Minna Tarkka Lectures 2024

December 2–5, 2024

Participants
Tellervo Kalleinen & Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen Julia Nisperos & Wax Roldan from Green Papaya Art Projects | Trevor Paglen | 

Workshops
December 2–5, 2024 Aalto University, Museum of Impossible Forms, online | Registration required |

Public Lectures 
December 3, 2024  | 2 pm – 5.30 pm (EET) HAM, also streamed on M-Cult’s YouTube channel | No registration required |

 

On A gray background text: 2-5.12.2024 Minna Tarkka Lectures. On the bottom, M-Cult's logo.

 

M-Cult is pleased to launch the inaugural edition of the Minna Tarkka Lectures, a new annual initiative focused on discussing and debating the potential of art, media, and technology to participate in and shape current and future democratic societies. These yearly lectures and workshops will celebrate the legacy of M-Cult’s founder and long-time director, Minna Tarkka, honouring her groundbreaking work in Finland and internationally in the fields of media and art and their intersections with social, political, and technological developments over the past 30 years.

For the first edition, M-Cult has invited artists Tellervo Kalleinen & Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen, artist Trevor Paglen and artists Julia Nisperos and Wax Roldan from Green Papaya Art Projects to deliver lectures at the HAM Helsinki Art Museum. In addition to these public events, the speakers lead workshops where they will share their working methods and research processes with local artists and other practitioners over cross-disciplinary fields of media and participatory art, activism, and critical research. These workshops are hosted by M-Cult and organised in collaboration with Aalto University and the Museum of Impossible Forms.

M-Cult is developing the Minna Tarkka Lectures as an experimental public forum and learning initiative to showcase critical activities in the arts—facilitating debates on the artistic, social, and technological urgencies of our time. This initiative creates a platform to underscore the roles of art and media as active contributors to civil society amid severe challenges to democratic life. Through this programme, we invite you to join us in reflecting what kinds of media art and participatory practices are meaningful now and in the future.

All events are free and conducted in English. You’ll find accessibility information below. 
Please note that registration before November 27 is required for workshops. 


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Public Lectures
December 3, 2024  / 2 pm  5.30 pm (EET) / HAM 


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A person stands on a stage in front of a large wall made of stacked blocks, each labeled with different cognitive biases such as "Dunning-Kruger Effect," "Impostor Syndrome," and "Hindsight Bias." The person is holding a block labeled "Illusion of Transparency." A screen to the right displays the word "BIASED" in bold red letters. The scene is lit with green and orange lights, creating a dramatic atmosphere, with plants and stage curtains visible in the background.

2.15 pm - 3.15 pm
Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen: 
Confessions of a Participatory Artist 
 

In this confessional lecture, Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen ask why participatory art remains relevant today. An artist who involves people in the creative process needs a unique palette of tools, as many small decisions influence the dynamics with the participants. In their lecture, Tellervo and Oliver will shed light on their chosen approaches, openly acknowledging what they have learned through their mistakes as well. 

Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen work across many mediums from cinema to performance and interactive art forms. They share a deep interest in questions of participation, dialogue and storytelling. 

 

A casual outdoor gathering at night, featuring a group of seven people chatting and laughing under a green canopy. They are dressed in relaxed attire, with some seated and others standing near a parked vehicle. A fence and some greenery are visible in the background, creating an informal, friendly atmosphere.

3.20 pm - 4.20 pm
Julia Nisperos and Wax Roldan (Green Papaya Art Projects):
Artist Collective Practices in the Philippines

In their lecture "Artist Collective Practices in the Philippines," Julia Nisperos and Wax Roldan explore the history of Green Papaya Art Projects from the perspective of engaged observers. They examine Green Papaya’s community-driven practices and its influence on the broader art scene in the Philippines. Nisperos and Roldan will share insights from their experiences within collectives, connecting past and present to reflect on how these observations shape their approaches to collective work.

Green Papaya Art Projects (GPAP) is an independent, artist-run space in Metro Manila, Philippines, founded in 2000. It has continued its activities despite the fire that destroyed its physical location, along with artworks and historical documentation of the initiative. 

 

a black-and-white portrait of a bold white-skinned person with a thoughtful expression, closely cropped, wearing a dark top. Photo is on graphic gray background.

