Platform is part of Regnbågshelgen 26.11 @Malakta
See you there!
Platform r.f. Posts
Come have a free bowl of soup and listen to the Artist Talk of Platform’s newest artist-in-residence Katharine Meeding (South Africa).
From 19.30 we are serving soup and at 20.00 the Artist Talk will start!
Vegan-Friendly Soup!
Kyrkoesplanaden 20 D
Welcome!
Optional assignment by the artist:
‘Liefkoos’ (Caress) – by Loftus Marais
I bring you these old fashioned words
on my palm
one for one:
here is hartstog (passion) –
it’s a spiky light purple root and tastes medicinal
if you lick it,
and aanvly (to caress) is a hot ribbon
broad smooth möbius-like and golden,
I bring kafoefel (canoodle) to your nose
and the pinch of jet black powder smells like grass
the crystal of vlerksleep (to court)
you rub between
fingertips, says it gives a static, electric
sort of charge,
I laugh
I lift the shell skattebol (sweetheart)
– so small –
up to your eye,
you inspect patterns splattering the exterior
and ask me, maybe there is something inside?
I bring you these old fashioned words
on my palm
one for one:
here is hartstog (passion) –
it’s a spiky light purple root and tastes medicinal
if you lick it,
and aanvly (to caress) is a hot ribbon
broad smooth möbius-like and golden,
I bring kafoefel (canoodle) to your nose
and the pinch of jet black powder smells like grass
the crystal of vlerksleep (to court)
you rub between
fingertips, says it gives a static, electric
sort of charge,
I laugh
I lift the shell skattebol (sweetheart)
– so small –
up to your eye,
you inspect patterns splattering the exterior
and ask me, maybe there is something inside?
This is a poem by one of my favourite Afrikaans poets, Loftus Marais. I translated the poem
to English. The original Afrikaans words I left in italic, the English translations are in
brackets. While translating the words, I realised how much is lost in translation or how an
essence or a feeling of a word simply cannot be translated.
to English. The original Afrikaans words I left in italic, the English translations are in
brackets. While translating the words, I realised how much is lost in translation or how an
essence or a feeling of a word simply cannot be translated.
Language is a formless phantom that disappears the harder we try to grasp it. Even when
we communicate with a lover in the same language, the understanding of the meaning is
often different from one person to the other.
Our concept of words and what we try to say to each other are fragmented or lost in
translation.
we communicate with a lover in the same language, the understanding of the meaning is
often different from one person to the other.
Our concept of words and what we try to say to each other are fragmented or lost in
translation.
The poet describes these words or concepts with physical objects, thereby giving them a
tangible form and a personal feeling that is more direct and understandable.
tangible form and a personal feeling that is more direct and understandable.
I would like you to think of a word in your mother tongue that has a special meaning for you
and that you feel might be difficult to translate. It can be related to love, but it is not
necessary. I know for instance the Finnish word ‘sisu’ can’t be directly translated into
English. Next, think of an object or objects that personifies the word for you. Think colour,
shape, texture, feeling.
and that you feel might be difficult to translate. It can be related to love, but it is not
necessary. I know for instance the Finnish word ‘sisu’ can’t be directly translated into
English. Next, think of an object or objects that personifies the word for you. Think colour,
shape, texture, feeling.
Please bring the object/objects or if you want a photo/collage to Culture Soup.
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One thing for another, that’s what Böd proposes to the guests coming to Platform during the Night of the Arts, where a shop will be arranged for the audience to take home the items they like.
Based on the action of Trueque*, Böd initiates an exchange with its visitors by inviting them to touch and move around the space as if they were in a department store. (alternative: as if they were in a one person owned business).
By doing so, the visitors can take home -for free- any of the displayed objects: Tye dyed clothes from the clothes concept shop and from the cabinet of curiosities that arranges a series of curious and not-so curious objects, and enjoy a fantastic drink in the Tiny Bar.
For leaving the space with something between the hands,or in the pockets, or inside the body, visitors are asked to pass by the Welcome Center (alternative:Kassa, Cashier) and swap in exchange for the consumption, a drawing, a note or a conversation.
The space and its islands of products invite consumers to consume without money, to look at the everyday in a different way and to imagine together what the future could be for Vaasa’s empty (alternative: available) commercial units. (alternative: in times the way we consume is pivoting to digital)
Furthermore, Böd is a third hand shop, meaning that all displayed articles are primarily used, discharged, found, or acquired from second hand shops, inviting to re-examine the relation towards consumption and material things.
*Trueque is the Spanish for swap, a direct exchange of goods and services, without the intervention of money, and exchanging one thing for another.
Huge thanks to the artists in residence Constanza Carvajal, Stephanie Quirola and Alan Rios for your creative ideas and energy and for realizing the project Böd!
Credits:
Constanza Carvajal
Alan Rios
Stephanie Quirola
Platform team
Frank Buchta
Jonny Smeds
Comments closedThe selection for Platform Residencies 2023 ” The relevance of Artworks an Art Work” has been made.
