BODY, MEAT and SPIRIT – Perspectives to the Work of Sanna Kekäläinen
Bilingual book (Finnish & English) includes perspectives of six writers to the artistic work of Sanna Kekäläinen, its significance and meanings, and unique performance photos from previous years. Written by researcher, Ph.D. Riikka Laakso, philosopher-writer, MSc Olli Ahlroos, researcher, MSc Maria Svanström, visual artist – author – director, Ph.D. Teemu Mäki, researcher, Ph.D. Anu Laukkanen and director – writer – performer, MA Janne Saarakkala.
Read more about the book from this link
COLLABORATIONS
Moving in November Presents: CONVERSATIONS WITH ANTS evening
Conversations with Ants evening is a part of collaborative project led by choreographer Sanna Kekäläinen. The first stage of the project was realized in Portugal in September 2025. The concept of the work centers on the idea of visiting. Local performers will visit the work and continue the performance event with their own presentations. In November 2025 Conversations with Ants -evening in Helsinki begins with Conversations with Ants by Sanna Kekäläinen and continues to Ordinary Matters by the local project guest, choreographer Heli Keskikallio. Kekäläinen is working with author Kari Hukkila with the aim of linking the principles of ants’ activity to the theme of the Anthropocene.
Conversations with Ants is a long-term collaborative project with Kekäläinen&Company, Teatro Mosca and Lerena Teatro (Portugal) and Colectivo Glovo (Spain). With the underlying theme of ants, the project will be carried out in Portugal, Finland, and Spain. Kekäläinen works in each place with local invited guest artists who bring their own input to the project through the presentations and performances they work on within the frame of the project. In Helsinki the local guest invited is the Kekäläinen&Company residency artist Heli Keskikallio.
9.11. at 16.00
12.11. at 19
14.11. at 19
Duration: 1h 30min
AURINGONVIHREÄ – HOMAGE TO POET GUNNAR BJÖRLING at the Helsinki Observatory 25.-27.1.2024
Kekäläinen & Company’s new creation Auringonvihreä, Sun Green, is a poetic movement homage to Gunnar Björling (1887-1960). Björling was a groundbreaking Finnish-Swedish author. In the recent years, his works have received the acknowledgment that they deserve, amongst the leading figures of European modernist literature.
Helsinki Observatory is situated near Björling’s home. For many years he lived in the Kaivopuisto area of Helsinki, in a small apartment which was originally a sauna. He took his daily walks to the city through the park of the Observatory.
Auringonvihreä is directed and choreographed by Sanna Kekäläinen. Performers are Annette Arlander, Janne Saarakkala and Eero Vesterinen.
Thursday 25.1.2024 at 17:30 – Night of Sciences
Friday 26.1. at 18:30
Saturday 27.1. at 14:30
Performance languages: Finnish and Swedish.
Helsinki Observatory, Kopernikuksentie 1, Tähtitorninvuori.
https://www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-university-museum-flame/observatory
Photo: SLS
KESKUSTELU – CONVERSATION
The world lacks not opinions and powers, but a presence, a personal revealing exchange of thoughts and ears that listen.
Discussion – Conversation is an event where choreographer-dancer Sanna Kekäläinen and director Janne Saarakkala get to know each other in front of the audience by having a confidential and intimate discussion. They strive to practice the missing skills and follow the dialogue, the spontaneous flow of their consciousness. The topics of discussion are intimacy and love, as well as what else artists have in their hearts at that very moment and where the discussion leads them. Each conversation is a unique event that unravels and looks at personality, privacy, covering and hiding, and opening and revealing in a non-representative way.
Keskustelu – Conversation was performed in 2019 under the name Kaksi käsitteellistä versiota henkilökohtaisesta at Amos Rex art museum. The event is based on tasks set by Sanna Kekäläinen, which Janne Saarakkala has tackled using his method of a stream of consciousness. The method was originally created for Saarakkala’s solo performance Talking head, which he has performed and versioned since 2001.
The work is also performed as the touring version Tête-à-tête.
Performances:
- Kaksi käsitteellistä versiota henkilökohtaisesta, Amos Rex 2019
- Keskustelu-Conversation, K&C Space 20.-27.10.2020
- Tête-à-tête, XS-festival, Kutomo 2.12.2020
- Tête-à-tête, Bodybuilding-festival 13.5.2021
- Keskustelu-Conversation, Instagram Live 27.10.2021
- Keskustelu-Conversation, K&C Space 29.10.2021
SOOLON TAPAHTUMA
What does it feel like to be alone and looked at? Or to create a dance performance alone?
The idea of Soolon Tapahtuma – the Happening of Solo – stems from the need to share often lonely practice of solo work. Each performance evening contains three solo performances that communicate with one another.
Lin Da, Heli Keskikallio and Sanna Kekäläinen have worked together, sharing their working methods and practices of solo work. The form of the Solo Event has been agreed on before-hand and it is based on a set time and order. Thus, the solos communicate with one another and create a shared space, where a solo can create new, even collective meanings.
S-projekti is a working platform of choreographers Lin Da and Heli Keskikallio, founded in 2016. In the project, they have worked on their solo practices and researched the history and the present of solo dances.
Soolon Tapahtuma is the first collaboration between Sanna Kekäläinen and S-projekti.