bits'n'pieces about Stmk

screen captures from www.sari.net.au (2010-2012)

2012-01-04T13:45:00.000-08:00

This version was a ready made design by netregistry.au that Stmk chose, utilized and updated sporadically. In its final update it documented Stmk's performance & writing project Spin-Fold-Spill.

screen captures from www.sari.net.au (2009-2010)

2012-01-04T13:32:00.000-08:00

This version was designed by the amazing Neng Mohd from The Salt Lab. Stmk just couldn't work out how to edit it.

screen captures from www.sari.net.au (2006-2009)

2012-01-04T13:20:00.000-08:00

This website was initially designed by Jason White. Adjusted/ edited by stmk.

Assemblages of Multiple Selves: Artists performing Through Persona

2011-11-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

The essay "Assemblages of Multiple Selves: Artists performing Through Persona" written by STMK is now available online in the book: Converging Perspectives: Writings on Performance Art

This collection of essays about performance is published by the theatre academy in Helsinki to support the critical textual development of students from the department of performance and theory.

upcoming performance project: spin-fold-spill (or pin-old-pill)

2011-04-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

(Photo montage by stmk. Original photos by Niko Ryytty, Juhani Koivumäki, + Davide Pavonne)

Welcome along to my performance installation Spin-Fold-Spill from the 12th-19th May 2011, at Studio 2, at the Theatre Academy, Helsinki (Haapaniemenkatu 6).

Dates:

Performance dates:

May 12^thKlo 18:00

May 13^th Klo 18:00

May 14^thKlo 15:00

May 17^th Klo 18:00

May 18^th Klo 18:00

* Please note in ticketed performances there is a limit of 12 people per performance. Tickets can be purchased from piletti *

Installation in studio 2 is open to public on:

May 12^th Klo 12:00-16:00

May 13^th Klo 12:00-16:00

May 17^th Klo 12:00-16:00

May 18^th Klo 12:00-16:00

May 19^th Klo 12:00-16:00

*free admission to installation*

Spinning a story through the folds of division (the blurry divide of what is true and what is make-believe).

Strange Land Vol 1 - The Trailer

2011-04-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

a land made strange

a place of green snakes and skittish black kangaroos

a land visited by many including the minor, the priest, Liina, and Peg

a land made strange by John A. Douglas's artistic vision: see more!

plastic entwined

2011-03-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

I found myself posing as though at the beach whilst supposedly dragging my co-performer Suva. I noticed that he was kind of crawling towards me as I was 'dragging' him, thus my exertion was almost fake. Fake seems (sometimes) such a dirty word in performance art. Although, my youngest sister Starella has always had this saying "Fake it till you make it." She's still faking it. On some days, so am I.

imaginary playground performance at LÀ-BAS event

Ylippilasteatteri Helsinki.

Photo taken by Juhani Koivumäki.

glass shards

2011-02-28T13:18:00.000-08:00

A snippet of an update.

NEWS:

Check out STMK in FOCUS as Artfiles artist of the week

UPCOMING HElSINKI PERFORMANCES:

Check out STMK live in the flesh, taking part in the upcoming collaborative performance by Imaginary Playground this Saturday night at:

LÀ-BAS --> YLIOPPILASTEATTERI
La 5.3. klo 19 - 23
Aleksanterinkatu 23 (Kolmen sepän aukiolta)

Tapahtuma. Sosiaalisuuden taide, tehtävä, konflikti, ero, havainnoinnin politiikka. Tapahtumisen tekeminen? Affirmatiivisesta inflatorisuudesta draamanjälkeisten näkökulmanvaihdosten vahvistamiseen. Analyysi, kritiikki, ääni, kuva, mieli, näky: vaikutusalueen ruumiillisuus.

PERFORMANSSEJA
klo 19.00 Imaginary Playground # 7 (Satu (sari) Kivinen, Tuuli Tubin, Ilka Theurich, Suvadeep Das, Katariina Mylläri, Aino-Marjatta Mäki)
klo 20.00 Baaba Jakeh Chande
klo 20.40 Anna Tahkola
klo 21.00 Irma Optimisti
klo 21.30 Iina Ukkonen
klo 21.45 Yo-teatterilaiset
klo 22.30 Valtteri Pöyhönen Hyperpresent (ääniesitys)

Vaapaa pääsy! Tarjoilua! Tervetuloa! Free Entry! Welcome along!

