Joonas Lahtinen (* 1984, FIN/A) is a Vienna-based performance and installation artist, theatre director and Lecturer-Researcher at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Since 1995, he has performed in various Live Art, theatre and TV productions. In his projects, Joonas explores the politics of space and of the everyday from perspectives that are both humorous and disturbing. Many of his performances are site-specific and have a strong installational character. His recent works include the exhibition project out there in public space in Vienna with Miriam Laussegger (2019, commissioned by the SHIFT funding program, City of Vienna), the performance/installations R.I.P. SERVICES at WUK performing arts Vienna (2019) and at URB 16 Festival (Kiasma Theatre/Finnish National Gallery); YOYO – You are On Your Own at URB 14 Festival (Kiasma Theatre/Finnish National Gallery), brut Wien (Vienna) and HomeFest (Bucharest); I BLAME YOU, TONY BLAIR! at imagetanz 2014 festival (brut Wien) and Kiasma Theatre (Helsinki); and EIN.KÜCHEN.BAU that toured internationally as part of the Freischwimmer-festival (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and was invited to STAGE Helsinki Theatre Festival 2013 and to SOHO in Ottakring Festival 2016 (Vienna). Joonas also realized the sound installations What’s your Take on Mad House? (Mad House Helsinki 2017) and Wie stehen Sie zum brut? (brut Wien 2015). He also devised the solo performance trackings performed in London, Helsinki and Vienna (at the Underground City 21 Vienna festival, in LABfactory, and in Lust Gallery) and directed the lecture performance Love! Inspiration! Innovation! by the Helsinki-based Mysteeriteatteri.
Since March 2017, Joonas has been working as a Lecturer-Researcher (Universitätsassistent) in Art and Education at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Joonas has studied Performance at Queen Mary, University of London and is writing his PhD dissertation about power relations in and political underpinnings of participatory performance practice at the University of Helsinki. He has published several theatre research and popular articles in Finnish and English. He has also taught courses on performance analysis and art theory at the University of Helsinki.
Joonas’ artistic and research projects have featured on TV, in newspapers, magazines and on the radio: ORF1 TV/Wien Heute (Austria), W24 TV (Austria), Radio Ö1 Kulturjournal (ORF/Austria), Radio FM4 (ORF/Austria), RBB Kulturradio Berlin-Brandenburg (Berlin), YLE Radio 1/Kultakuume (Finland), YLE Radio Puhe/Puheen Aamu (Finland), Der Standard (Vienna), Die Presse/Schaufenster (Vienna), Tages-Anzeiger (Zurich), Westdeutsche Zeitung (Dusseldorf), tanz.at (Vienna), Teatteri&tanssi+sirkus (Helsinki), Nyt-liite/Helsingin Sanomat (Helsinki), Kansan Uutiset (Helsinki), esitys (Helsinki), Aamulehti (Tampere), mustekala.info (Helsinki)
Joonas’s artistic projects have been endorsed by the SHIFT Funding programme (Basis.Kultur.Wien/City of Vienna), the Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Frame Visual Art Finland, Finnish Cultural Foundation/Uusimaa Regional Fund, the City of Vienna Department for Cultural Affairs (MA7), Austrian Ministry for Education, the Arts and Culture (BMUKK), Austrian Federal Chancellery (BKA), Austrian Cultural Forum Bucharest, the Finnish Institute in Germany, Austrian Embassy Helsinki, ESKUS Performance Center Helsinki, City of Helsinki Cultural Office, ASFINAG (Austrian federal agency for motorways and expressways), and the European Union Youth Program.
Joonas’s research work has been endorsed by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, The National Doctoral Program of Music, Theatre and Dance in Finland, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, and University of Helsinki Celebration Fund.
Selected performance videos on vimeo:
https://vimeo.com/lahtinenstransky
Timeline of artistic projects:
out there (with Miriam Laussegger)
2019 Altes Landgut U1/Verteilerkreis Favoriten, Vienna, commissioned by the SHIFT funding programme, City of Vienna
R.I.P. SERVICES
2019 WUK performing arts at KEX Kunsthalle Exnergasse, Vienna
2016 URB 16 Festival, Kiasma Theatre/Finnish National Gallery
What’s your Take on Mad House?
2017 Mad House Helsinki Season 4
EIN.KÜCHEN.BAU
2016 SOHO in Ottakring Festival, Vienna
2013 STAGE Helsinki Theatre Festival
2012-2013 Freischwimmer-festival: Berlin, Vienna, Zurich, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Hamburg
I BLAME YOU, TONY BLAIR!
2016 Kiasma Theatre/Finnish National Gallery
2014 imagetanz 2014 festival/brut Wien
YOYO – You are On Your Own
2015 HomeFest festival, Bucharest
2015 brut Wien, Vienna
2014 URB 14 festival/Kiasma Theatre, Helsinki
Wie Stehen Sie zum brut?
2015 Soweit so brut festival, brut Wien, Vienna
Love! Inspiration! Innovation!
2011 Post Museum, Helsinki
Private Games
2010 Underground City XXI Festival, Vienna
trackings
2010 Lust Gallery, Vienna
2010 Underground City XXI Festival, Vienna
2010 Labfactory, Vienna
2010 Café Aaltopelti (Suvilahti), Helsinki
2010 Leppävaaran raittikarnevaali festival, Espoo
2009 MAy Festival/QMUL, London
Neuroosi – elon rytmi sekaisin
2006 Taiteen vaihtolava, Helsinki
HÄN-triptyykki
2005 Käytetty sukupuoli – Used Gender minifestival, Kahvila Soihtu, Helsinki
Photo: Luzie Stransky
