My background

Equality, equity, sustainability, patience,
courage, love and empathy

I’m a visual artist, graduated from the Kankaanpää Art Academy in Finland (BA), who majored in performance and live art. I live and work in Iniö, on a secluded island in the Southwestern archipelago of Finland. I speak Finnish, Swedish and English on a daily basis both in work and private life.

I’m multidisciplinary in the way that I make video, audio and conceptual work in addition to performances, but also installations, texts and lectures/workshops. For me it’s just different forms of performance art.

I recently worked as a performance art consultant/spokesperson for the ministry of culture. This 5-year job is titled läänintaiteilija/länskonstnär/regional artist. The aim is to strengthen the position of a specific art form at a time. In this job I learned a lot about the domestic and international scene. Accessibility in performance art is one of the main interest points that stuck with me and that I want to develop further.

Another important interest is artists helping each other, sparring each other and growing together. I’ve produced/realised various projects about this co-learning and co-working both as a free artist and as a state official, but I also participate in them whenever possible!

I have a feminist and low carbon practise where I try to work in the most sustainable way that I can. I think about sustainability towards the planet and my surroundings but also in relation to my own well being. As one aspect of these sustainability efforts I try to travel by train whenever possible, travel less in general and stay for longer periods of time. For these reasons I really love the idea of coming to Munich, it’s a long enough stay to make a real impact to both my work and maybe to my surroundings in the Villa but it’s also reachable without air travel.

One of the biggest challenges in my practise right now but also one of the most intriguing questions in it is, how to have an international art career while reducing the carbon footprint of my work. This is what I investigate now parallel to the thematics that are important to me: Equality, equity, sustainability, patience, courage, love and empathy.

CV

Performance artist – Producer – Journalist

Born 18/09/1984 in Helsinki, Finland.

Graduated from the performance study program of Kankaanpää art school in Finland.

Lives and works in Finland. Speaks Finnish, English, Swedish and German.

Understands Portuguese and Spanish. Knows how to drive a tractor.

On-going processes

2020-22 Stand up tragedy

A collaboration with the circus artist Milla Jarko

12/2019- Lopullinen tarina

A collaboration between Horonkäristys,

Miko Kivinen and Terhi Hartikainen

2020-> Opastettu Kierros

An audio project about art with Tiia-Mari Kolibri

ART WORK

Past Solo Performances and video work

09/2021 Chance favors the prepared mind

A discursive walking expedition to the city of Turku through the eyes of a survivalist. A collaboration with the future studies researcher Marjukka Parkkinen. A part of New Performance Turku Festival’s programme.

Around Manilla, Martti and Samppalinna area in Turku.

Duration: 90 minutes

08/2021 I steer, you pedal

A performance lecture about performance art, the work of an artist and the occurrence of many artists working together. A part of FinDe Tandems festival’s programme

Kulturkloster, Horb am Neckar, Germany

Duration: 45 minutes

09/2019 Kuva näkymättömästä tapauksesta

An accessible performance for the accessibility seminar of Regional State Administrative Agency

of Southern Finland.

Scandic Hotel, Tampere, Finland

Duration: 20 minutes

07/2018 Miten raukkamaisesti onnen anti täällä jaetaan

Part of “Mitä itää?”-exhibition where the works were made by Finnish professional artists and asylum seekers. Poriginal-Gallery, Pori, Finland.

Duration: 30 minutes

03/2017 Marloesille

Guided tour to a relationship-cave

Das Kluppe läsnäolopakko performance art event, at Titanic-Gallery, Turku, Finland.

Duration: 20 minutes

07/2014 Vastaanotto

Part of the “Mukana liikkeessä” workers union

happening at the Suomi Areena discussion forum

Pori market square, Finland. Duration: 2 hours

06/2014 Avajaisiin asti

A performative procession to a dream.

Marjukan Uni exhibition, Helsinki, Finland.

Duration: 20 minutes

12/2013 Cortejo de Casamentos

A folkloristic autobiographical

wedding feast performance in

Évora, Portugal. Duration: 20 minutes

12/2013 Pu$$y inspired by Kittens, performance

A dialogue between live movement

and a video piece in Évora, Portugal.

