To Use As a Capital
The most important mission that capital has given to itself is expansion. The history of capital is characterized by conquering one chapter after another of new physical areas and species, simultaneously capturing the human body and mind. Capital is constantly aiming for the discovery of new areas, technologies and creatures for its expansion. This expanding is the only thing that keeps capital alive and developing.
After the immaterial economy in a Post-Fordist society, artists and other actors of the art field have become the most efficient and well-suited operators for capital. In the present world capital needs labor to connect meanings to symbols, symbols to events, events to materials and materials to meanings. The artist and the curator are the perfect characters for this job. This puts them at the heart of the contemporary capitalizing process.
Here lies the paradox of present artistic work. Freedom and flexibility to connect meanings and shape the public image of oneself are no longer privileges that put the artist and curator in a position outside regular work. Instead it gives them more power and possibilities to create a counter-capitalizing process or, at the end, to occupy present capitalism.
Supported by Nordic Culture Point and The British Council Exbition is part of the curatorial project Skills of Economy www.skillsofeconomy.com
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Alma Heikkilä (b. 1984) lives and works in both Helsinki and Hyrynsalmi, Finland. Heikkilä's works consist of paintings, installations, videos and photographs. The starting-point for her work is human existence on the planet of growing natural disasters. In her works Heikkilä has visually visited places where human reality happens, connecting them with the era of humans as the greatest force defining the environment. She completed an MFA at the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts in 2009. Her work has been shown in galleries and museums in Finland and other countries. Heikkilä is the co-founder of two artist run projects Oksasenkatu 11 and Mustarinda.
www.almaheikkila.net
Saara-Maria Kariranta is a Helsinki-based sculptor (b.1974). She graduated with an MFA from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts in 2012. Kariranta combines traditional sculptural techniques with contemporary technology, often in combination with everyday objects that are found around us.In her recent work Kariranta examines human practices as a part of society. Even though her art addresses global social questions, she does not approach these issues empirically, but rather with liberty to create narrative between information that is being created by media and research-based science.
www.kariranta.com
Iain Griffin (b. 1989) is a visual artist currently based in Belfast. He graduated with First Class Honours in Sculpture from the National College of Art and Design Dublin in 2011. Iain has exhibited in exhibitions including trueprod2k11, PS Squared, Belfast (2012) and Alternative Histories, Ulster Hall, Belfast (2013).
Iain’s practice uses relational situations to assess commitment and to what extent it is undermined by apathy, both in a personal and societal context. In refutation of practices in which the artist decrees (what they consider to be) a truth through visual art, Iain’s practice dissects the act of expressing truth. This has taken multiple forms including hiring an Asian man to attend a protest on his behalf, hiring a tribute band to tribute another tribute band, renting out his Art College tutor, selling his best friend on the internet and creating a stage play script composed of YouTube threads.
www.cargocollective.com/iaingriffin
Jussi Koitela (b.1981) is a curator and visual artist based in Helsinki, Finland. As a curator he is currently focused to artist’s reactions to economical discourses. His artistic work is to conceptual media art and collaboration projects. He is interested in social discourses and the settings where they are realized. Recently he has participated Perpetuum Lap – Curating the Political Workshop in Baltic Art Center and Manifesta Coffee Break at St.Petersburg, curated Skills of Economy Event at Finish Academy of Fine Arts. He has participated recently to many public discussions and debates about art, economy and institutions.
www.jussikoitela.com
