2008
PROJECT ARCHIVE
Dec 14, 2007 - Feb 15, 2008
IVANAhelsinki & ELINA BROTHERUS
AT ROPPONGI HILLS
A small "Diamond Stripes and Revolver" exhibition of the IVANAhelsinki and photographer Elina Brotherus had a vernissage at the Roppongi Hills Art & Design Store, Tokyo, On Dec 14, 2007. The exhibition featured original dresses, fabrics, boxes and photos. The exhibition closed on Feb 15, 2008.
Jan - Mar 2008
IC-98 ATTENDED THE A.I.T.
ARTIST RESIDENCE PROGRAMME
IC-98 is a duo of two Finnish visual artists Patrik Söderlund and Visa Suonpää. They attended the A.I.T. Artist Programme in Tokyo in early 2008 for two months. Arts Initiative Tokyo A.I.T. is a non-profit collective of six curators and arts managers. The Finnish residence programme has been created in collaboration between A.I.T., the Finnish Fund for Art Exchange (FRAME) and the Finnish Institute.
IC-98: www.socialtoolbox.com
A.I.T.: www.a-i-t.net
Feb 3 - Mar 23, 2008
AN AHTILA EXHIBITION ON SHIKOKU
Eija-LIisa Ahtila had a solo exhibition at the
Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art on Shikoku island between February 3 and March 23, 2008. The main work in the exhibition was "The Hour of Prayer " (2005), and her recent work "Fishermen" was also presented at the museum.
www.mimoca.org
Feb 6 - 11, 2008
HELI MEKLIN COMPETED IN YOKOHAMA
Young Finnish choreographer Heli Meklin was one of the final round contestants at the Yokohama Dance Collection R 2008 competition on Feb 6 - 11, 2008.
She was one of the 17 selected participants out of 164, and her work was seen in the solo-duo section. This section consisted of 9 works, of which 4 were from Japan, 2 from Korea, 2 from France and 1 from Finland.
More information:
Yokohama Dance Collection R 2008
Katsuhiro Nakatomi and Anna Nakaso
email: ydc(at)yaf.or.jp
www.yokohama-dance-collection-r.jp
Mar 5 - 8, 2008
TPAM PRESENTED FINNISH DANCE
TPAM (Tokyo Performing Arts Market) is an art fair for performing arts such as theater, dance, music, and cross disciplinary performance. It celebrated its twelfth meeting on March 5 - 8, 2008, drawing increased attention from performing arts industries across the world.
One of the presenter at TPAM was the Finnish Dance Information Centre.
About 2900 participants joined TPAM 2007 over four days, including 150 international guests from 30 countries.
www.tpam.or.jp
Mar 28 - 31, 2008
CUMULUS MAKES HISTORY
Cumulus is an association of 124 international design universities. The grand Cumulus conference was organized in Kyoto on March 28-31, 2008.
The highlight of the conference was the signing of the Kyoto Design Declaration by all the participant universities.
At the time of Cumulus there was an exhibition of Japanese students of the University of Art and Design Helsinki TAIK in Kyoto .
Cumulus Kyoto 2008
March 28 - 31, 2008
Kyoto International Conference Center
Kyoto Seika University
www.kyoto-seika.ac.jp/cumulus/
Apr 3 - 8, 2008
15 HORIZONS AT THE LIVING DESIGN GALLERY
The University of Art and Design Helsinki (TaiK) presented 15 young Japanese designers from Helsinki at the Living Design Gallery in Tokyo on April 3 - 8, 2008.
The exhibition consisted of furniture, fashion, tableware, ceramics and graphic design. All works are influenced by the Finnish culture.
The exhibition was shown also in Kyoto as a part of the international Cumulus Design Conference in March 2008.
Apr 5, 2008
A KAIJA SAARIAHO PREMIERE IN OSAKA
The world premiere of the Kaija Saariaho song cycle Four Leino Songs was heard at the Osaka International Festival on April 5, 2008.
