joonas lahtinen

I hugely enjoyed and benefitted from the SAR Forum 2024 at the Fontys Academy of the Arts in Tilburg (NL) on 9-10 April 2024 – I wish to greatly thank the organizing committee at Fontys, and all dear colleagues working in the field of Artistic Research for two days of intensive and nourishing discussions, workshops, and presentations!!

I was one of the organizers of the SAR Special Interest Group 5: Artist Pedagogy Research Group (SIG 5) programme at the Forum – as the convenor of the subgroup “Spaces of Artist Education” I was delighted to see how well our workshop worked out!

Many thanks to the SIG 5 convenor Magnus Quaife, my dear Subgroup co-facilitator Mareike Dobewall, and all the SIG colleagues who participated in the planning and facilitation of our programme, both onsite at the Fontys campus in Tilburg, and online!

Please find a few first snapshots of our Subgroup workshop titled “Working towards rupture – artist pedagogy, access and the politics of space” on 10 April – more photos, video, text, and online material to follow!

Photos (from the top): 1-4 (c) Joonas Lahtinen, 5-6 (c) Mareike Dobewall

In Mid-February, LOVE LETTERS at the Kunstzelle at WUK Vienna came to an end — what a magnificent 3-month-journey — a continuous 24/7 exploration into the aesthetic, performative, material and participatory qualities of LED tickers in public space; a most engaging Opening and Artist Talk with Prof. Dr. Elke Krasny; and, of course, moments of exchange both private and public with so many generous people! — I was overwhelmed by the level of engagement; openness; intimacy; and nuanced reflection on themes such as love, fandom, reading-as-listening, the (imagined) border(s) between the “private” and the “public” etc. that came to the fore in the encounters we had!

LOVE LETTERS at the Kunstzelle indeed became one of my all-time favourite projects, in all respects.

I wish to express my gratitude to everyone who made this very dear project possible: all participants and visitors; the Kunstzelle curators Christine Baumann and Pablo Chiereghin, Vienna Art Week 2023; Prof. Dr. Elke Krasny; Jenny Holzer Studio for their generous response note (see below); Michael Stransky for the precious technical set up assistance; and the MA7 / City of Vienna Department for Cultural Affairs for the financial support!! THANK YOU.

A detailed documentation pack will be available online later this Spring, more info TBA soon.

I’ll continue working on love letters, led tickers, non-coercive participative formats, intimacy, performativity of language, Jenny Holzer, and public space – stay tuned!

#artinstallation #participatoryart #artinvienna #wien #jennyholzer #artinpublicplaces #loveletters #performativity #language #ledticker #artisticresearch #fandom #artsandfandoms #thankyou

Photo: (c) Pablo Chiereghin

Opening and Artist Talk on 16 November 2023. Photo: (c) Sophie Lingg

I was surprised and overwhelmed that the Jenny Holzer Studio replied to my fan brief
and invitation to the Love Letters Opening at the Kunstzelle in November 2023!

What a wonderful (and busy) February it was — two great projects came to an end — 1000 x thanks to everyone involved!!
First, here are a few photos of the #oddmeasures #performance I created together with the 3rd and 4th year dance students of @muk_dance @muk.uni.wien that premiered on 14-16 February 2024 as part of the #embodiment evening of #choreography at the MUK.theater. In the devising process, we explored e.g. scores, everyday materials, (performance) art history, and questions of intensity, logic and surprise … more photos& video clips to follow!

“ODD MEASURES — Which measures, which measurements make sense? To whom? This collaboratively created performance investigates questions of logic, presence, and value.”

ODD MEASURES
Dramaturgy, Text, Spatial design: Joonas Lahtinen and the performers
Performers: (Live, Audio, Video): Clarissa Beisteiner, Gina Remund, Magdalena Schütz, Michael Voit, Zoe Wagner
Performers (Audio, Video): Merten Böhmer, Sara Meryem Celik, Valeria Chavez Chong,
Stéphanie Evrard, Elias Habegger, Hannah Kordasch, Jia-jhen Lin, Ingvild Skarnes, Sina Rediet Zack

(Photo credits: (c) Armin Bardel: photos 1, 3, 4 from above, Joonas Lahtinen: 2)

Today, the performance Odd Measures that I have devised together with the 3rd and 4th year Bachelor dance students and exhange students at my course “Contemporary Project Work” at the MUK will premiere as part of the yearly Embodiment evening of choreography at the MUK Dance Department — welcome!! 
Embodiment includes short group performances created with the professors Christina Medina, Virginie Roy, Marijke Wagner and me, and own duets by students.

—

ODD MEASURES
Which measures, which measurements make sense? To whom?
This collaboratively created performance investigates questions of logic, presence,
and value.

