It’s already my 5th edition, we have spent five years together…
Upon arriving in Helsinki, when starting to think about Moving in November, Taidehalli was one of the first places that reached out for a meeting. Since then, we’ve had various conversations and developed a precious collaboration that has grown substantially over time.
Thinking back to the first year–Consul and Meshi by Antonia Baehr and Latifa Laâbissi–sneaking into Taidehalli by night, lingering on the floor for almost three hours while watching two half-chimpanzee, half-human figures on their inflatable limousine-like sofa-bed—I still recall the feeling of being a nighttime intruder into their world and the museum.
Or the second year, stepping into an exhibition yet to be built, with wrapped paintings leaning against each wall, to see Un Bolero by Dominique Brun & François Chaignaud at the opening of Moving in November.
Or the third year of our collaboration—finally giving a frame to present Time has fallen asleep in the afternoon sunshine, an ongoing project by Mette Edvardsen that I had dreamed of realizing in Helsinki, with the opportunity to add books in Finnish and Swedish. As a visitor, one could take a living book for a stroll through an exhibition that mostly displayed roofs hanging from the ceiling, like shelter.
And then last year, Alessandro Sciarroni’s virtuosic Save the Last Dance for Me, placed in the middle of an exhibition of Finnish design items, with the hope that the spinning dancers wouldn’t knock the items off the shelves.
These have been beautiful and unique experiences over the past years!
Listening, trust, commitment, and a profound enthusiasm characterize the collaboration between Moving in November and Taidehalli. In our first meeting, I was asked what performance I could imagine for this wonderful space. This question has recurred each year, indicating that what I envisioned for the space resonated with them. Each time, it was accompanied by vivid descriptions of the exhibition plans for the following November, adding another layer to nourish my imagination, along with interesting restrictions and contexts to work with.
Last year, however, the conversation took a different form. As a result of the past years’ collaboration, Moving in November was invited to take over Taidehalli completely for several days. We were asked to make a proposal for the entire exhibition space during regular opening hours—to slip out of the night and into the day.
And that’s exactly what we’re doing this year. We’re taking over, in collaboration.
During the day, Pancor Poetics, a performative installation by Pontus Pettersson, invites us into a green landscape where catty humanoids roam freely. Upon entering this miniature golf course myself for the first time, I was captivated not only by my own perception of time slipping away, but also by the poetic and humorous Cat Practice, which captures the essence of being a cat rather than attempting to portray one. We invite you to stay as long as you wish.
At the same time, we still take you to Taidehalli during unusual hours—when the catty humanoids rest—to see Mette Edvardsen’s LIVRE D’IMAGE SANS IMAGES, a performance and conversation together with her daughter Iben Edvardsen.
We also have the great pleasure of hosting the launch of Anne Naukkarinen’s new book A Book of Dances, with all contributing choreographers present at the event.
By granting me such freedom to think, imagine, and make proposals, Moving in November and Taidehalli are together harvesting the fruits of the past years’ close conversations and collaborations. In a year when politicians are asking the Finnish performing arts scene to work in collaboration, it’s a practice that has always been part of Moving in November. From the start, we have emphasized the importance of collaboration, exploring what it means and what it takes to work in this way—driven by shared beliefs and interests, not merely due to government funding cuts or lack of resources.
Last but not least, I would like to warmly thank the entire Taidehalli team (especially Birgitta Orava and Nina Toppila and Eeva Holkeri) for their trust and enthusiasm, and for this year’s invitation and challenge to keep imagining!
See you in November!
Yours,
Kerstin Schroth