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The exhibition of Palestinian contemporary artists Maisara Baroud and Rehab Nazzal opens the international contemporary art series of the Art without Transportation concept by Äkkigalleria in Jyväskylä, Finland.
Maisara Baroud is a visual artist who was born in Gaza in 1976. He has worked as a university lecturer at the College of Fine Arts at Al-Aqsa University in Gaza. Baroud earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Al-Najah National University in Nablus (1998) and a Master of Fine Arts from the College of Fine Arts in Zamalek, Cairo (2011). Rehab Nazzal is a Palestinian-born multidisciplinary artist based in Montreal, Canada and Bethlehem, Palestine. Dr. Nazzal is teaching at Dar Al-Kalima University in Bethlehem and has taught at Simon Fraser University, Western University and Ottawa School of Art. She is the recipient of multiple awards, including the Social Justice Award from Toronto Metropolitan University and the Edmund and Isobel Ryan Visual Arts Award in Photography from the University of Ottawa. |
Aw/oT (Art without Transportation) is the latest evolutionary branch of Äkkigalleria; a multifaceted curatorial platform evolving in Jyväskylä since 2009.
As the name suggests, Aw/oT proposes an environmentally conscious, international artistic collaboration that does not include aeroplanes or long distance transportation. The initial idea is to develop ways of presenting physical (non-digital) international art, in Finland, without the environmental burden of transportation - of either artists or artwork.
Aw/oT values the artist as an idea maker and innovator, and along with this, considers the position of labour and craft in art; and issues of ownership, and property. One of the primary purposes of this project is to honour local culture by supporting local practitioners, skilled labourers, and crafts specialists.
In addition to dealing with concepts related to the environmental burden of global travel, and the promotion of local resources, this project also touches on the idea of nationality, the freedom of movement and the power structures which allow or restrict the movement of certain bodies based on their geographic history.
The first experimental tests for this project are produced in collaboration with Myymälä2 (Eye of the Storm project) and financed by the Finnish Cultural Foundation (SKR).
In this context, we will realise the work of 3-5 international artists. In practical terms, the creation of an artwork is orchestrated in Jyväskylä according to the direction and instruction of the artist. Although the artist cannot be present, we will strive to produce the artist’s vision with the help of local professionals. The process will be documented and a presentation of this pilot project will be presented at Myymälä2, Helsinki Finland, in the spring of 2025.
As the name suggests, Aw/oT proposes an environmentally conscious, international artistic collaboration that does not include aeroplanes or long distance transportation. The initial idea is to develop ways of presenting physical (non-digital) international art, in Finland, without the environmental burden of transportation - of either artists or artwork.
Aw/oT values the artist as an idea maker and innovator, and along with this, considers the position of labour and craft in art; and issues of ownership, and property. One of the primary purposes of this project is to honour local culture by supporting local practitioners, skilled labourers, and crafts specialists.
In addition to dealing with concepts related to the environmental burden of global travel, and the promotion of local resources, this project also touches on the idea of nationality, the freedom of movement and the power structures which allow or restrict the movement of certain bodies based on their geographic history.
The first experimental tests for this project are produced in collaboration with Myymälä2 (Eye of the Storm project) and financed by the Finnish Cultural Foundation (SKR).
In this context, we will realise the work of 3-5 international artists. In practical terms, the creation of an artwork is orchestrated in Jyväskylä according to the direction and instruction of the artist. Although the artist cannot be present, we will strive to produce the artist’s vision with the help of local professionals. The process will be documented and a presentation of this pilot project will be presented at Myymälä2, Helsinki Finland, in the spring of 2025.
How does it work?
Contact us at: akkigalleria(at)gmail.com
Subject: Aw/oT proposal
Describe your idea and priorities, and list the desired materials or specifics necessary for realising the idea.
If the project seems possible from our perspective, we will contact you in order to see if we are compatible coworkers for developing the project further.
When we have decided when and how to proceed, we will begin the creation process. The artist will be communicated with during all stages of production. The artist will receive a small artist’s fee, and we will promote the artist and the project on our social media and web sites.
PLEASE NOTE: Aw/oT is a nonprofit, artist-run project for which we are currently applying for funding. Project proposals with smaller budgets have a stronger chance of being realised. Larger budget projects may be more complicated to realise or take longer to raise funding for.
What kinds of projects are we looking for?
If you are an artist or know an artist who would love to show their work in Jyväskylä, Finland, but cannot, will not (or does not wish to) come, this is an opportunity for you!
Our goal is to develop a project together with an artist, using local materials and professionals. Although in the past we have relied heavily on digital means, we now hope to work with more complicated processes ie. Instead of digitally printing a poster, we might reproduce it by hand printing or painting it in the form and style requested by the artist. Our emphasis is on the artist’s idea and we will do our best to make it happen.
Contact us at: akkigalleria(at)gmail.com
Subject: Aw/oT proposal
Describe your idea and priorities, and list the desired materials or specifics necessary for realising the idea.
If the project seems possible from our perspective, we will contact you in order to see if we are compatible coworkers for developing the project further.
When we have decided when and how to proceed, we will begin the creation process. The artist will be communicated with during all stages of production. The artist will receive a small artist’s fee, and we will promote the artist and the project on our social media and web sites.
