Helena Aleksandrova & Tia Hassinen: FEARS OR FIERCE?
14.8.2020 – 30.8.2020
Opening hours
tuesday–sunday 13–19
Fears or Fierce? is a feministic horror house taking over Oksasenkatu 11 on 14.8.- 30.8.2020.
Fears or Fierce? focuses on investigating the concept of safety in relation to the gendered experience of fear. Our aim is to approach this painful and difficult theme through our own fears and memories. The media, language, visual culture narratives affect our perception and experience of safety. Yet, the female body is still commonly treated as common property. Female body is still widely being controlled and censored. Deviating from traditional gender roles leads to social punishment. These institutions have their base in the same cultural construction that has treated women and the female body as evil, non-pure, shameful, animalistic and monstrous.
In the gallery space we are experimenting and investigating these blind spots of culture that can not be reached by language. The exhibition changes through-out the exhibition time by performances, acts and choices made by performers, bodies and minds visiting the space. A series of performances and happenings will take place in the evolving “horror house” installation during the 2,5 week time of the exhibition. Dates and times to be announced soon.
The exhibition is realized under the terms of a feminist safe space. The exhibition includes strong references and explicit scenes that may shock sensitive audiences. Please note that we will limit the number of visitors inside the gallery to assure safe distances. There might be a wait to get into the exhibition.
The opening of the exhibition will be held on 13.8.2020 at 18 - 21.00 PM. Performance at 18-19 PM. Drinks for the opening are sponsored by Kyrö Distillery Company and Club Mate.
The finissage of the exhibition is on 30.8.2020 at 18 - 21PM. Performance at 19.30PM.
The exhibition is supported by Arts Promotion Centre Finland.
Warmly welcome!
Tia Hassinen (s.1986) is a Helsinki based artist and director working on intermedia art, film, and performance. Hassinen has a background in high fashion, contemporary art, and theatre directing. She graduated as a Master of Art from Aalto University majoring in Visual Cultures, Curating and Contemporary Art (ViCCA) in June 2020.
Helena Aleksandrova (s. 1992) is a Helsinki based artist and director from St.Petersburg. She works primarily with moving images, performance for camera, and with the camp horror cinema. She received her Master's degree from Aalto University in the program of Visual Culture and Contemporary Art in 2017. In 2019 she was a participant of the Academy of Moving People and Images where she was focusing on deconstructing the genre of giallo.
In collaboration with Jo Hislop, Saku Kämäräinen, Ilona Lehtonen, Ari-Pekka Leinonen, Michelle Orenius, Anna Poleteli, Mariangela Pluchino, Roxana Sadvokassova, Pihla Sudenyö, Ida-Sofia Tuomisto, Vera Kavaleuskaya, Victoria Zolotukhina.
Additional information and press: tia.hassinen@gmail.com and alexandrovayelena@gmail.com