Sketches of North is a multi-disciplinary project consisting of video installations, experimental film, electroacoustic music and contemporary dance. The project was first shown as a five room video installation in K.H. Renlund Art Museum in Kokkola in 2023 and as a three-screen installation in Muu Contemporary Art Centre in Helsinki in 2023. The next chapter in 2024 is a live performance at WHS Theatre, Helsinki with Nadja Pärssinen (dance), Heikki Lindgren (jouhikko) and Heli Hartikainen (saxophone) as well as the screening of the film version of Sketches of North (TBA).

The project addresses the inevitable changes brought by climate change through political, philosophical, and economic lenses.

The partially abstract and hypnotic videos offer space for subjective interpretations and challenge the viewer to contemplate the repercussions of their actions on the earth’s biodiversity.

Can the hedonistic pursuit of pleasure and profit coexist with respecting nature and preserving diversity?

The work involves many different points of views. On one hand we see a burning forest, shot at Hyytiälä Finland, where a controlled forest burning organised by Helsinki University took place. Elsewhere we see dancers dressed in pink clothes performing strange rituals in an indigenous forest. Musicians are seen performing the soundtrack. A dancer, dressed in a green suit, usually used for transparency special effects in videos and films, is moving in front of and inside a bank. Finally, a mysterious animated abstract image sequence appears, made by exposing tree leaves directly on 35mm analogue movie film using an organic developer.

A three screen installation version of Sketches of North in Muu Contemporary Art Centre Helsinki in November 2023

Making of Sketches of North 2022-23

Sketches of North LIVE at WHS Theatre Union, May 2024 (with Hannu Karjalainen, Nadja Pärssinen, Heli Hartikainen and Heikki Lindgren)

Manuscript and direction, cinematography:
Hannu Karjalainen

Choreography:
Nadja Pärssinen

Dancers:
Nadja Pärssinen
Arttu Peltoniemi
Heini Tuoresmäki

Musical composition:
Hannu Karjalainen
(with additional composition by Heli Hartikainen)

Music recording:
Hannu Karjalainen
Hilary Jeffery
Tapani Rinne

Other recordings:
Jukka Andersson
Heikki Lindgren

Musicians:

trombone, tuba:
Hilary Jeffery

drums:
Joonas Leppänen

saxophone:
Tapani Rinne

saxophone:
Heli Hartikainen

violin:
Kaisa Ruotsalainen

cello:
Tatu Ahola

bass, electronic music, drums:
Hannu Karjalainen