The festival celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008, and it has been one of the commissioners of the work. The concert included also Saariaho’s orchestral work Orion. Anu Komsi was singing the solo soprano part, and the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra was conducted by Ernest Martínez-Izquierdo. Izumi Tateno performed as a soloist in the Ravel Piano Concerto for left hand, and the concluding orchestral piece was Sibelius' Symphony No. 2.
www.osaka-festival.com
Apr 12 - 27, 2008
ANU TUOMINEN: FORESTER
Finnish visual artist Anu Tuominen had a solo exhibition at the Art-U room Tokyo.
More information:
Art-U room, tel. +81-(0)3-5467-3938
www.art-u-room.com
Mar 5 - May 6, 2008
ELINA BROTHERUS PHOTOS AT NACT, TOKYO
Elina Brotherus was one of the eight artists participating the Artist File 2008 exhibition at The National Art Center Tokyo. The Brotherus section consisted of her classics like parts of the "Der Wanderer" series as well as new works.
Organiser and more info: The National Art Center Tokyo
www.nact.jp
May 27 - 30, 2008
FINLAND FEST 2008
The Finnish popular music event was organized in Tokyo at the end of May. The event consisted of a seminar for Finnish music industry professionals highlighting the latest trends of the Japanese market.
The Liquid Room gigs on May 29 will presented among others Strum & Drang and Ari Koivunen. Guitarist Petteri Sariola and jazz ensemble Oddarrang gave a concert in Pit Inn on May 30. The concerts were open to the public.
Jul - Aug 2008 Finland
Hiroaki Umeda participated the choreography residence programme in Helsinki and Pyhäjärvi.
Jul 10 - 13, 2008 Tokyo
Finnish Literature Information Centre FILI participated the Tokyo Book Fair.
Aug 7 - 11, 2008 Hiroshima
The Hiroshima Animation Festival screened a selection of recent Finnish animation films.
*9 - 23 September, 2008
Be Honest!
The Finnish design giants Artek and Marimekko joined forces in an exhibition at the Spiral Hall, Tokyo.
Spiral: www.spiral.co.jp
*17 - 27 September, 2008
Four Finns with harmonicas:
come and hear!
Sväng is a harmonica quartet from land of forests and lakes. It has a wide range of repertoires; Scandinavian traditional music, Balkan music, melancholic Russian folk songs, ragtime, tango, and theme songs of Miyazaki animations. Slavic melancholy melted with the tradition of Scandinavian folk music, unique expression of Sväng exceeds easily listeners’ expectations. Swinging and groovy sound of Sväng has already gained enormous popularity in European countries and in the United States.
Wed, Sep 17
Miki City Cultural Hall, Hyogo
Thu, Sep 18
Hiroshima Kenmin Bunka Center, Hiroshima
Fri, Sep 19
Hyogo Performing Arts Center, Hyogo (sold out)
Sat, Sep 20
Kichijoji Star Pine’s Café, Tokyo
Sun, Sep 21
Funabashi Kirara Hall, Chiba
Tue, Sep 23
Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments, Shizuoka
Fri, Sep 26
Atsugishi Bunka Kaikan, Kanagawa
Sat, Sep 27
Sapporo Concarino, Hokkaido
Production:
The Music Plant: www.mplant.com
Sväng official homepage: www.svang.fi
Sep 13 - Oct 10, 2008
Finnish animations at Tollywood
The International Art Animation @ Tollywood festival screened 10 Finnish short animations in Tokyo. The 2008 selection was made from Canada and Europe.
Laura Neuvonen: Möbleeraja (The Next Move, 2007)
Christian Lindblad: Omakuva (A self-portrait, 2007)
Laura Palosaari: Ruusutarhankatu (Rose Garden Street)
Simo Ruotsalainen: Omenapossu (Feral Ways)
Tatu Pohjavirta: Jano (Thirst)
Reetta Neittaanmäki: Sopeutujat (Adaptation of the Species)
Saara Konttinen: Sukan katoavuuden laki (A Sock's Tale)
Kai Lappalainen: John
Kim Helminen: Säieteoria (String Theory)
Anne Laakso: Mustaa ainetta (Dark Matter)
More information (in Japanese):
Tollywood Home Page
Sep 20 - Oct 9, 2008
Documentary Dream Show -
Yamagata in Tokyo 2008
The Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival mounted a selection of their last year's hits in Tokyo in September, October and November. Jouko Aaltonen's nostalgic and satirical "Revolution" (Kenen joukoissa seisot) was the opening night programme on Sat, September 20 at Pole Pole, Higashi-Nakano. The evening included a real karaoke experience of the political songs of the Finnish 60s!
