PERFORMANCES 

Moss mission - Operation in the zone of the green rock eater 

PLANETBIC - a Realistic Utopian Community Performance

Kotka Art 2022 

Moss eats rock, changes things very slowly but purposefully and thoroughly and grows where nothing else grows.
​My intervention to the Kotkansaari hospital yard, made by scraping and removing moss, brought patterns consisting of sea animals, ancient fossils and mosaic floors.

Planetbic 

 

Planetbic is a community performance where everyone is welcome with their own, borrowed or invisible imagination ball!

Participants work out to music, led by lead dancers, and use globe exercise balls other balls or imaginary balls.

All sections of Planetbic: warm-up, aerobics, body building - which is mainly just showing off,  going bananas and final relaxation -  start with a short verbal/poetic intros related to planetary boundaries.

 

Planetbic is an artistic and physical way to show ones commitment to keeping the planet viable, 

Taking over the public space - 

To participate: one doesn't need to train fore hand or have any special skills.

 

Planetbic emphasizes the uniquely decisive role of humans in overcoming the eco-crisis. Planetbic celebrates human bodily knowledge and animality, belonging to the living world and the opportunity to renew and protect life as part of the biosphere as a whole.

 

A sporty, Jane Fonda nostalgia-ridden and seemingly frivolous community performance leads to the challenging topic: how to  find together the way to be within planetary boundaries.

There is possibility that the performance stays sweaty and superficial or it can lead to deeper thoughts.

 

A single work of art will not save the world, but it can help create, for example, resilience.

Art pieces can be part of the multidisciplinary cooperation and activities that are needed to preserve a somehow viable planet.

 

TEAM PLANETBIC

Lead dancers

Pasidanssi: Taina Hakala, Hanna Huuskonen, Liisa Heikinheimo, Sofia Laine, Hanna Salokorpi, Sonja Salomäki, Kukka-Maaria Vuorikoski

 

Music: Hiski Rapi

 

Visual production: Saku Tamminen

 

Consept, choreograhy, lyrics, production : Sonja Salomäki

 

Perfomers: The inhabitants of the Earth

​MP in the woods, ball lost 

corona lock down 28.9.2020

An assumed M-P, probably working hard remotely for her nation, was observed in the Central Park of Helsinki.
The aimless hustle and bustle of the lady, who was raging in her rubber boots, aroused confusion and concern. Judging from the behavior, the pace of the bouncer, who was seriously alienated from himself and nature, slowed down only after the ball disappeared.

#irtiturpeesta #ilmastohatatila #ilmastotekojanyt #climateactionnow #climatecrisis #kestavyyskriisi

The MP's disturbed relationship with the Earth was revealed at the Parliament House 22.3.2019

​The Climate Channel followed with great interest the activities of a presumed middle-aged Member of Parliament at the Parliament House on 22 March 2019.
After mingling confusingly and dangerously with earth, some sort of upheaval and reorganization of values seemed to have taken place at the head of the MP.
Let us hope that this is a more common phenomenon among those in power.
Maybe the earth is still salvageable!

#fridaysforfuture # climate election2019 #climatestrike #nytonpakko

MENKKA HAUKKA  VOL 2
(a word play from spoken Finnish "Henkka Maukka" - H&M)

 


The first Menkka Haukka Fashion Show was held in 2007.
In the summer of 2016, Menkka Haukka came to life again, even more brutally.
As the leader of a huge fashion business chain, Menkka has a lot to say about global business and making it profitable.
Madame Menkka is the embodiment of her business; in the era of disposable culture, quarterly economy and globalization, M&H is a ruthless and reckless clothing brand whose low-quality clothing is made unsustainably in violation of all human rights, exploiting loopholes in the law, weakening the environment and the climate at the lowest possible cost.
The performance also explored other human destinies in the fashion business; from exploited workers in a sweat shop to top-programmed lifestyle consumers. Is it possible to build, influence, and self-express identity through consumption? Or is the consumer/ customer just some kind of manipulated victim after all?
Is human dignity dependent on purchasing power and consumer status?
Since 2007, no major change has taken place, despite some green washing and some baby steps towards a more sustainable direction: the fashion and style cycle is still running at breakneck speed and volume at the expense of quality, workers, consumers and the ecosystem as a whole.

 

Menkka Haukka 2016 was performed in collaboration with the Pasidanssi performance group and the Helsinki Gay Theater

. Duration of the work 20 min.

 

Performers: Liisa Heikinheimo, Ilona Merikanto, Suvi Parrilla, Hanna Salokorpi, Anna Savolainen, Sonja Salomäki, Kukka-Maaria Vuorikoski, HGT/Mika Rossi
Director: Minna Kivelä
Music: Lari Latvala, Kaapo Virolainen, Matti Westerlund
Lyrics of Menkka Tango: Salomäki & Vuorikoski,
Arrangement of Menkka Tango: Virolainen & Westerlund
Costume design, props, graphic design: Venla Martikainen 
Original idea, production: Sonja Salomäki

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Pasidanssi

is an energetic and versatile performance and dance group, founded in 2011 in Helsinki, Pasila, in the inspiring  rustling of Tuulipukudisko
(Shell suit disco) 

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​Status Ostabil, Kallio Street tour, Vaasankatu, september 2014 Helsinki Design Week
Click image to see a video from the night of the arts 2015

STATUS OSTABIL/EPÄSTABIILI/UNSTABLE 
​is based loosely on real incidents and is reflecting the randomness and the variance of human life, on the other hand it is just celebrating the absurd splendor of life.
Status Unstable is navigating from the edges of the society accompanied by country music, through a metamorphosis, towards the official reality soundtracked by North-Korea inspired rhythm music.The (visual) question is:which are the changing roles and social standings of a human being and what happens when the coincidence makes an appearance?
In the end, suddenly and discordantly the officers are transformed into super-mundane creatures dressed in stocking suits aiming to contact the unknown civilizations of the outer space. 