Photography credist: Juuso Noronkoski

Performer credits: STMK, Christina Georgiou, Tuuli Tubin (Imaginary Playground #5)

Strange Land Vol 1: Exhibition in Sydney

2010-07-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

The premier of Strange Land Vol 1 is near, a project in which I make special appearances alongside Liam Benson, a project that is the vision of Sydney based artist John A. Douglas. In Douglas' words Strange Land Vol 1 is:

"A 3-channel video installation that relives the histories of a haunted and traumatised industrial landscape through the retelling of historic narratives and Australian cinema. These stories, mediated through performative video works, were shot on location in the remote shale-mining ghost town of Glen Davis that supplied most of Sydney’s fossil fuel needs during WWII and which was also the location of the cult Australian film The Chain Reaction (1980).

As we traverse the road going in and out of the mine site, impressions of the film’s characters and the former inhabitants of the town are both brought to life through performances that trace the linear perspective of the location as figure-in-landscape.

In collaboration with contemporary performance artists Sari TM Kivinen and Liam Benson, I have merged first-hand accounts of Glen Davis and its people with local tall tales and the social imaginary of 1970s Australian Cinema to highlight the town as a site of working class struggle and its ulitmate demise. It also explores inherent social problems of class, gender and culture that arise in isolated communities.

Each video performance is accompanied by a soundtrack produced in collaboration with experimental sound artist and musician Debra Petrovitch."

Strange Land Vol 1 opens at Penrith Regional Gallery & Lewers Bequest on Saturday 14th August 5-7pm. The exhibition continues until November 14th 2010. Please RSVP if attending the opening celebrations for catering purposes by Monday 9 August to gallery@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au or Tel. 02 4735-1100.

Investigating Fictional Spaces in Pori

2010-05-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

Blue Space performance by STMK. Photograph by Juhani Koivumäki.

As part of the exhibition event Live Art Generator at Generaattorigalleri in Pori (Finland) I am investigating ideas about fictional space. Working site specifically within the gallery I have developed four small environments, each with a different colour focus, using materials that have been collected in Pori. As part of my research about what fictional make-believe spaces could possibly mean I have conducted workshops with English speaking classes at the Cygnaeus school in Pori. Ideas developed during the workshops have informed the development of each installed environment as well as the subsequent performances that I have performed as extension to the environments.

During the week 3rd-7th May live stream footage of the artistic processes of Live Art Generator exhibition as event can be viewed between 3-6pm (Finland time) at: http://liveartgenerator.blogspot.com/

5th & 6th graders constructing the "invisible man" as their fictional space idea.

Authentic self?

2010-01-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

Recently I enjoyed the pleasure of performing in a black box for three consecutive nights. Attempting to adapt my own practice and agenda to the specific site I developed Role Investigations 1-3. More questions then answers arose as a result of these nights as I slipped in and out of role, wondering "what is role anyway?" "Who is the authentic me?" And further, "is there even an authentic me?" I have included here a small snippet of documentation courtesy of photographers Davide Pavone and Niko Ryytty.

Sari TM Kivinen (December 2009) Role Investigation 1, photo by Davide Pavonne. Nights of Live Art, the Theatre Academy Helsinki.

Plan for Night 1: I will be in-role interacting with the audience, possibly serving drinks at the bar or walking around with a tray with sweets to offer to the audience. When it is my turn on stage I will require two hooks on a wall to place my coat. I will undergo a series of actions on stage including placing objects on the floor which will be stepped on (this may cause a small mess in which case something to clean the mess will be required, e.g. broom), I will also use a bottle of wine in this act, the may be swung around in a sewn piece of fabric as one of the actions. Other actions will be bodily and vocally focused and will not require additional resources.

Sari TM Kivinen (December 2009) Role Investigation 1, photo by Niko Ryytty. Nights of Live Art, the Theatre Academy Helsinki.

Props and Costumes:

1 Tray (borrow from props department)
Small objects (I will find or make these - possibly small cakes, and/or eggshells)
Costumes (most of these I will custom make)
1 Wine bottle (I will buy this)
Wig (my own)

Sari TM Kivinen (December 2009) Role Investigation 1, photo by Niko Ryytty. Nights of Live Art, the Theatre Academy Helsinki.

