Yael Bartana’s new film asks: What is true Finnishness? 
The IHME Contemporary Art Festival’s sixth commissioned project is the Israeli Yael Bartana‘s new film True Finn – Tosi suomalainen. In her IHME Project Bartana asks topical questions: How does national identity operate as a means of inclusion and exclusion? What mechanisms exist for this in Finland? What are we talking about when we talk about Finnish identity right now? Can an immigrant become a true Finn?

Bartana’s IHME Project is a participatory artwork. The artist wanted to invite people living in Finland, with different ethnic, religious and political backgrounds, to take part in creating a utopian moment. As a result of an open call, eight Finnish-resident individuals came to live together for seven days in a house in the countryside. Life, discussions and specifically designed assignments were filmed, with the edited material now forming the core of this artwork. What happens when these people live together for a week and re-define Finnishness, and themselves in relation to others?

Lectures, discussions, films and workshops at the IHME Days
This year’s IHME Contemporary Art Festival takes place on April 4–6 in Helsinki. Yael Bartana’s new film True Finn raises questions of national identity, multiculturalism and the status of minorities. A group of Finnish and international artists, curators and researchers will get together at the IHME Days to discuss these topics. The speakers include curator and art historian David Dibosa, sociologist Nirmal Puwar, political scientist Pasi Saukkonen and literary scholar Olli Löytty.

Yael Bartana will be present at the IHME Days, and will talk about her new film with Maria Lind, curator, critic and Director of Tensta Konsthall, and with the public.

Besides the IHME Project 2014 and Yael Bartana’s previous works, the IHME Days film programme also features the world premiere of Adrian Piper‘s film Passing Beyond Passing. This presents the artist’s acute analysis of American racism, and is Piper’s contribution to the IHME Days discussion of the meanings of race and skin colour. Also being screened is Piper’s Funk Lessons, which presents her artistic vision of a society without racist hatred or fear.

Issues related to national identity, minority status and ethnicities will also be addressed in the artists’ talks at the IHME Marathon. The ten participants in this multivocal marathon are visual artists living in Finland, including e.g. Adel Abidin, Pia Lindman and Diego Bruno.

Further insight into this year’s themes can be gained by taking part in the comics workshop run by visual artist Katja Tukiainen, or by borrowing a “living book,” a person in the Living Library, and discussing topics of his/her expertise about life as a Muslim, Sámi, Roma etc. As a part of the Festival’s outreach programme artist Sasha Huber has collaborated with young people at various youth centres. The resultant public artwork will be unveiled at North Haaga station in Helsinki.

On Saturday, DJ Maurice Fulton and electropunk artist MU take the stage at the IHME Club, planned by the artists Jimi Tenor and Nicole Willis. This evening of diverse musical genres culminates in the melodic post-rock of the Helsinki band Haunted by Hallucinations.

Admission to all events is free.
Full festival programme: www.ihmefestival.fi
In collaboration with YLE Areena, Ateneum Art Museum – National Gallery of Finland, and Helsinki City Youth Office

Contact:
IHME Contemporary Art Festival
Pro Arte Foundation Finland
Kalevankatu 4, 2nd floor
00100 Helsinki
Finland
T +358 45 1240096 / info@ihmefestival.fi