PLEASE NOTE: Aw/oT is a nonprofit, artist-run project for which we are currently applying for funding. Project proposals with smaller budgets have a stronger chance of being realised. Larger budget projects may be more complicated to realise or take longer to raise funding for.
What kinds of projects are we looking for?
If you are an artist or know an artist who would love to show their work in Jyväskylä, Finland, but cannot, will not (or does not wish to) come, this is an opportunity for you!
Our goal is to develop a project together with an artist, using local materials and professionals. Although in the past we have relied heavily on digital means, we now hope to work with more complicated processes ie. Instead of digitally printing a poster, we might reproduce it by hand printing or painting it in the form and style requested by the artist. Our emphasis is on the artist’s idea and we will do our best to make it happen.
What does it look like?
Here are some examples of past projects realised without the physical presence of the artist, and with minimal to no transportation. These are only examples from the past, please do not let these examples limit your imagination!
Performance piece by Nastja Säde Rönkkö, 2010
We realised the performance piece “Boys” by Nastja Rönkkö, for the Äkkigalleria 6 “I am hungry for art” exhibition. The artist provided a detailed list of the necessary props, specifics about the actors, and a score for the actual performance. The performance was photographed for the artist.
Budget (100e) + space rental sponsored by TAIKE K-S
Film installation by Flo Kasearu 2013
For the Musta Hevonen exhibition in Äänekoski, the artist sent us the film via a wetransfer file along with a list of requirements. One of the requests was for a room in complete darkness which we created following her written instructions. Images from the installation were taken for the artist.
No budget production (personal reserves 100e)
Group photography exhibition “Young Nepali Photographers”, 2013
for Äkkigalleria 21, with artists:
Shikhar Bhattarai, Marina Menuka Lama, NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati, Prakash K.C., Kishor K Sharma, Nirman Shrestha, Prasiit Sthapit and the Nepal Picture Library.
A visiting artist brought a USB port with him from Nepal, and all the photographs were printed according to each artist’s file specs. at the Luovake Centre for creative photography in Ratamo.
Budget 600e; Space rental and printing funded by Luovake and TAIKE K-S
Outdoor banner, installation by Sandra Rechico, 2014
For the House Games exhibition the artist sent a file by wetransfer and we printed it on outdoor canvas as specified by the artist. The location for hanging the outdoor banner was pre decided based on our discussion via email.
Budget 100e, printing budget financed by the City of Jyväskylä
Installation book/photography project by Gareth Phillips, 2021
Over the course of several months we communicated with the artist via email, text message and video calls. The artist wished to develop a project involving ice, melting and Finland. We discussed different possibilities and tested how to freeze the artist’s photographs, sharing videos and photographs of the results before finally freezing 24 images in ice blocks and installing them on a lake in March. The images were printed on acetate sheets and sent to us by post. Part of the process was communicated through video call and photographs were taken of the piece as instructed.
Budget 0e (+artist’s own grant for testing materials at home)
Here are some examples of past projects realised without the physical presence of the artist, and with minimal to no transportation. These are only examples from the past, please do not let these examples limit your imagination!
Performance piece by Nastja Säde Rönkkö, 2010
We realised the performance piece “Boys” by Nastja Rönkkö, for the Äkkigalleria 6 “I am hungry for art” exhibition. The artist provided a detailed list of the necessary props, specifics about the actors, and a score for the actual performance. The performance was photographed for the artist.
Budget (100e) + space rental sponsored by TAIKE K-S
Film installation by Flo Kasearu 2013
For the Musta Hevonen exhibition in Äänekoski, the artist sent us the film via a wetransfer file along with a list of requirements. One of the requests was for a room in complete darkness which we created following her written instructions. Images from the installation were taken for the artist.
No budget production (personal reserves 100e)
Group photography exhibition “Young Nepali Photographers”, 2013
for Äkkigalleria 21, with artists:
Shikhar Bhattarai, Marina Menuka Lama, NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati, Prakash K.C., Kishor K Sharma, Nirman Shrestha, Prasiit Sthapit and the Nepal Picture Library.
A visiting artist brought a USB port with him from Nepal, and all the photographs were printed according to each artist’s file specs. at the Luovake Centre for creative photography in Ratamo.
Budget 600e; Space rental and printing funded by Luovake and TAIKE K-S
Outdoor banner, installation by Sandra Rechico, 2014
For the House Games exhibition the artist sent a file by wetransfer and we printed it on outdoor canvas as specified by the artist. The location for hanging the outdoor banner was pre decided based on our discussion via email.
Budget 100e, printing budget financed by the City of Jyväskylä
Installation book/photography project by Gareth Phillips, 2021
Over the course of several months we communicated with the artist via email, text message and video calls. The artist wished to develop a project involving ice, melting and Finland. We discussed different possibilities and tested how to freeze the artist’s photographs, sharing videos and photographs of the results before finally freezing 24 images in ice blocks and installing them on a lake in March. The images were printed on acetate sheets and sent to us by post. Part of the process was communicated through video call and photographs were taken of the piece as instructed.
Budget 0e (+artist’s own grant for testing materials at home)
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