During the same week as the Nights of Live Art I ventured to Pori (Finland) to participate in a group performance at Galleria 3H + K. Performing in a grungy white cube was the perfect antidote to the theatrical black box.

Group performance (December 2009) Imaginary Playground, photo by Jussi Matilainen. Galleria 3H + K, Pori Finland. Performers pictured left to right: Christina Georgiou, Sari TM Kivinen, Tuuli Tubin, Katariina Mylläri.

Installation Constructing a Correction

2009-11-05T12:24:00.001-08:00

The performance = a process

The performance = a façade

The performance = a failure

Installation Title:

Sari’s room became a bubble. Her mind was my own. I thought we were the same.

Constructed from:

Paper flowers made from payslips earned by Sari; fabric from Sari’s wedding dress; 1 dismantled copy of Thomas Bernhard’s Correction sewn together in a random order; 12 metres of 2mm thick PVC; 6 metres of beige lining; 1 cupboard; and 1 video artwork titled Self Determined playing on a silver monitor.

Space dimensions: 120 x 110 x 300cm

Exhibited as part of The Role System by Sari TM Kivinen, October 2008, MOP projects; Sydney.

Jessee-Liina in the Spotlight

2009-10-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

Premier of Jessee-Liina's Investigations, ATVP gallery Sydney (2007) photograph © Anastasia Zaravinos

As a famed handbag designer, socialite and presenter of the made for DVD documentary series Jessee-Liina Investigations, Jessee-Liina is currently enjoying the notoriety of being a cover girl of a DIY culture bathing in self affirmations, plastic diamontees and glitter dust.

Since an initial thrust into the limelight three years ago Jessee has powered on with enigmatic force, creating strong impressions in every direction. Although her work has been predominately based in Sydney Australia, this last year has taken Jessee away from her home as she has travelled to all corners of the world developing concepts for the next line of designer handbags due for release in early 2010. About her time away from Sydney she enthusiastically states:

“Although I have adored every single place I have travelled to in the past nine or so months I truly utterly miss the amazing assortment of super stylish Sydney groovers who have allowed me to blossom into the woman I am today…. I also totally miss the orgasmic lattes of my local barrister…. But you know being out in the world and developing my work to its next level, and really totally embracing myself, is like the most amazing exhilarating ride. I am really truly having the time of my life, and I just cannot wait to show of my new line of handbags! Also I have been working on the next episode of ‘Jessee-Liina’s Investigations’, which I’ll be plugging soon with sugar sweet enthusiasm!!”

Indeed Jessee-Liina seems to be striding ahead – full speed – however life hasn’t always been so easy for the blonde beauty. As the eldest of three sisters Jessee was forced at a young age to become a guardian for her younger sisters (Caroliina and Starella) following a series of tragic events. As described by Jessee:

“We lived in a small trailer in nowhere land, stranded and desolate, we had only each other and the rugged bush landscape to survive of, but you know we all like totally blossomed into really interesting individuals as a result. I learnt how to multitask really early on, which has been a fundamental quality in my business life.”

And what a lovely metaphor to end on: a super star multi-tasker attributing the harder stages of her earlier life to her current successes. Shine on Jessee!

Pictured here with local Sydney spunk Simon (whose jacket covers an awesome “Just Fucked Another Rich Kid” t-shirt), Jessee is pictured with an example of her 2008 handbag collection, photograph © Richard Gurney

Jessee-Liina's life as a waitress when she was in the fem-country musical duet EllyBillyMayBobs: ten minutes later they were singing Johhny Cash inspired ballads (2005) photograph © Jason White

Starella plays the part of 'orjatar'

2009-10-03T13:31:00.000-07:00

Photograph (2009) © Tarja Ahokas

Starella, youngest sibling in Kivinen's role triad, has most recently been spotted as the sixth member of finnish band The Rise of the Children of Hell who've been touring Finland in recent months with their unique dose of horror rock and military satire. As rumor has it Starella met the band by chance when she stumbled into a bar in Pori (in the Satakunta region of Finland's westcoast), without a place to stay the band offered Starella food and shelter on the proviso that she join the band as an orjatar; a must have addition for any serious hard rock finnish band. Although the general understanding of orjatar translates as female slave, Starella appears to have found a unique approach to her newfound position.

