Oona Mäkelä: Same Same but Different

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Exhibition: Feb 9 (Thu) – Feb 13 (Mon) 1-7pm
Venue: Almost Perfect, 2-3-2 Kojima, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Opening Talk Session with Anna-Maria Wiljanen, the director at the Finnish Institute in Japan: Feb 9 (Thu) 6-9pm
Please register for the talk event via Peatix.

A casual party on Feb 11 (Sat) 5-7pm with drinks served.
Please come visit to see her works.

Exhibition Same Same but Different is a collection of illustrations, prints and small clay creatures. The exhibition is about the things we can all find joy from despite of our background – in this case nature and dogs.I wanted to focus on similarities between Finland and Japan instead of the differences. Even though as an outsider I will always be seeing a lot of difference I noticed I was still attracted to the same things as in Finland. Things here might just have a little bit different shape but in the end they are the same.

Bio:
Oona Mäkelä is a Finnish graphic designer, illustrator and print designer represented by Napa Agency. She’s attracted to fascinating color combinations and shapes. She aims to create work that is easy on the eyes and has something humorous to it. She is inspired by everyday life and badly behaved dogs.

 

Photos: Oona Mäkelä

Together Again

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REGISTRATION FOR THE FESTIVAL IS NOW OPEN!
The festival will take place September 8th 2023 10–17 in Helsinki Central Library Oodi, Finland and online.

Register for the in person event at Helsinki Central Library Oodi

Register for the online livestream

 

Together Again is an expansive art project fostering gatherings, workshops, intercultural dialogues and socially engaged art, organised by the Finnish Academic and Cultural Institutes across the world. Together Again presents six community-based works to audiences in Amsterdam, Brussels, Helsinki, London, Madrid, New York, Oslo, Paris, and Porto, as well as online. The project takes place throughout 2023 and culminates in a one-day festival held in Helsinki Central Library Oodi, Finland on the 8th of September 2023. The festival is free and open to all!

For more information on the artists and events, please visit project website https://togetheragain.fi/about/

Together Again is organised by the Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux, the Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland, the Finnish Cultural Institute in Madrid, the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York, the Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute and Institut finlandais, and supported by the Finnish Institute in Germany, the Finnish Institute in Japan and the Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes (SKTI).

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AI and Ethics Panel Discussion

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The Finnish Institute in Japan continued its AI-events December 13th, 2022 with AI and Ethics panel discussion. Panelists were Dr. Kristiina Jokinen, Dr. Graham Wilcock and Dr. Lorenz Granrath and moderator Dr. Anna-Maria Wiljanen. Thank you for participating!

AI and Ethics Panel discussion
Date: December 13th, 2022 4–6PM + Networking reception
Onsite venue: Roppongi Academy Hills, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 49F
106-6149 Tokyo, Minato-ku, Roppongi 6-10-1
https://forum.academyhills.com/roppongi/access/
Online venue: ZOOM meeting room

【プログラム / Programme】

16:00　Opening speech
Dr. Anna-Maria Wiljanen　Director, Finnish Institute in Japan

16:55　Break

17:00　Panel discussion
Panelists: Dr. Kristiina Jokinen, Dr. Graham Wilcock and Dr. Lorenz Granrath
Moderator: Dr. Anna-Maria Wiljanen

17:55　Closing remarks
Dr. Anna-Maria Wiljanen　Director, Finnish Institute in Japan

18:05　Networking reception

19:30　Doors close

Photo: pixabay.com

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Study in Finland meets AI

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STUDY IN FINLAND MEETS AI – SEMINAR

Study in Finland meets AI seminar followed by a networking reception was held on December 2nd, 2022 onsite at Academy Hills in Roppongi and online on ZOOM.
Thank you everyone for participating!