The selected artists have been contacted.
We want to thank all artists who applied and hope to see your applications again for next Open Call!
Love
Platform Team
Comments closed[pilɷŋg] is a collection of minizines with an Ostrobothnian connection. In Ostrobothnian, “pilung” means pollywog, which is the tiny offspring of frogs – just like the minizines . The first edition is a collection of five minizines created by five different artists. The collection is a pilot project with a focus on creative playfulness and creating a space where Ostrobothnian creators can test the genre.
Editor – Sara Östman
Other artists:
Roosa Ruotsalainen
Petra Zajácz-Dvorák
Frida Hinders
Nils Qvis
Sara Östman
Pilung is an independent project. The release was arranged in collaboration with Platform.
Welcome to a workshop where we create signs and art that we can bring to the pride parade.
The workshop takes place in Platforms project space on Kyrkoesplanaden 20 D, Vasa. The workshop is open on Friday 15th of July from 18.00-21.00
After the workshop there will also be an afterparty in Platforms space.
The party is alcohol free and people of all ages are welcome.
The party is alcohol free and people of all ages are welcome.
Dj + snacks.
Everyone is welcome and the workshop is FREE!
What? Workshop + After-Party
When? Friday 15th 18.00 forward
Where? Kyrkoesplanaden 20 D
When? Friday 15th 18.00 forward
Where? Kyrkoesplanaden 20 D
Swe/Eng/Fin
Meet the host:
Platform is an artist-run initiative founded in the year of 2000. Platform holds a project room and a residency programme in Vasa, Finland. The aim of Platform is to promote, show and be part of producing international contemporary art.
Platform strives to be an anti-racist, feminist association for mental well-being 
In collaboration with Vaasan Seta ry.
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RESIDENCY OPEN CALL
NEW DEADLINE 12th of JULY
OUR EMAIL IS NOT WORKING AT THE MOMENT
THIS MEANS THAT ANY EMAILS SENT AFTER
17:45 FINNISH TIME TODAY (9th of July)
HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED
BECAUSE OF THIS WE ARE EXTENDING THE
OPEN CALL DEADLINE TO THE 12th OF JULY
AND WE WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN THE EMAILIS UP AND RUNNING AGAIN
WE ARE VERY SORRY FOR THIS INCONVENIENCE!
Comments closedCulture soup on 7 July.
Artist-talks and presentations by Constanza Carvajal, Alan Rios & Stephanie Quirola.
From the beginning of June Platform is hosting 3 artists for a groupresidency.
One of the goals with the residency is that the artists would produce something that can be presented during Night of the Arts on 11 August.
On 7 July Platform arranged a Culture Soup for the public to enjoy a free bowl of soup and be introduced to the new artists- in – residence.
Stephanie Quirola (USA/BEL)
“My interests are varied and at times maybe even a bit dispersed. in short and at the moment i’m interested in symbiotic relationships (trying to think about ways of moving away from an individualistic human-centered point of view), nature/physics and queer performativity, ways of intra-acting with others, how to open up discussions and environments that are responsive/sentive to whoever or whatever inhabits them”
Alan Rios (MEX)
“I studied architecture and graduated in 2015, not happy with the way we are designing and building cities. I drifted towards ephemeral architecture and installations as a way of addressing actual social problems, so my work is mostly site and context specific.”
Constanza Carvajal (CHL/DEU)
“My artistic practice focuses on the aesthetics of the everyday and the seemingly
"unimportant" as well as on the perception of progress, modernity – architecture, urban life –
and the dialogues between them.”
"unimportant" as well as on the perception of progress, modernity – architecture, urban life –
and the dialogues between them.”
Platform is an art organization based in Vasa, a relatively peripheral Finnish town. We run an art space and a residency to offer live experiences of different perspectives in a location where this would otherwise be limited. The last few years this has been a challenge.
We usually work with an annual theme that we also encourage our guest artists to examine. In 2022 we tried to stay positive, be cheerful, start over and start fresh. We thought that “New beginnings” would be a good theme for the year. But it turns out things didn’t really start anew, mostly everything just kept on grinding or gathering dust.
So for 2023/24 we want to try something different. Instead of giving you a theme to respond to we would like to ask a question and reflect on the artist’s role, the practice of the artist and the relevance of art work/art works. What is the relevance of your work and artworks and how does your practice relate to the Platform residency question?
There are no wrong answers and we definitely don’t want you to feel that you have to justify anything to us. We (Platform Board) are trying to figure it out and are struggling:
Sara: “To me, it’s difficult to answer without jumping into more of an existential discussion. It comes down to finding purpose, both on a personal level and on a common human level. We can survive without art, but what value does that existence ultimately have? To evolve we need to reflect and art (work/works) functions as that pause for thoughts. It’s in a common human interest to form societies where there is room and a strive for pausing and reflecting. In a crisis we don’t have time to think – only act, so for me the possibility to be able to work with art is a sign of a healthy society. The relevance of art works is perhaps how well this reflection on society resonates with the rest of us. The relevance and value of art work and art works are not the same thing. Every piece of art is an individual piece of documentation on societal evolution and a personal piece of our shared story. How we value art work and individual art works reflects us as a society.”
