The Pier ~ An Amphibious Dance Vessel
The Pier is an amphibious, choreographic and sculptural object. It both floats on the natural waters outdoors, as well as stands with wooden legs on solid ground in the human-built environments. The modular design makes it portable and allows for various configurations and positions in relation to its surroundings.
Artist-researcher Veli Lehtovaara uses the pier as a tool for choreographic field work and environmentally oriented dance practice on the bodies of water. It affords the sensing and moving bodies immediate access to the different spheres of the environment – water, air and land. It can also take off from the shore and drift on the water's surface as a dance research vessel.
In an architectural setting the pier works as an inhabitable choreographic installation. It contains engravings (text), auditive scores (speech) and immersive sensory stimuli (light, sound, vibration). The pier is used as a place for coming together and sharing artistic research in different modes, from performative gestures to participatory practices and facilitated conversations.
The Pier is the second examined artistic part of Lehtovaara´s doctoral research project at the University of the Arts Helsinki. The title of the project: Nature Untitled | Ecological Poetics in Dance and Choreographic Writing. The objective of the research is to cultivate embodied ecological awareness through the poetic practice of dance and choreography in relation to specific environments and their physical circumstances. Lehtovaara is particularly interested in developing choreographic writing / speech as an environmentally oriented artistic research method.
Lehtovaara works with the pier as his studio on Lake Päijänne, Central-Finland in July and on Hyrynsalmi, Kainuu region in August. The pier is open to the public at specific times and there will be a facilitated program. The installation built upon the documentation of the field work will be exhibited Oct 30th – Nov 18th in the Academy of Fine Arts and in the program of the Moving in November festival Nov 5th – 15th. The research-creation includes live/performative events, which will be announced at a later date. Events will be co-organized together with Moving in November and Theater Academy.
The work is produced by Entirely Moved | Kaikki Liikkuu and co-produced by Theater Academy, and financially supported by the City of Helsinki, Finnish Arts and Culture Agency, Research Institute of the University of the Arts Helsinki. Residencies: Bioart Society / Ars Bioarctica – Kilpisjärvi Biological Station / University of Helsinki and Mustarinda residency at Hyrynsalmi.
More info ~ the installation and events at MOVING IN NOVEMBER FESTIVAL
Credits
Research, choreography, concept and design | Veli Lehtovaara
Sound | Jani Hietanen
Light | Jani-Matti Salo
Kantele (music) | Pauliina Syrjälä
Production | Lisa Kalkowski & Entirely Moved | Kaikki Liikkuu
Texts | Veli Lehtovaara, if not mentioned otherwise
Woodwork | Saku Koistinen, Veli Lehtovaara
Metalwork | Jussi Niemelä
Technical drawings | Juho Lindström, Heikki Rosti (1st version)
Collaborators | Moving in November festival, University of the Arts Helsinki, Theater Academy and Research Institute (6th Research Pavilion, Idiorrhythmic Imaginaries exhibition)
Support | Finnish Arts and Culture Agency, Research Institute of the University of the Arts Helsinki
Residencies | Bioart Society / Ars Bioarctica – Kilpisjärvi Biological Station / University of Helsinki and Mustarinda residency at Hyrynsalmi
