Pipoca (Paola De Ramos) was born in Curitiba, Brazil in 1986. Pipoca creates performance and installation to stimulate body sensation and perception, challenging peoples’ notion of their private and public psychological space. Most of her work is charged with intense colours, complex combinations of different materials and with a pitch of sour humour.
Parsa Kamehkhosh is a Helsinki based designer, visual and performance artist, born in Tehran in 1985. Through his practice, he explores the notion of aesthetic aura that appears from the proximity, juxtaposition and joints of materials and shapes.
Niko Skorpio is a transdisciplinary artist, researcher and educator based in Finland. Through his works Niko Skorpio explores various forgotten, abandoned, obscure and secluded areas in culture, nature and the psyche. Niko Skorpio holds an MA in Visual Culture and Contemporary Art from Aalto University, Helsinki.
My name is Melanie Popp and I am an art teacher currently caring for my two children full time. Though I am out of the traditional classroom setting for now, you can’t take the art teacher out of me! I’ve been creating opportunities for process based art play for my children since before they could wield paintbrushes.
The Finding of Hän1 is an original puppet theater production that explores the inherent duality of human nature and imagines the lifespan of an ancient object. Themes and characters are drawn from coastal cultures and stories from around the world.
Script: Paola de Ramos, M. Hasnan Habib, Parsa Kamehkhosh, Niko Skorpio, Melanie Popp
Puppets: Paola de Ramos, M. Hasnan Habib, Parsa Kamehkhosh, Niko Skorpio, Melanie Popp
Stage: Paola de Ramos, M. Hasnan Habib and Parsa Kamehkhosh.
Lighting: Paola de Ramos, M. Hasnan Habib
Narrator: Melanie Popp
Sound: Maria Mar, Elias Kismet Poutanen
Camera: Jakub Bobrowski
Video Editing: Uzair Amjad
Melanie Popp, The Finding of Hän, 2020, relief print on rice paper
Melanie Popp, The Finding of Hän, 2020, relief print on rice paper
I am fascinated by memories from my childhood in the ’90s. I remember that there were posters around Finland back then (and later on), attached to various places by some religious groups. The posters said in bold capital letters “JESUS IS COMING ARE YOU READY” written in Finnish.
READVulnerability is coming
I personally don’t like to be touched so I rarely get my hair done. I wanted to capture that moment of how it feels for me in the first hour of braiding since I can’t quite put it into words. There’s anxiety but also excitement. A feeling of foreignness but also of belonging, warmth and kinship. It’s ordinary and also a special occasion.
READUntitled
I find the topic of artist residencies and friendships very personal and relevant for me as an artist. At any residence, time always seems to run out and eventually, people leave for different roads. The image hints at moments where activities have been interrupted: food is on the table, sketches and supplies are wide open, and the outdoor space flows into the interior.
READFive timeframes, countless companionships
What if nothing doesn’t actually ever get ruined? Or at least not that bad. Maybe it just finished completely different than you thought.
READMitäpä jos (What if)
