Erki Kasemets is an Estonian artist who divides his creative activities into four categories: 1) documenting his private life, 2) polygon theatre, 3) trash art, and 4) performances. He has a keen interest in machines, kinetic art, games and inventing rules for games, sociological research and the art of theatre.
This spring Erki has been working in Loviisa Artists’ Studio in Finland, a residence for the artists of all the fields as well as to the music, writers and art researchers.
Erki Kasemets showing how to play the game “Structor 5” invented by him. All the rounds of the game will be documented (photographed) and it will eventually form an art project.
On Sunday 15 May, Erki had an open house in the residence. Visitors could play a game he has invented, estimate the number of stone tiles on the market square and join a performance in the square of Loviisa between the residence and the grand Town House and nearby pathways.
This is a short photo blog of the first part of the performance day.
Click any picture to open the gallery and read the captures.
1 – In the residence
Erki is – according to his first artistic objective – showing the police report on the wall of the residence.
The preparation for the performance was a performance itself. The police stopped by and asked what Erki was doing in the middle of the night on the square where he was counting the number of stones.
Erki is collecting one liter milk and juice cartons to be used as raw material in his art projects.
2 – Tower showing the days Erki has spent in Finland
Bringing installation material
Each wooden block represents a day spent in Finland this spring.
Tikke Tuura, an environmental artist herself as well, is helping Erki.
The audience followed keenly.
The slightly wobbling tower is getting ready.
On top of the tower are red Vedelik (‘Liquid’, an Estonian artist group) trousers.
3 – The square is ‘blocked’
The tower has the same number of large stone tiles as the number of Erki’s days (and wooden blocks) in Finland. One wooden block is placed on top of each of these tiles.
Little helpers are busy.
Erki starts to drop painted cartons from his residence’ window.
One by one …
… and Tikke is helping to catch those.
Each wooden block is then covered with a painted carton.
Every person who joined the event, had the liberty to place the cartons as they liked.
A small tower in front of a bigger one.
Blocks of art.
4- Counting the tiles of the square
Shoes are important
Erki marked each round of tiles with one pair of red trousers …
… to keep the track on the rounds. – This was originally done during the night (see the police report earlier in this blog.)
At the end of the performance in the square, the trousers were thrown in the air and catched again.
5 – Erki Kasemets with his family
Oh yes, the number of the tiles on the square? It is 71,273 (five times more that I guessed).
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About Olli Laasanen
Eyes and ears open. New and old. Jobs and hobbies. Pictures and music. Entertaining and serious. Change and stability. Nature and urban.
That is a fun and fabulous guy. I loved the concept and especially loved his paintings on the milk cartons. Great post!
He is! If you make a google image search with his name, you can see some grand installations he has made of painted milk cartons. Thanks for commenting! 🙂