Duration: 6 minutes

*12/2013 Pu$$y inspired by Kittens**, video*

A physical and videographical study

of the addictive in cat videos. 4:02

12/2013 Essência, video

A photography study. 2:42

7/2013 Aino-Maria Myllykosken totuudet 3

(En olisi ikinä uskonut eläväni 90-vuotiaaksi)

A diary performance dedicated to an

extraordinary woman’s legacy.

Pori, Finland. Duration: 60 minutes

5/2013 Tulevaisuusbingo

Predicting the future for Kankaanpää art School.

Galleria 3h+k, Pori, Finland.

Duration: 45 minutes

5/2013 Aino-Maria Myllykosken totuudet 2

A demonstration of the life of an extaordinary woman. Kankaanpää, Finland. Duration: 5 minutes

1/2013 Aino-Maria Myllykosken totuudet 1

A dive into the day to day routines of an extraordinary woman growing old. Duration: 20 minutes

8-9/2012 Naamiaiset

Two make up doll performances with help from Tiia-Mari Kolibri and Veera Kurvinen.

Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki and Kankaanpää

health center, Finland Durations: 4 & 5 hours

10/2012 Vko 45

A notebook performance. Photographical

analysis of a week in my life. Exists only in

a black notebook and mairekoo.wix.com/mairekoo

4/2014 Tervetuloa!

Welcoming performance at

the Finntastic evening party reception

at the Finnish culture institute of

Stockholm, Sweden. Duration: 60 minutes

4/2012 Feel Good Chair

A relaxation service for tired artists

at the Performance Art Links festival

in Stockholm, Sweden. Duration: 2 hours

1/2012 Anti-Stress Treatment

Self help recipe and instructions for coping

with everyday life. Kankaanpää Art School, Finland.

Duration: 10 minutes

1/2012 Losing Krista

A farewell to love. With help from Enma.

Kankaanpää art school, Finland. Duration: 10 minutes

1/2012 Onion Church

Living statue. Kankaanpää Art School, Finland.

Duration: 20 minutes

11/2011 Musta tuntuu, että meidän pitäis puhua.

An attempt for confrontation. 8:23

Exhibitions and screenings

6-08/2014 Käsitekesä, Kokemäki, Finland

Merta Edemmäs, An interactive sculpture

for finding happiness. Displayed at an

environmental conceptual art exhibition

04/2014 Yliveto, Jyväskylä, Finland

The impression project at the exhibition of

the graduating class 2014 of SAMK

Jyväskylä museum of contemporary art.

12/2013 Feira Morta, Lisbon, Portugal

Screening of “Pu$$y inspired by Kittens”, and

“Musta tuntuu, että meidän pitäis puhua.”

1/2013 Clip, Pori, Finland

Screening of “Musta tuntuu, että…”

12/2011 Porin juhlaviikot, Pori, Finland

Installation and premier of

“Musta tuntuu, että meidän pitäis puhua.”

05/2011 Liminka Art School spring exhibition

Printwork, paintings and sculptures

at a group exhibition

Art collaborations

12/2019 Kokkelin kullitus

An environmental performative sculpture

in the Kokemäki river area as a part of

the Kokkeli project of the Landscape Studies

degree of the University of Turku.

A collaboration with the painter Mollu Heino.

07/2016 Avaus

Joint performance with Katriina Sjöblom,

Maire Ruotsalainen and Samer Saad.

Noormarkun kuvataiteen päivä,

Galleria Liisa Ekqvist, Noormarkku, Finland.

11/2014 The contemporary state of normal

Duo performance with Ilmari Säävälä.

Devido à chuva a revolução foi adiada,

Plataforma Revolver, Lisbon, Portugal.

Duration: 4 hours

7/2013 Kerroin

Duo performance with Helmi Routavaara.

KylttyyriKörkeäöjä-festival, Kokemäki, Finland. Duration: 20 minutes

5/2013 Hääkulkue

Group performance with the Diverse Universe performance collective, Kankaanpää, Finland. Duration: 60 minutes

4/2012 In Visible

Performance with Anna-Katariina Roos.

PALS festival, Stockholm, Sweden.

Duration: 2 hours

12/2011 Mistä on lumiukot tehty?

An installation with Anna-Katariina Roos.

Porin juhlaviikot, Finland

10/2011 Art car

Art car project with Steve Vanoni and

a group of fellow students

from the Kankaanpää art school.