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Click image to see a video from Piritori/Vaasanaukio September 2014

TUULIPUKUDISKO/ SHELL SUIT DISCO 

​was originally created for an event by the same name held in the Night of Arts of Helsinki 2011. 
The idea of the performance was to combine Finnhits (Finnish 70´s disco music), nordic walking and shell suit elegance and thus declare the unquestionable status of Finnish national costume and folk dance of the beginning of the century.  And of course propagate the importance of having fun and conquest of urban space in good spirit. The Shell suit disco was performed by the fabulous pilot dance group Pasidanssi.  All the spectators and by passers-by were invited to participate to the performance.
The original performance is a communal artwork, owned by the whole team; a down to earth participatory perfomance.
Later the choreographer imported a salonable, polished version of Tuulipukudisko, to some occations without mentioning the origins and backrounds of it.

Until now Tuulipukudisko has been performed in: 
2011 Tuulipukudisko, Night of the arts, Helsinki/Itä-Pasila

2012: Belles-promotion event/Helsinki, Sun Roba/Helsinki, AGK/Helsinki, The embassy of Finland/ Berlin 

2013 Tanssinvirtaa festival/Tampere, Isle of Sheep/ Helsinki
(choreographers versions in italic)

PASIDANSSI: H. Arvela-Saren, A.Juneja, S. Keski-Kohtamäki, H.Moreno, H.Salokorpi, S. Salomäki, A.Savolainen, S. Suvereeni,, K-M.Vuorikoski
​Idea and concept: Sonja Salomäki
Choreography:  Pauliina Aladin

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Click image to see a video

MENKKA HAUKKA 
Antifashion show made of unsustainable, poor quality materials with child labor and all kinds of exploitation and iniquity, with the lowest costs and biggest efficiency. 
Throw away culture and quarterly economy are dictating the rules of modern fashion and textile business.
The cycle of style and fashion is getting faster and faster at the expense of quality, workers, consumers and the
whole ecosystem.
Menkka Haukka, the Bleeding Falcon
is a impudent, reckless, all-vice-included, brand, and also an embodiment
​of its destructive anti-messijah creator Mme. Menkka Haukka.


Idea and concept: Sonja Salomäki
Choreography: Jouka Valkama
Designers: Fokus Fabrik, Venla Martikainen, Johannes Gelchsheimer, Meri Hietala, Haaksiluoto, Sonja Salomäki
Music:Aku Raski, Ghost Monkey, TBA, Lari Latvala, Heikki Rita,Rolf Sebastian, P.J.V.M
Hosts: Sound-Designer TXA, Vesa Peräkylä
Web pages: Lari Latvala​

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BIG TIME PLAYERS / MH- SMART BUSINESS-SPORT GARMENT
Who would´t like to maximize the efficiency of ones consumption of time?!
Now Menkka Haukka smart garment makes possible to commute meanwhile doing  demanding physical exercise; without changing clothes!
At the office the garment is absorbing your sweat and in stead pours the most beautiful business perfume.
​Designer: Sonja Salomäki Music: P.J.V.M.

SPÅR PEOPLE  (RAILWAY PEOPLE)

How should one behave in public transports? What is the ideal and how is the reality? Odours, noise, embarrassing conversations, new unwanted friends, reality drama and comedy, interesting views, something unexpected...  
During one week in may 2006 SPÅR PEOPLE-tram journey attendants were serving passengers, entertaining them a little and sharing little coloring books describing the variety of public transport users. 
One interesting fact in 2006 was that 27% of inhabitants of capital city area were afraid of public transports.

Original idea, costume design: Sonja Salomäki
Choreography: Jouka Valkama
The Spår people song: words: Lari Latvala, vocals: Matti Westerlund, recording/mixing: Kaapo Virolainen
Performers: Hanna Arvela-Saren, Susanna Keski-Kohtamäki,  Aapo Rapi, Aino Rantamäki, Sonja Salomäki, Anna Savolainen, Inkeri Suutari

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​NORDIC WALKING BALLET

"A man who returned from the future without the past"


- a joyous nordic walking ballet for the whole family.
As a subplot: some grand-usurpers, curators, lizards and a teleport.

 

 

The original idea, costume design, production: Sonja Salomäki
Music: Uzva ( composers: Heikki Puska & Olli Kari)
Scenarists: Lari Latvala, Kaapo Virolainen, Mitri Kitti, Matti Westerlund
Choreography: Jouka Valkama
Home page: Lari Latvala

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Night of arts 2004 Helsinki