Johan: “The relevance of art works and art work. It’s way more relevant than a lot of other work or at least less bad than a lot of other stuff done in the name of work. Oh, I made the assumption that relevancy = good. Maybe this isn’t correct?”
Geir: “I think that one of the strengths in art work is the fact that you deal with uncertainties, to handle the nonsensical and create a space for it is necessary. With the nonsensical and the uncertain I’m not referring to being absurd for the sake of it nor the creative buzzwords of the day, but more generally to the mode of thinking and criticality that comes with art work. The revelations that might come with being comfortable in delving into the uncertain. Though I think it’s hard to write and think about art and art work with all the realities surrounding being an artist as the mind wants to go on to ramble about tangents.”
Jenni: “We picked such a complex question this year and it’s hard to articulate an answer in just a few sentences. Therefore I look forward to discussing the theme with you when you arrive for your residency! But let’s say that the relevance of artworks and art work changes by time, context, audience and artist. What’s the relevance of your art work(s)? “
For the year 2023 we have 3-4 slots in our residency and we are particularly looking for:
– Artists who react to and are interested in working with local issues
– Artists who work with place-specific projects.
– Artists who are comfortable working independently in a small town.
We offer
Accommodation, travel expenses (one return trip, cheapest possible) and a working grant (approx. 300 € per week). We also offer a small production budget of 1000 €, which the artist may reimburse by presenting original receipts of purchases, specifically connected to the project produced during the residency. The apartment is located near the city center in Vaasa. There is a bike, a set of tools and equipment available for the artist. There is wireless broadband access in the apartment. Platform does not at the moment house a studio, however a project space in the city center is available. The planned projects have to take this into account, space can be rented or borrowed if needed for the realization of the project and has to be negotiated in advance. The artist is given a contact person who is in charge of necessary arrangements, if any additional assistance is needed it has to be agreed upon well in advance.
We ask the artist to realize a project, which can be presented either during the residency or at a later stage. The artist is expected to give a public talk, performance or workshop about his/her/their work or an introduction to themselves at the beginning of the residency. We expect the artist to be able to communicate in English, Swedish or Finnish. We require the artist to spend at least 80% of the residency’s duration in Vaasa and the working grant is proportional to days spent in Vaasa. The artists are required to submit documentation of the produced project to Platform, as well as press release / information text / informal report or equivalent.
Application procedure
Please follow these instructions closely. Applications not following these requirements will not be considered. We require the artist to send a digital application to info@platform.fi with the subject ‘Residency Application 2023’ by the 10th of July 2022. The application should be one PDF document with your full name as the title of the document. Don’t paste any relevant information in the email that is not part of the PDF.
Please include the following in the PDF:
-An informal project plan OR motivation letter, max one page. The aim of the letter should be describing the kind of project you imagine doing in Vaasa, your motivation to apply for this residency and your expectations, how you see that your artistic work connects to the question of “The relevance of artworks and art work?” The project plan should also include your preferred period of time, and state if the time period is relevant for the project as well as clearly state what time/ times that aren’t suitable.
-Descriptions and images of 5 projects or art works. For videos, please add direct links to websites in the PDF.
-A CV of max two pages, including: name, date and place of birth, current location as well as email and phone number.
The application shall occupy no more than 12 pages and 5 mb. The board of Platform will make the selection. Only chosen artists will receive a notification about the selection during end of July 2022. The board is under no obligation to justify the selection. If you have questions about the residency please ask them well before the deadline.
Key information:
Deadline:
10th of July
Answer:
By the end of July
Application:
-1x pdf
-5 previous works, pictures and text
-CV
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WHAT?
-Artist-Talk with Marco Salaris, artist-in-residence at Malakta
-After-Work
-Dj-set by our in-house dj Michele Uccheddu
WHEN?
Thursday 9th of June
18.00-
WHERE?
Platform art space
Kyrkoesplanaden 20 D, 65100 Vasa
WELCOME!
About the artist:
SANĀTANA aka Marco Salaris is a musician born in Sardinia in 1988.
Noise multi-instrumentalist since young, he soon dedicated himself to Electroacoustic music and radical improvisation with the project Terminale_3, with which in 2014 he published the album I-Son (TiConZero).
His music is rooted in noise and drone music, developing and finding new trajectories more akin to Electroacoustic and Avant-garde music. His creative process is based on improvisational practices, listening and sound processing, typical of electronic music.
From the 30th of May he is participating in the residency program “Exploring sounds” at Malakta. A project by Michele Uccheddu , Supranu Records and Malakta . In collaboration with Platform , Vasa stad and Sardegna Sonora
“EXPLORING SOUNDS is a journey through the different possibilities of sound – from nature sounds to sound art.”
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