Programme:
14:00 Opening words　Anna-Maria WIljanen, Director, Finnish Institute in Japan
14:15 Information about studying in Finland　Jenna Tavasti, Finnish Institute in Japan
14:45 Coffee break
15:00 Alumni talk 1　Hanako Fukuda, alumni of Oulu University of Applied Sciences (International Business, 2018–2021)
16:00 Alumni talk 2　Yuta Ichikoshi, exchange student at University of Jyväskylä (2017–2018)
17:00 Break
17:10 Studies and AI　Anna-Maria Wiljanen, Director, Finnish Institute in Japan
17:30 Q&A session
17:55 Closing remarks　Anna-Maria WIljanen, Director, Finnish Institute in Japan
18:00 Networking reception (onsite only)
20:00 Doors close

Study in Finland meets AI seminar
Date: December 2nd, 2022, 2PM
Onsite venue: Roppongi Academy Hills, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 49F
106-6149 Tokyo, Minato-ku, Roppongi 6-10-1
https://forum.academyhills.com/roppongi/access/
Online venue: ZOOM meeting room

Finnish Institute in Japan

Photo: Suomi Finland

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Almost Perfect 2023: Oona Mäkelä

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Oona Mäkelä has been chosen to participate in the 2023 Almost Perfect -residence program.

 

”Hello! I’m Oona, an illustrator and designer from Helsinki. For some years now I’ve worked at my dream job as a freelance creative. I design prints for clothing (and occasionally rubber boots), illustrate book covers and create visual identities for sustainable businesses. 

I try to bring something recognisable to my projects by using vivid colors, abstract shapes and playful fonts. I think it’s important to always have something humorous involved, it makes the work more approachable. What brings me inspiration is everyday life and the small details of it. I keep my eyes open wherever I go, I think it’s fun to observe passers by for example. I take walks in the forest everyday with my dog and there is always something interesting to be spotted in the nature. 

I hope that this residency will bring me exciting new experiences in the new surroundings and with new people, and that I will take a lot of nice memories with me back home. I hope it will also give me new ideas and approaches to my work, something I didn’t think about before. I’m excited to get to know a new culture and climate and I’m looking forward to be confused and surprised by things. I’m very curious to see how everything goes and I can’t wait to step on the plain to Japan! ”

 

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Group exhibition “One Picture Manifesto”

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One Picture Manifesto

One picture is a work of art.
It is concise and includes all that is needed.
It suggests and reacts, provides responses, and renders new trails for thoughts. It is an opening and a closure.
One picture.
No more is needed.

“One Picture Manifesto” is a visual commentary on the practices of modern photographic art. It highlights the significance of a single photograph in a time that tends to celebrate serialism. The founding artists of the manifesto, artist Marja Pirilä (b. 1957), Harri Pälviranta (b. 1971), Maija Annikki Savolainen (b. 1980) and Maija Tammi (b.1985) want to challenge their own ways of creating art as well as photographic practices in general. Italian artist Alessandro Danidini de Sylva (b.1981) joined the examination of a single photographic image at the exhibition organised by gallery Matèria at Spazio Duale at Istituto Superiore di Fotograa, and Japanese artist, Hideo Anze (b. 1975), conjoined the project at this exhibition held at Kana Kawanishi Photography.

In the exhibition, each artist presents one independent visual work of art that is not supported by long written descriptions or complementing works from the same artist. The aim is to invite the viewer to stop and look at one photo for a prolonged period of time. The manifesto is also intended to encourage people to consider to what extent the form and even the very existence of photographic art is dictated by the parameters of photographic competitions, festivals and grant applications.

“One Picture Manifesto” was first shown at the Finnish Museum of Photography in Helsinki, Finland, September, 2019, and then in Rome in April 2022. In spring 2023 the exhibition will travel to The Reference in Seoul. At each new location one local artist is invited to make one new photographic work according to the manifesto thus increasing the number of works in the show.

ARTIST TALK
The Finnish Institute in Japan will host an artist talk at the Institute’s meeting room on 2nd of August, 18:00-20:00. Participating artists Maija Tammi and Harri Pälviranta will discuss about their artistic practice, photography, and the concepts behind the exhibition.

