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
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.