and reflection on issues such as investigations into traditional vestimentary practices and socialistic economy, cross-examinations of women's collectives in photography and in illegal abortion practices, ethnographic research on postcolonial computing in India, philosophical investigations along Hannah Arendts ideas towards the concept of being political and much more.
How to show? is the central focus of this year's series regarding artistic research and practice. From February until April, 2014 participants from Finland, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Poland, and Germany invite you to exhibitions, lectures, and performances at various project and exhibition spaces in Berlin to provide insights into the current status of their work. The events will take place individually or collectively during the course of four-week residencies in Berlin.
The series shows artistic research and reflection on issues such as investigations into traditional vestimentary practices and socialistic economy, cross-examinations of women’s collectives in photography and in illegal abortion practices, ethnographic research on postcolonial computing in India, philosophical investigations along Hannah Arendts ideas towards the concept of being political and much more.
At uqbar, Henna-Riikka Halonen (Helsinki Academy of Fine Arts) will develop a mindset of physical and fictional presence, revolving around the notion of fictitious entry, aiming to find possible entries to approach political or institutional presents. The artist is testing tensions between performers, audience, and the artist, using a wide range of historical and cultural references, including avant–garde theatre and science fiction literature. She will be present during opening hours and on appointment.
She will show works and research material related to film works from a so called "Future trilogy", which are characterized by a
layering of past futuristic fictions and feature an idea of time travel. They are constructed and sourced through
specific historical fictions and architectural sites and linked to contemporary political and social events. Architectural sites, the modernist swimming pool, the delirict supermarket and the late-60’s Ufo like house, become stages where fictional future scenarios from theatre, literature and design are repeated and re-imagined. The trilogy consists of films, "The Bath House" (2009), "Strange Place For Snow" (2010), and "Moderate Manipulations" (2012), and is currently shown at the Biennale of Sydney. At urbar, the films, each an artwork in its own right, come together with the research material and texts to forge a collective imagining of fictional scenarios and it will be hard to distinguish what is fact and what is fiction.
On Saturday, April 26, uqbar will host the film premiere and performative lecture Total Science≠Fiction. On this occassion the artist will present her film "The Vessel, It's All gone Mushroom Shaped and then to Dust" (2014, 7.30 min.), followed by discussion featuring: Ursula K. Le Guin, Jacques Ranciere, H-R H, J. G. Ballard, Melissa Logan (Chicks on Speed), Snoop Lion, VJ Ruuska etc.
The film "The Vessel" asks us to consider the changing nature of our relationship to objects and words. As the object today seems to occupy an uncertain place between the utopian virtual and the nostalgic material. This fictional shorts film shows androgynous character's journey and transformation in an empty modernist watertower, through cinematic means of Sci-fi: "Science fiction is not predictive; it’s descriptive. Prediction is the business of prophets, clairvoyants, and futurologists. It is not the business of artists. Artists’s business is lying. The only truth I can understand or express is, logically defined, a lie. Psychologically defined, a symbol. Aesthetically defined, a metaphor. The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." (Ursula K. Le Guin)
Henna-Riikka Halonen is a visual artist, living and working in Helsinki, Finland. Henna graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London, in 2006 (MFA) and is currently doing a Doctorate in Fine Art at the Helsinki Academy of Arts. Henna is also involved in TAhTO research school. In her artistic approach she uses a wide range of historical and cultural references, including avant–garde theatre and science fiction literature – testing the tensions between performers, audience, and the artist, acting and non-acting. She has worked on and produced many collaborative large scale video projects and commissions, for example: Ny Finsk Videokunst, Kunsthall, Grenland, Norway; Gallery factory, Seoul, Korea; Musrara Mix, Jerusalem; Hors Pistes at Centre Pompidou, Paris; Grimmuseum, Berlin; Incheon International Biennale, Korea; ARTE TV Channel (France/Germany); and Sydney Biennale 2014.
Opening Friday, April 18, 2014, 7 p.m.
Film Premiere and Performative Lecture Saturday, April 26, 2014, 7-9 pm
uqbar
Schwedenstr. 16 - 13357 Berlin
Opening hours
Thursday to Saturday, 3 – 7 pm (and by appointment)