Time: 2 September 2022, 18:00-20:00
Venue: The Finnish Institute in Japan
3-5-39 Minami-Azabu
Minato-ku Tokyo 106-8561

Tickets available until 1 September, 23:55

Group Exhibition “One Picture Manifesto” 3.9.2022 – 15.10.2022

KANA KAWANISHI PHOTOGRAPHY
2-7-5-5F, Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0031 / Tel: +81 3 5843 9128

Wed-Fri 13:00-20:00, Sat 12:00-19:00 (closed Sun, Mon, Tue, and National Holidays)

*temporarily closed during October 5 (Wed) – 8 (Sat)

Artists: Marja Pirilä, Harri Pälviranta, Maija Annikki Savolainen, Maija Tammi, Alessandro Dandini de Sylva, Hideo Anze

Photo: Maija Tammi: Ouroboros, 2019.

Artist Talk: Jenni Tuominen

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We are happy to invite you to an online artist talk by Jenni Tuominen on August 23. at 17:00-18:30. She will talk about her artistry and present her solo exhibition “Sarugakucho, Shibuya, Finnish Forest.” currently displayed at Nokogiri gallery. Jenni has designed for Marimekko, one of Europe’s leading apparel companies, and works with various mediums, mainly in ceramics and painting, illustration, and video.

Please register to the event via Peatix.

Date and Time: 23rd August 2022, 17:00-18:30 (JST)
Venue: ZOOM
Registration available until 22nd August, 23:55.

 

Photo: Studio Jenni＆Jukka

Jenni Tuominen
Artist, designer

Jenni Tuominen studied fine art in the Turku Academy of Arts and graphic design in the University of Art and Design Helsinki. Jenni received honored Finnish State Prize for illustration in 2017.  She loves to work on fields of illustration, art and design. Recently she has been working with ceramics, painting and pattern design. She lives and works in Porvoo, Finland.

 

EXHIBITION
Jenni Tuominen: “Sarugakucho, Shibuya, Finnish Forest”
Fri, July 22, 2022 – Sun, August 28, 2022
Opening Hours: 12 pm-7 pm
Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays
Gallery NOKOGIRI
2F, 5-17 Sarugakucho, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0033

 

Header Photo: Finnish Institute in Japan

Tokyo Art & Science Research Residency 2022: Aaro Murphy

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Artist introduction

Portrait photo of Aaro Murphy

Aaro Murphy, is an installation artist working with sound, scent, animation and glass. His work takes form as time based installations and kinetic sculptures, exploring boundaries between the organic and synthetic. A recurring theme in his practice is the ability for machines and complex mechanisms to adopt spatial agency and performative potential – shifting between robotic beings and instruments. Aaro is currently a research fellow at the Studio for Immediate Spaces, Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam, researching architectural olfaction and digital scenting systems.

For the past 3 years Aaro has been developing a series of audiolfactory instruments that project sound and smell. A series of custom glass blown flutes with synthetic aromas inside programmed to play autonomously over time. The Tokyo Art & Science Research Residency, is a unique opportunity for Aaro to merge scientific research together with the sculptural installations he makes.

 

Residency Overview

Aaro Murphy will dedicate his residency to the research of urban scents found in Japan. Setting up a research studio at the Bio-Club Tokyo, Aaro will collect scents from Tokyo during smell walks and site visits. Experimenting with various extraction methods from distillations, macerates to tinctures, the aim is to create a library of materials and smells synonymous with the city. Aaro will simultaneously research Headspace technology and machine olfaction. What interests Aaro in this scent capture technology is its potential for reconstructing spaces virtually through smell.

“I am very excited to be selected for this year’s residency, it is a unique opportunity to dig deeper into my olfactory research and explore the city of Tokyo through smell.”

 

Photos: Aaro Murphy 

Frozen Land

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The exhibition Frozen Land showcases the beauty of cold northern nature with snowy landscapes and frosted trees. The photographs on display share the theme of Nordic winter landscapes, and embody the moment at which they were taken and the atmosphere in nature. 

The photographs in this exhibition were taken in the course of several winters in various parts of Finland, but mainly in the Koillismaa region and the Finnish lake district. When taking the photographs, the temperature was often almost minus 30 degrees Celsius – or even colder. That not only put the photographer but also the camera to a test. Photographing nature requires being at the right place at the right time. For example, in order to be formed, steam fog requires a sufficiently large difference between the air and water temperature. If you’re lucky, there are a few such days in a winter. Then again, a severe winter storm may shake the crown snow loads off the trees.