4.30 pm - 5.30 pm
Trevor Paglen:
You've Just Been F*cked by PSYOPS

"You’ve Just Been F*cked by PSYOPS” is a lecture-performance by Trevor Paglen. As AI-generated content, social media influence operations, micro-targeted advertising, and pervasive surveillance shape the visual culture around us, we find ourselves in an era of PSYOP capitalism — an age defined by manipulative influences designed to alter our perceptions, senses, and beliefs. This talk explores the history of covert military, intelligence, and technology programs that have laid the foundation for our increasingly surreal present.

Trevor Paglen is an artist whose work spans image-making, sculpture, investigative journalism, writing, engineering, and numerous other disciplines.

 

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Location of all the public lectures: HAM
Eteläinen Rautatiekatu 8, 00100 Helsinki
Public lectures are also streamed on M-Cult’s YouTube channel.
Closed captioning will be available on the live stream.

Accessibility

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Workshops 

Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen:
Patterns of Participation
December 2–4, 2024 / Aalto University / 4 sessions

In this practice-oriented workshop, Tellervo and Oliver will share their insights and experiences of working with participatory art, from creating a concept to designing the process to clarifying the relationship between artists and participants and much more. They will also openly reflect on the risks and pitfalls of this approach. 

The workshop is modular and contains 4 blocks: it is highly recommended to sign up for all 4 sessions! It will allow workshop attendees to develop their own participatory art projects and reflect on and resolve key issues. It is nevertheless also possible to attend only one or a few sessions. 

Schedule:

Session 1 - Creating a Great Participatory Process
Monday, December 2, 2024, 9.30 am – 12.30 pm

  • In this session, we will examine the main stages of a participatory process. Workshop attendees will have a chance to generate an initial idea for an artwork they can develop over the four sessions.
     

Session 2 - Finding Participants and Writing an Inspiring Invitation
Monday, December 2, 2024, 1.30 pm – 4.30 pm

  • Participatory art without participants is difficult. Creating an enticing invitation is a very important step in the process.
     

Session 3 - Making Good Group Decisions and Defining the Roles of Everyone
Wednesday, December 4, 2024, 9.30 am – 12.30 pm

  • In order to avoid "fake" participation, it is good to define which decisions participants can make, which are made by the artists, and how decision-making is done. Beyond the primary participants, many other actors need to be considered.
     

Session 4 - Outcomes, Benefits, and Pitfalls
Wednesday, December 4, 2024, 1.30 pm – 4.30 pm

  • How to share the results of a participatory process with others, who were not involved? Is this form of art still relevant today? What are some traps a practitioner should avoid?
     

Location
Aalto University
Experimental Studio 1 (Room 3430, 3rd floor), Marsio Building, Otakaari 2, 02150 Espoo

Accessibility information:
The building is located approximately 150 meters from the Aalto University metro station. The closest accessible parking is available approximately 20 meters from the main entrance (Otakaari 1). The space is accessible with a wheelchair and there is an elevator available to the 3rd floor. There is an accessible toilet on the same floor as the workshop location. The studio needs Aalto University keycard access. Please ask the personnel working at the front desk of the Marsio building to come open the door for you if you are not a student or faculty member of Aalto.


Julia Nisperos and Wax Roldan (Green Papaya Art Projects):
Luto, Tambay, Chismis (Cook, Hangout, and Gossip)
December 4, 2024, 4 pm 8 pm / Museum of Impossible Forms / 1 session

In many cultures, eating and preparing food together is an important ritual to be shared with friends, loved ones, and family. In the Philippines this ritual is just as important in forming bonds and a sense of community within our spaces. For “Luto, Tambay, Chismis” we ask participants to hangout, prepare or bring a dish to share, and join us in discussing our experiences, and practices working within art collectives. 

Through this collective eating and getting to know each other, everyone will have a chance to share their own collective practices. Wax and Julia will also share important practices, and insights on their experiences being in a collective. 
 

Location:
Museum of Impossible Forms
Aallonhalkoja 9 L1, 00540, Helsinki – FI

Accessibility information:
Location is 900m (10min walk) from Kalasatama Metro Station in the direction of Sompasaari. The nearest bus stop serves line No. 52 from Redi Itäväylä and leaves you 80m from our door. The space is at ground level. It is free from accessibility thresholds and has an accessible toilet.

