Festival

New Performance Turku Biennale

Coming Together

05.09.2023

› 10.09.2023

Diego Bianchi (AR), Wilhelm Blomberg (FI), gustaf broms (SE), Dash Che (FI/RU/USA), Every house has a door & Essi Kausalainen (USA/FI), Jamal Gerald (UK), Sofi Häkkinen & Miradonna Sirkka / Recover Laboratory (FI), Anastasia (A) Khodyreva (FI), Tuomas Laitinen (FI), Jean Lukkarinen (FI), Jamie MacDonald (CA/FI), Sajan Mani (IN/GE), Ana Matey & Isabel León / EXCHANGE LIVE ART (SP), Moe Mustafa (JO/PS/FI), Joanna Rajkowska (PL/UK), Stefanía Ólafsdóttir (IS/FI), Lotta Petronella & Gabriela Ariana (FI/CH/FI), Mark Požlep (SL/BE), Suvi Tuominen (FI), May-Britt Öhman & Eva Charlotta Helsdotter (SE), Sindri Runudde (SE), Tuuli Vahtola & Iida Hägglund (FI), Yasen Vasilev (BU). 

Performance art essentially exists in the encounter, tension and friction of people, actions, places, and communities. In the time of crisis, polarization and uncertainties, coming together is a way to decrease distance and build new connections. What have we learned in past years from being alienated from each other? How to reactivate a sense of connection with other bodies and other species? The biennale invites to investigate how performance art and other unusual experiences can create spaces for sharing. 

The New Performance Turku Biennale presents works from altogether 20 international artists and artist groups. In addition the biennale program consists of discussions, performance lectures and parties. The performances take place in various venues around the city of Turku: in theaters, museums, galleries, shops, streets, parks and community spaces. 

The biennale program presents meaningful, critical, and playful ways of finding each other. It explores new ways of relating to sites, communities and the city of Turku’s history, dreams, and futures. The acute political and environmental challenges of our contemporary world are in focus of many of the works presented. For the six days in September, the biennale is building a temporary community that shares experiences and time together.