Dramaturgy, Text, Spatial design: Joonas Lahtinen and the performers
Performers: (Live, Audio, Video): Clarissa Beisteiner, Gina Remund, Magdalena Schütz, Michael Voit,
Zoe Wagner
Performers (Audio, Video): Merten Böhmer, Sara Meryem Celik, Valeria Chavez Chong,
Stéphanie Evrard, Elias Habegger, Hannah Kordasch, Jia-jhen Lin, Ingvild Skarnes, Sina Rediet Zack

—

More photos to follow asap!

The Love Letters meet&greet event, planned for next Thursday 18 January at 18-19h, will be rescheduled due to an illness, I‘m sorry!

The new date is: ** Thu 25 Jan at 18-19h ** — hope to see you there!!

I’m pleased to tell you that Love Letters has now been extended until ** 09 February 2024 ** !!

2023 — what an incredible year it has been in professional terms — I wish to sincerely thank everyone who was part of it!!

The year started with my very last Akademierundgang with the IKL students at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and ends with great news:

** Love Letters will be extended until 31 January 2024! **
I’ll be onsite at the WUK to insert letter texts&meet&greet&have a drink on
Thursday 18 January 2024 18-19h — maybe we’ll meet there!!
You may also still send your letter texts to: loveletters_project@gmx.at

I’m so happy and overwhelmed about all the letters and inputs I have received this far — a heartfelt thank you to your engagement and courage!!

A few more highlights of 2023 — appointment as Professor of Performance Art and Artistic Research at MUK – Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna, starting as the convenor of the subgroup “Spaces of artist education”, part of the very new Artist Pedagogy Research Group convened by Marcus Quaife, at the SAR Society for Artistic Research; many great interviews, e.g. with TINFO theatre info finland (sorry, the text is available in finnish only at the moment) — and so much more…

There will be a lot going on next year — stay tuned!
I wish you peace and love to y‘all — may 2024 bring more peace, love and understanding in the world.

Photos: Karo Pernegger (top, portrait of Joonas Lahtinen), Joonas Lahtinen

not only the Opening of the Love Letters project but also the session thursday 30.11. was a bliss, despite the cold weather — many thanks to everyone who came to discuss,have a drink and add new letters/messages to the installation!!

love letters is on show until the end of the year; I’ll be there again today on **THU 14.12. 18-19h! ** You are warmly welcome to join me!

i’m also surprised by the amount of love letters and messages sent to me by email, *wow*!! i’ll add the texts to the installation asap!

@kunstzelle.wien #loveletters #loveletterwriting #performativityoflanguage #performativelanguage #artinpublicplaces #wuk #wukwien

I would love to see you at #WUK #Kunstzellevienna on **THURSDAY/DONNERSTAG 30.11. 18-19h!**

I’ll be there to have a drink (there’ll be something warming to drink too ), chat and add new love/fan letters to the installation – assisted by my mobile phone!

You may also send your letter text via email!: loveletters_project@gmx.at

More Info:
https://www.wuk.at/en/events/joonas-lahtinen-love-letters/
https://joonaslahtinen.wordpress.com/love-letters-kunstzelle-wuk/
https://www.viennaartweek.at/en/program/joonas-lahtinen-love-letters/

And here you go – a few more snapshots from the #Loveletters Opening and Artist Talk on 16 Nov!
Once again, many thanks for christine baumann, pablo chiereghin, vienna art week 2023, ma7/city of vienna, elke krasny and everyone else who were there!!! for me personally, it was a perfect evening!

Many thanks for the photos: Sophie Lingg and Christine Baumann!

https://www.viennaartweek.at/…/joonas-lahtinen-love-letters/

#artinpublicplaces #installation #artinvienna #participatoryart #fandom #loveletter #fanpost #vienna #wien #viennaartweek

I’m feeling truly #grateful for the opening of the #installation #loveletters and the artist talk at #kunstzellevienna — for me personally it was a perfect evening — many, many thanks christine baumann, pablo chiereghin, elke krasny, #viennaartweek, MA7/city of vienna, and, of course, all the visitors (there were so many!) who came and also gave their input in the installation!!

more photos to follow!

maybe we‘ll meet onsite on 30.11. or 14.12., 6-7pm, I’ll be there to have a drink, chat and add new love/fan letters to the installation!

you may also send your letter text via email: loveletters_project@gmx.at !

#artinpublicplaces#installation#artinvienna#participatoryart

**WOW** I got a very nice email reply from Jenny Holzer Studio! Thank you so much. ❤
Opening of #loveletters and #artist talk with Elke Krasny and me at #kunstzelle #kunstzellevienna on **Thu 16.11. at 7pm!!** Hope to see you there!

https://www.viennaartweek.at/en/program/joonas-lahtinen-love-letters/
https://www.wuk.at/en/events/joonas-lahtinen-love-letters/