 

Trevor Paglen: Neural Visions 
December 5, 2024, 5 pm  6.30 pm / Online / 1 session

In Trevor Paglen's workshop, we will go over the history of neuroscience experiments that gave rise to the theory of visual perception underlying contemporary AI and computer vision systems. We’ll discuss the theory of visual perception, its strengths and shortcomings, and discuss its implications for technology, visual culture, and everyday life.

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Registration form

Registration to the workshops closes 27th of November.

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About the participants

Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen

Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen work across many mediums, such as cinema, performance, games and interactive art. They share a deep interest in questions of participation, dialogue and storytelling. 

Their collaboration started in 2003 as the co-organizers of the First Summit of Micronations. They became internationally known as the founders of the International Complaints Choir project. Their participatory cinema projects include Archipelago Science Fiction, End Scenes of Disaster Movies, and People in White. The duo was awarded with the AVEK Media Art Award (2012) and the Ars Fennica Award (2014). In addition to their work as a duo, they are founding members of The Speech Karaoke Action Group (2010-) and YKON (2004–2018).

http://studiokalleinen.net/
@studiokalleinen

 

Julia Nisperos and Wax Roldan

Julia Nisperos is a member of the Green Papaya Collective since 2022. She is currently pursuing a BFA in Creative Writing at Ateneo de Manila University, with a focus on Philippine playwriting. Julia is also a resident in Berlin, invited by the DAAD to participate in a residency program. Her work explores Philippine literature, culture, and community, with a particular interest in the dynamics of local storytelling and its relevance in contemporary contexts.
 

Wax Roldan is a musician, producer, and multimedia studies student at the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU). His love for music and community lead him to be one of the Founders of Don't Tell Nanay, an artist collective dedicated to fostering community growth and fearless artistic creation, championing a culture of bold experimentation and collaboration. Currently an artist-in-residence with Green Papaya under the DAAD Berlin Kunstler program, Wax explores collective art practices and cross-disciplinary dialogues within the creative community.

Green Papaya Art Project on Asia Art Archive
@greenpapayaartprojects

 

Trevor Paglen

Trevor Paglen is an artist whose work spans image-making, sculpture, investigative journalism, writing, engineering, and numerous other disciplines exploring themes like state secrecy, data collection and artificial intelligence.

Some of his best known works include launching an artwork into distant orbit around Earth in collaboration with Creative Time and MIT, as well as contributing research and cinematography to the Academy Award-winning film Citizenfour, and creating a radioactive public sculpture for the exclusion zone in Fukushima, Japan. He is the author of several books and articles.

Trevor Paglen’s work has been exhibited in numerous venues, including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Tate Modern. He is MacArthur Fellow (2017) and Deutsche Börse Photography Prize winner (2016).

https://paglen.studio/
@trevorpaglen


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Workshops in collaboration with

HAM logo

HAM 
https://www.hamhelsinki.fi/
@hamhelsinki

Aalto Arts University logo

Aalto University
https://www.aalto.fi/fi
@aaltoarts
 

MIF logo

Museum of Impossible Forms
https://www.museumofimpossibleforms.org/
@museumofimpossibleforms
 

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Minna Tarkka

Minna Tarkka (1960–2023) was the founder and director of M-Cult. She had extensive experience as a critic, educator, producer, and curator of media art. Minna was establishing the first Finnish university curricula related to media art and she was one of the founding members of MUU Artists’ Association and AV-arkki, the Centre for Finnish Media Art. In 2017, Minna Tarkka received the State Prize for Media Art for her pioneering contributions.



Images:

1. Tellervo Kalleinen, Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen, Anna-Mari Karvonen: Biased, 2022. Interactive performance. Photo by Darina Rodionova.

2. Green Papaya Art Projects, photographic documentation of '#Ferdzraiser' event at Green Papaya Art Projects, 2017.  Courtesy of the Green Papaya Art Projects, Photo by Mm Yu.

3. Trevor Paglen Portrait, Photo by Axel Dupeux, Courtesy of the Artist and Pace Gallery.