Halikonlahti Green Art

FOOD CHAINS 10.9 - 30.10.2011
FERMENTING CHANGE - limpuu and viili as cultural aesthetics 

by Eva Bakkeslett, artist and cultivator

"Alchemy" 20mins

A poetic evocation on the alchemy of bread brings the act of baking the most basic of staples, into a high art form. Here nature and human culture collude. Hands pounding, mixing, kneading and stretching, reveal the choreographed rhythms and movements of bread making. Alchemy is a beautifully executed and lyrical film about an activity once ubiquitous in almost every household.

"AISH - bread as life" (world premiere)

In Arabic the word for bread and life is the same - Aish. In this film life and bread mixes in a small, communal bakery in the medina in Fez, Morocco. Here the ancient tradition of bringing the leavened bread to a woodfired kiln is still alive. There is magic in seeing the skillful art of baking and recognizing the different owners of the bread. 

"Viili -the tracing of an ancient culture"

A visual mapping of this fascinating culture that has deep roots and a long history in Finland. I will collect stories and search for the cultural roots of viili. Through the period I also hope to find an old viili culture that is still kept alive somewhere deep in the Finnish forest! This is a collective work so contributions from the public are welcome in form of stories, pictures or anything else of relevance. A public blog is started for the project: http://viiliculture.wordpress.com

Workshops, talks and performances:

Friday the 9^th of September:

A Limppu starter dough performance.

Reccomended for participants in the workshop on Saturday the 10th

Saturday the 10th of September: 

Limppu Limppu!

12.00-16.00 (flexible timing)

Workshop - practical baking and stories of Finnish bread-culture. 

“The poetics of bread- Finnish limppu-baking” with Eva Bakkeslett and Mikko Kivelä

This is a workshop that melts bread-making into art. We will sculpt our bread with passion and presence and while the dough rises we will watch films and share stories of bread-culture collected into a bread-book.

Limited to 10 participants but viewing open to the public. Open to all ages. 

17-18 Performance talk: 

"Bread as social sculpture - how bread becomes the art of the every day" (in english).

Sunday the 11th of September: 

Viili viili!

12.00-12.45 Lunchtalk: "Living cultures - from counteraction to fermentation" (in english).

A story about how human and microbial cultures have a lot in common and how viili can teach us important lessons!

14-15 Viili workshop. 

Practical and aesthetic workshop of how to make viili. 

Open to public of all ages. 

TEDx Tromsø

"Living cultures - from counteractions to symbiosis"
Talk at TEDx Tromsø, Verdensteateret, 25th August 2011

The word CULTURE comes from the Latin word cultura – meaning to cultivate – to prepare the
ground for something to grow out of. But culture also describes the process of fermentation of food
by activating microorganisms. Humans have over centuries developed different ways of fermenting
foodstuff – partly as a means of preserving food and partly to enhance its taste and qualities. In the
process human culture and microorganisms have developed a symbiotic relationship. The
knowledge and traditions have evolved as a localized phenomena; place specific and always
reflecting the natural resources and identity of the area. With the change to a globalized and
capitalistic world this knowledge is rapidly becoming extinct, and with it goes centuries of
experience and cultural expertise.

Through my work I attempt to revive some of these remaining cultures and cultivate them into living art-works. Not only do I want to give these ancient biological cultures a renaissance. My intention is also to visualise how it is possible to reenergise and revitalise our human culture inspired by the concept of symbiosis. The famous biologist Lynn Margulis claims that it is through symbiogenesis (the merging of two separate organisms to form a single new organism e.g. lichen ) that all innovation is created in nature. It is a primary force in evolution. In this talk I will explore the possibilities of applying the biological principals of symbiogenesis as a model for developing a revitalised and sustainable human culture.