WALLFLOWER by Pilvi Takala (Finland)
Rael Artel Gallery: Non-Profit Project Space
Lõuna 20, Pärnu, Estonia
August 17st throughout 20th, 2006
www.moskva80.com
Consisting of two videos and a small installation, the project titled as Wallflower by Pilvi Takala is based on a performance situated in dance-events for Finnish tourists in Pärnu, Estonia. Pärnu is very popular tourist destination among Finnish people and events visited by the residence artist Pilvi Takala are a version of the traditional Finnish summer pavilion dance. Mostly older couples on their holidays come to these events, they dance only with their partners and never ask strangers to dance as it would be appropriate in the proper dance-events in Finland.
The performance is a subtle act: just the artist, a younger woman, going into the dance in a shiny dress and sitting alone the whole evening waiting for somebody to ask her to dance. Just being overdressed and obviously expecting to get to dance creates a very awkward situation and pushes the boundaries of Finnish modest mentality and the Finnish idea of politeness. Everybody is embarrassed on the lonely girls behalf, but nobody thinks they are the man to ask her to dance. Pilvi is playing with uncomfortable feelings generated by following/not following a set of rules shared by a social group.
The artwork Wallflower was commissioned by Rael Artel Gallery: Non-Profit Project Space in summer 2006.
The show is supported by Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki, Finnish Institute, Tallinn and Estonian Cultural Endowment.
A video still is visible at www.moskva80.com