Jouko Aaltonen: Revolution (Kenen joukoissa seisot, 2006)
Sat, Sep 20 at 9:10 pm
Wed, Sep 24 at 1:10 pm
Pole Pole Higashi-Nakano
4-4-1 Higashi-Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo
Tel. (03)-3371-0088
Thu, Oct 9 at 2:10 pm
Athenée Francais Cultural Center 4F
2-11 Surugadai, Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Tel. (03)-3291-4339
The festival homepage:
www.cinematrix.jp/dds2008
30 October - 3 November, 2008
Art and Industry - a Samuli Naamanka exhibition at Ozone
Interior designer Samuli Naamanka (b. 1969) visited the Tokyo Designer's Week with a solo exhibition "Art and Industry".
It contained a wide-ranging sample of his work including the prize-winning Clash chair with a stylish seat formed out of pressed wood. On show there were also photgraphs of his exhibition designs, environmental works, public works of art and graphic concrete.
The exhibition was originally shown at the Alvar Aalto Museum in Jyväskylä, Finland. In Tokyo there was also some new works.
Art and Industry
Living Design Center Ozone
Samuli Naamanka Home Page
*31 October - 2 November 2008
Inkala at the Tokyo Poetry Festival
Poet Jouni Inkala (b. 1966) visited the Tokyo Poetry Festival with a selection of texts from his latest collection.
Tokyo Poetry Festival
*18 November 2008
Sae Iida performs Finnish works
Pianist Sae Iida studied at the Sibelius Academy, Helsinki, Finland. She performed at the Kawai Salon, Tokyo, a concert with Finnish works including a world premiere of Asko Hyvärinen's (b. 1963) "Spin". Other Finnish composers included were Einojuhani Rautavaara and Pehr Henrik Nordgren.
Tue, 18 November 2008 at 7 pm
Sae Iida Piano Recital
Kawai Salon Concert in Omotesando No. 245 (Tokyo)
Works by Edvard Grieg, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Pehr Henrik Nordgren, Asko Hyvärinen (world premiere), Claude Debussy and Olivier Messiaen
Kawai Home Page
19 November - 14 December 2008
*Sari Palmgren joined
the choreography exchange programme
Finnish choreographer and dancer Sari Palmgren joined the choreography exchange programme between Finland and Japan. FIJ, Yokohama Arts Foundation and Dance Info Finland started in 2007 a three-year project. Young choreographers from Japan and Finland have a possibility to work for four weeks in each other’s country.
In 2007 the participants were Maki Morishita and Vera Nevanlinna. In 2008 Hiroaki Umeda visited Finland in summer.
Sari Palmgren worked with Japanese dancers Maezawa Kanae and Toda Haruka and Korean Park Eun Young from late November to the mid-December 2008 in Yokohama.
The demonstrations of the working period were seen on December 12, 13 and 14, 2008 at the Creative Space 9001, Sakuragicho, Yokohama.
See also the Japan Video Diaries by Sari Palmgren:
Japan Video Diary 3
Japan Video Diaries 1 & 2
Performances
Creative Space 9001, Sakuragicho, Yokohama
Sat, Dec 13 at 1:00 pm & 4:00 pm
Sun, Dec 14 at 1:00 pm
Organizers
Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse No. 1 (Yokohama Arts Foundation)
Tthe Finnish Institute in Japan
The Finnish Dance Information Centre
Supporters
The City of Yokohama Civic Engagement Bureau
Kanagawa Shimbun-sha
TVK Television
RF Radio
FM Yokohama
The Yokohama City
Cable Television Association
In cooperation
Steep Slope Studio and Creative Space 9001
Contact
Anna Nakaso (Yokohama Arts Foundation)
nakaso(at)yaf.or.jp
www.saripalmgren.fi
