LOOP

A reconstruction of a 1985 performance

In October, the Kiasma Theatre will reconstruct one of the key works of 1980s performance art. Loop, exploring the opportunities of image, space and performance, is a reconstruction of a 1985 Kunsthalle Helsinki performance by the performance group Jack Helen Brut, which consisted of Finnish visual artists, actors, dancers and contemporary composers. This work continues the Theatre’s series of reconstructions, examining the seminal works of the past few decades, which have had a revolutionary effect on the direction of art and later artists.

The beginnings of Finnish performance art have a few interesting, unique traits. Performance art had blossomed in the United States and in Europe as far back as the 70s, but this form of expression only found its way to Finland in the early 80s. Suddenly, numerous groups emerged to create fully original performances which differed in terms of both by their starting points and aims. These performances were put on in to, galleries, downtown locations and a whole variety of places not usually used for performing in.

Homo $ was created among students at the Theatre Academy and aimed at questioning truisms connected with theatre making, and at integrating expressive means from other art forms into performance. The Jack Helen Brut group, on the other hand, comprised mainly students from the Academy of Fine Arts and the University of Industrial Arts, and its objective was to broaden the field of art by producing live performances which explored in a three-dimensional space the conformity of visual art. The Ö Group consisted of artists who shared a concern for the state of nature, among them Roi Vaara, Harri Larjosto, Erkki Pirtola and Jussi Kivi. Through their exhibitions and performances the group criticised conspicuous consumption and the status of money as the key value of life.

The vital role of groups in the early stages of Finnish performance art is a trait which distinguishes it from traditions in other countries, in which artists usually performed as individuals or pairs. These groups formed spontaneously, unaware of each other, and their performances brought new life and phenomena into the field of art after the 70s, which had been strictly controlled both politically and ideologically. The far-left ideology which dominated Finnish cultural life during that decade might have been one reason why collective power in the form of groups was needed to introduce playfulness and anarchy to art.

PHILOSOPHICAL TABLEAUX VIVANTS

The performances by the Jack Helen Brut group were an acclaimed success right from the beginning. At first, the group itself opposed being classified as performance art, and referred to its performances as tableaux vivants. Nowadays one could say that the major works of Jack Helen Brut represented highly polished and refined visual theatre. Photocopy '82, Bonanza '83 and Illumination '84 were almost Baroque-like visually plentiful and decorative works for the stage which paid homage to various eras in world art. The performances also visually explored various angles on philosophy and life views. For instance, Illumination drew parallels between the Buddhist and Western views on life, death and the state after death.

A CONSIDERED COINCIDENCE

Now being reconstructed at the Kiasma Theatre, Loop was part of the later phase of Jack Helen Brut. Having worked and travelled as a closely-knit unit, the group disbanded due to internal differences after it had received the State Art Award in 1985. Risto Heikinheimo founded the new group Helmut Panzer, whereas some former members continued working under the name Jack Helen Brut, with Satu Kiljunen as their director. Both groups participated in the two-week performance event at the Kunsthalle Helsinki in December '85. Loop premiered at the event. Instead of the earlier abundance, the aim now was to explore the conditions of performance through bare elements, in a reduced, minimalistic fashion. The performance was constructed with alternating musical, concert-like and technically varied visual elements. One idea was to strongly manipulate the viewer's perception of space, and another was to also remove all colour, producing an entirely black-and-white performance. The end result however was a highly subtle colour range. Loop was a production which required no rehearsing, as coincidence was allowed to influence events on the stage according to strict rules agreed on beforehand. Amateurism or authentic presence was also of interest to the performers, who asked people who had never been onstage to join in the performance. This will also be done in Kiasma.

Kimmo Takala
The writer is a set designer, expert in theatre studies, and a member of the Jack Helen Brut group.