Art and Media Research

Fog is a cloud that touches the ground

Exhibition, event

Fog is a cloud that touches the ground is a transdisciplinary event that brings together five curatorial projects presenting work in response to the shared theme of crisis. The projects delve into concepts of legacy, feminist narratives, informational skepticism, numbness and the state of being overwhelmed as a reaction to adversity. With work varying from textile and performing arts to sound and video installation among other media, the event invites you to reflect on your own relationship with divergent forms and representations of crises.

Fog is a cloud that touches the ground exhibition

Fog is a reflection of the present, an acknowledgement of the past, and a projection of the future.

The title presents fog as the central metaphor of the event. It is a fog that suggests the co-existence of multiple dimensions and histories within the same space, the interconnectedness of our world and how actions can ripple through time and space. Each group takes on a different position in relation to this fog: some are centered within it, blinded by myopic vision, while others are looking for alternative perspectives and approaches; lingering between acceptance and reaction. The phenomenon of fog remains a representation of crisis, experienced as a lack of visibility and a single immersive entity, while being made up of multiple moving particles all working across time.

The event is comprised of five projects; We Didn’t Start the Fire, Numb, Ancestral Futures, The Heiress and The United States of Finlandica and is co-curated by Visual Cultures, Curating and Contemporary Art (ViCCA) MA students participating in the Curating from Theory to Practice course.

The Heiress
A game-as-performance directed in real time, The Heiress explores the idea of heritage and the organisation of inheriting as a momentous space of imagination for societies pressed between questions of continuity and transformation.

We Didn't Start the Fire
We Didn't Start the Fire discusses the topic of crisis through the lens of informational deluge and escapism - specifically looking at themes of collective digital immersion and overwhelm as well as personal stories of adversity.

Numb
Numb is a foggy, loud, immersive 45 minute performance that brings together noise artist 111X, choreographer and dance artist Maya Oliva and VJ RÖD MJÖLK.

Ancestral Futures
Ancestral Futures investigates practices of futuring through care, collectivity and intertwined temporalities as a response to crisis, and as an avenue for dreaming and practicing the otherwise. The selected visual artists include Teo Paaer, Gabriella Presnal and Eirini Tiniakou.

United States of Finlandica
A new flag for Finland and a tall borderwall against the neighbouring Russia are part of a thought-provoking artwork by Konsta Klemetti. They explore questions of national identity in crisis, post-truth media discourse and the increased fears that may be often addressed via seemingly grand public gestures but may not have the desired effect or any effect for matter.

^When
^{Thursday 18.5. - Sunday 21.5.}

^Where
^{Vuosaarentie 7, 00980 Helsinki}

^{Opening times}
^{Thu 18:00 - 21:00 (opening)}
^{Fri, Sat 12:00 - 18:00}
^{Sun 12:00 - 16:00}

^{Opening event: Thu 18:00}
^{Numb performance: Thu 20:15}
^{The Heiress performances: Thu 19:00, Fri 17:30, Sat 17:30}