Muuta / Other things

Nicosfääri / The Nicosphere

Installaatio yhdessä Merja Kokkosen kanssa
Installation, with Merja Kokkonen
2015

Nicosfääri / The Nicosphere

Installaatio yhdessä Merja Kokkosen kanssa
Amos Andersonin taidemuseo
”Pyhän Teresan hurmio” 21.8.–26.10.2015

Installation, with Merja Kokkonen
Amos Anderson art museum
”The Ecstacy of Saint Teresa”, 21st August to 26th October, 2015

Nicosfääri oli tilaan rakennettu installaatio, jonka elementtejä olivat ääni, teksti, camera obscura, ikoni ja kiinnittämätön eli ajan kuluessa katoava lumen-vedos.

Teksti julkaistiin vihkosena, jonka kävijä sai ottaa mukaansa tilasta ja lukea myöhemmin.

Ääni oli Merja Kokkosen (Islaja) tulkinta Nicon laulusta No One Is There (1968). Viisikanavainen ääni oli sovitettu tilaan. Siitä tehtiin myös stereomiksaus, joka julkaistiin 50 kappaleen numeroituna omakustanne-CD-R:nä.

Teos oli osa Amos Andersonin taidemuseon ”Pyhän Teresan hurmio” -ryhmänäyttelyä.

 

“The Nicosphere” was a meditation–tribute–deconstruction of Nico (1938–1988) in the form of an installation, in a visual arts context. It consisted primarily of music (by Merja Kokkonen) and an essay (by Antti Nylén). The installation additionally featured a ‘lumen print’ – unfixed and thus destined to gradually disappear over time – an icon of ‘Mater Dolorosa’, a number of thin beeswax votive candles, and a camera obscura.

“The Nicosphere” was installed at the Amos Anderson art museum in Helsinki, in autumn 2015, as a part of group exhibition centred on the spirituality of St. Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582).

Nico was an artist who worked in a scene heavily dominated by men, just as Teresa had been part of the patriarchal structure of the Church. Not given proper a space of their own, the women created it for themselves – Teresa in her own spirituality and mysticism and Nico with her own musical space – “The Nicosphere”, as we call it – a radically independent, unclassifiable, still largely unacknowledged artistic vision within the context of ‘popular’ music in the 20th century.

The installation was a humble attempt to set the record straight.

We produced a self-published CD-R edition of the music used in the installation. It contains a rough stereo mix of the original 5.1 surround sound, which was mixed on site by sound engineer Jasmine Guffond. The edition was limited to 50 copies.

Nicosfääri-video / The video

Musiikki / Music Islaja
Ohjaus / Directed by Merja Kokkonen & Antti Nylén
Kuvaus / Camera Antti Nylén
Leikkaus / Editing Mika Taanila
2016

Talvella 2015–2016 teimme kappaleeseen Islaja-videon, joka kuvattiin Super8-filmeille.

In the winter 2015/2016 we a made an Islaja video (shot on Super 8 mm film) for the music that was used in the installation.

 

  • Self-published CD-R. Edition of 50. We still have some copies left. If you want to buy one (15 €), contact me.

  • Production still, making of the video. October 2015.

  • Ptroduction still, making of the video. Slightly solarized silver gelatin print. October 2015.

  • DVD edition of the video, in a sleeve.

  • The installation, August 2015.

  • The Nicosphere installation. Fading photograph of Nico above the organ keyboard.

  • Hidden in the camera obscura hole was this negative image of a 'Mater dolorosa' icon. The actual icon was also present at the installation.

  • Cyanotype reproduction of a Nico promotion portrait from the 80s, originally by P.L. Noble. This image was used on the cover of the text booklet.

  • Nico's grave, summer 2012. Taken with a leaking Lubitel.