Stay tuned for further details regarding Starella's adventures with The Rise of the Children of Hell.

Exquisite Corpse anniversary

2009-08-06T01:29:00.000-07:00

This week Exquisite Corpse celebrated it's one year anniversary, as a weekly nightclub event hosted by Sydney's Oxford Art Factory and presenting a mixture of live art and installation inside a glass box amongst other things, it is with enthusiasm that I recall performing inside the box for three consecutive nights in July last year. Sydney based artist and writer Bridie Connell has compiled the following article detailing the foundation of Exquisite Corpse.

**Rotating between roles inside the box**

Satakunnan Kansa (Newspaper article) May 2009

2009-07-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

Changing Roles: Performance Workshops in Finland

2009-07-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

Exhibition and workshops: Sari Kivinen and Malmi school students (March - May 2009)

From March to May 2009 Sari Kivinen conducted performance workshops at Malmi special school in Rauma, Finland. Following an initial introductory visit to the school Kivinen produced a story that was catered around discussions she had with the children and teachers.

The workshops were then conducted in weeklong blocks, working with small groups of 3-5 students at a time. The focus was to explore mechanics of dual roles – for example the children in the story changing into the animals, Kivinen’s interest being to focus on how the students adapted to changing roles during a performance. Throughout the entirety of the project the individual abilities of each student was the focus within the process and experience of enacting different roles types. Kivinen encouraged students to try out different roles as a process of experiencing a different point of view and an alternate way to move and speak.

Kivinen has travelled to Rauma from Sydney, Australia and is a performance artist working with video, and installation with a thematic interest in exploring the function of role play in social and domestic settings. She has completed a Bachelor of Fine arts (Honours) in 2004 and a Graduate Certificate of Expressive Therapies in 2006, both at the University of Western Sydney.

Performance presentation

2009-05-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

Sari TM Kivinen: Obstructions to self

Kivinen has focused on role-play as a method of performance for several years and views the act of embodying a role in a dual way: on the one hand assuming a role can allow genuine expression to occur through the guise of assuming something other; and on the other hand embodying a role, especially for a long duration, can obstruct the authentic self. Kivinen’s interest is to explore what this means to herself as performer; to simultaneously reveal and conceal.

Since arriving in Finland in March 2009, Kivinen has been exploring the idea of role-play as obstruction and has begun to think about other alternate ways of obstructing herself during performance.

In April 2009 Kivinen performed at two venues, Perfo! In Tampere, and Gallery 3H + K in Pori. Performing as ‘herself’ Kivinen presented two alternate performances focused on the theme of self-obstruction, exploring restricted movement, internal and external behaviour, disorientation and drinking patterns.

On the 20^th May 2009 Kivinen will deliver a presentation of her explorations on the theme of obstruction within performance, documentation of performances will be on view and a new performance will occur.

Vaihdetaanko Rooleja?

2009-04-20T13:33:00.000-07:00

As the culmination of art and performance workshops at Malmi school the exhibition Vaihdetaanko Rooleja? (Changing Roles?) opens on Wednesday 29th April at Rauman kaupunginkirjasto. www.raumars.org

Upcoming Performances in Finland

2009-04-09T05:23:00.000-07:00

Saturday 18.04.09 6pm/ 18.00

PERFO! www.tehdasry.fi/perfo

during the exhibition of Art Veturit www.artveturit.com

Turpiininkatu, Tampere, Finland.

http://www.02.fi/kartta-haku/FI/33100%2BTampere/turpiininkatu

Performers:

Irma Optimisti

Maurice Blok

Suvadeep Das

Sari Kivinen

**************************************************************

Tuesday 21.04.09 7pm/ 19.00

LiveTaide

Galleria 3H + K www.nyte.arkku.net

Maaherrankatu 32, Pori, Finland

Participating performers:

Agnes Negregard (Nor)

Sari Kivinen (Aus)

Good Girls

Soffa

Another Town Another Day

2009-03-18T12:04:00.000-07:00

Current community project:

As Raumars artist in residence I have been working with Malmi school's students and teachers delivering a series of workshops that focus on exploration of role-play through object making and performances. The objects and documented process of the workshops can be viewed throughout May 2009 at Rauma Kirjasto (library).