Avatar Influence Game

Avatar Influence Game is a game format by Tellervo and Oliver Kalleinen to experiment with new ways of local influencing.

Via an open call, the artists invited three peer groups from Maunula, each with an issue they hope to advocate in the neighbourhood. To advance their agenda, each team received an avatar helper played by a professional actor. The collaboration with the avatar kicked off at a workshop where also the tactics of the intervention were developed.

The process culminated in three game events over a week in early June. From the 'game centre' established at Maunula House, the teams conducted the avatars to make interventions in public spaces. Equipped with mobile cameras and headphones, the avatars received instructions from the team who followed the actions in real time on screens at the game centre. Audiences could participate in the interventions at the game centre as well as on local streets and parks.

The groups and their agendas:

Maunula saves the world wanted to influence the carbon footprint of the neighbourhood.

Team Safety Shoe addressed the feeling of safety, both in terms of traffic and socially.

The Clean Maunula group's main target was to fight litter on the streets, especiallly dog poo.

The aim of the artists was to create a fun, collective format to influence developments in the neighbourhood – while discussing the ethics of online and offline worlds. To the participating teams and actors, the experiment also made visible many other issues such as the power and means of influencing and the limits of privacy in public space.

Avatar-vaikuttamispeli
Tellervo & Oliver Kalleinen

Game groups
Seija Helen
Kalevi Kaivola
Jyrki Kallius
Hannu Kurki
Pirjo Kääriäinen
Veijo Lappalainen
Eino Rantala
Simo Sankari
Sakari Topi

Avatar actors
Max Bremer
Niina Sillanpää
Outi Vuoriranta

Game Jokers
Iina Taijonlahti
Iina Ukkola

Thanks to
Aku Meriläinen
Maunula House
Saunabaari Community Centre

The project with Tellervo and Oliver Kalleinen was co-produced by m-cult in May-June 2018 in context of the Collaborative Arts Partnership Programme, supported by the Creative Europe programme.