Our winters are changing. Climate change will be reflected in the Nordic nature in a smaller amount of snow and ice. Will we be able to keep these fabulous, magical winters?

Frozen Land

17.–29.5.2022
Hours: 11:00–18:00 (until 15:00 on the last day of the exhibition)
ars gallery, 5-13-1 Jingumae Shibuya-ku Tokyo 150-0001
Gallery closed on Mondays
Free entrance

Maarit Kristiina Vepsäläinen is a 46-year-old photographer born in Savo, Finland, with a further and specialist qualification in photography. As a photographer, she is characterised by her desire to capture moments in nature that can never again be experienced in the exact same way. She wants her photographs to feature either interesting light – or the intentional absence of it. She is also interested in the element of depth. Depth allows the photographs to become something more than just surfaces, something that immerses the viewer in the depicted atmosphere.

“I started my career as a photographer with travel photography 20 years ago, but I’ve been carrying around a camera ever since I was a child. In 2011, I got my first digital Canon SLR camera and began to actively develop my photographic self-expression by attending various photography courses across Finland and, of course, by taking more photos!

I like taking pictures in my home region of Savo as well as in the Koillismaa region, Kuusamo and various parts of the North. Nordic nature is unique, partly even pristine, and beautiful in all seasons. In good weather and lighting conditions, the best place to take photos is often the local nature. In such favourable conditions, I usually take photos in the Rautalampi and Konnevesi regions, in the Finnish lake district.

Nature is a great source of resources and wellbeing. When I’m in nature, I find myself seeking places that exude peace and serenity, places where I can really be present in the moment. I hope that my photographs help the viewer forget the everyday hustle and bustle for a moment and take in the natural atmosphere and calm down in its embrace.”

Photos: Maarit Kristiina Vepsäläinen

 

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Elastic Alliances -exhibition

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The past few years have taken our necessity to adapt to a whole new level. What is considered normal has been stretched as much in the everyday as in artists’ creative processes. Despite economic and social distress, artists have kept on with their work, and collaboration between creatives has kept on happening.

The exhibition presents fragments of eight individual art projects that have been created collaboratively in exceptional circumstances during 2021. Each project has its individual processes and collaborative models, where the goal has been to come together, work together, and create something together. Through the exhibition, the viewer sees glimpses of long-lasting processes.

The artists and artist collectives in the exhibition are Milena Oksanen & Diego Machado, Anni Puolakka & Ellie Hunter, Pehmee kollektiivi, Minna Pöllänen & Bang Geul Han, Post Theatre Collective, Johanna Rotko/BIOART LAB, Jaana Pirskanen & Half A Map ja The Veerkracht Collective curated by Jani Kaila.

The projects tell us stories of cycles of life, listening to the everyday, coming up with new ways of working together, and of resilience in a challenging situation. Above all, the projects show us how artists have adapted to the current situation by carrying on with what is important to them, building up on existing alliances, supporting each other, and finding new resources in a situation that has seemed hopeless.

Elastic Alliances exhibition
8 April – 22 May 2022
The gallery is open daily from 10 to 20, free entrance.
Gallery Hanaholmen, Espoo, Finland

In conjunction with the exhibition, a seminar focusing on new forms of artistic collaboration will be arranged at Hanasaari Auditorium. Join us for the half-day seminar on Thursday the 28th of April at 1-6pm.

 

The projects in the exhibition have been created as part of Together Alone 2.0, a project organized collaboratively by The Finnish Academic and Cultural Institutes. In the spring of 2020, the Institute network announced an open call for new art projects under the title of Together Alone. The open call sought artistic proposals related to the state of emergency, radical change and resilience. Together Alone 2.0 was launched in 2021 as a continuation of the project. Read more about the project and the artists: https://www.togetheralonefi.com

There are 17 Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes around the world. They advance international mobility, visibility and collaboration of Finnish professionals in the arts, culture and research. The institutes co-operate through a Helsinki-based association, the Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes (SKTI). Find out more: https://instituutit.fi/en/

The exhibition Elastic Alliances is arranged with the support of the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, The Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland (Svenska kulturfonden) and the Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes.

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