Milka Luhtaniemi | Buoyancy

30.9.–3.10.2021

Buoyancy 

I’ve had an obsession with the words metaverse and multiverse. 

Meta is a suffix used in Greek, meaning after or beyond. 

Multi is from the Latin word multus, meaning much or many. 

And of course, the Latin word versus means to turn.  

This is a spatial poem: this is a poetic installation and a performance made from gestures derived from body and language. The work deals with the experience of living in the times of climate crisis, by means of using drifting as a metaphor and method: a drifting raft and a body bound by mingling temporalities.  

The installation includes a text print and an audio piece which can be listened to with headphones. There is a sunset hue created by lights and a carpet covering the floor, inviting the visitor to walk and experience the space: to read, to listen and to spend time. 

The text is composed of essayistic and aphoristic parts. The work deals with the climate crisis as a crisis that challenges the question of inhabiting time and having meaning: it forms double binds out of meanings that are true and untrue at the same time – buoyant meanings. 

Opening dates for the installation  

30 Sep – 3 Oct 

Performances will be held on 

Thu 30 Sep at 6pm 

Fri 1 Oct at 6pm 

The performance is in Finnish, there is an English translation available in the space. 

There’s no entry fee. Duration of the performance is 40 minutes. 

Milka Luhtaniemi (b.1992, based in Helsinki) is a poet, dramaturg and performance maker who works cross-disciplinary in the fields of literature, performing arts and visual arts. She graduated from the Theatre Academy in 2020 from MA in contemporary dramaturgy. Her debut book of poetry Kirnu (“Churn”) came out in February 2021 published by Gummerus and it has been well received. Luhtaniemi utilizes poetry and poetic logic and tone in multiple different ways in performances, experimental video and sound works and installations. Her works have been shown in Oksasenkatu 11, Forum Box, Galerie Anhava, B-galleria, Exhibition Laboratory, Third Space -gallery and Mad House. She often works in collaborations and different working groups, but she also makes cross-disciplinary works for the experimental field. 

Thanks to Arts Promotion Centre, Mustarinda residency, Esitystaiteen Keskus and HIAP summer residency.