The Spectre of People

The Spectre of People is a virtual demonstration and participatory art project where a citizen movement is given an immaterial form.

Throughout Spring and Summer 2015, Finland witnessed an exceptional wave of demonstrations as a reaction to the government's cuts affecting especially the children as well as old and disabled citizens.  At the time of the Media Facades festival, on Saturday August 22,  a big demonstration was organized in Helsinki to oppose austerity measures in Finland and globally.  The Spectre of People continued the themes of the protest into the night, as a haunting afterimage projected on haze.

The Spectre of People virtual demonstration, Saturday August 22, 2015, 10 pm – 12 pm, Kiasma facade, Citizen Square, Eero Erkon katu, Helsinki.

Inspiration for the project were recent innovative use of media in activism – especially Madrid’s hologramas por la libertad, where a  projected mass of people demonstrated against a law to restrict demonstration in public space.

The Spectre of People was part of the Night Sites programme of Media Facades Helsinki 2015, where an art project took over a new venue each night. It was realised by a collaborative Media Facades Helsinki team - Minna Tarkka, Kaisa Kukkonen, Severi Glanville, Jouni Piekkari, Otso Pakarinen, Saija Salonen, Marko Saarelainen and participating protesters.