"What are we if not creatures of creativity?"
In addition to project concept creation and coordination, Sanna has facilitated art workshops since 2012 for over 2 400 participants thus far. Most of the art workshops have employed a collaborative technique called Kimppakuvitus co-created by Sanna. She also has extensive experience in adult education, namely teaching communication and cultural differences since the early 1990s. She is a founding member of PIRJO & PURJO PRODUCTIONS (PPP-Art ry), a non-profit organisation focusing its work mainly on societal art projects. PPP-Art ry was registered in 2012 but has been inactive since 2020.
At the end of 2022 Sanna formed a new collaborative group: OTO art group. If you would like to have Sanna / OTO art group run an art course or project for you and your community / company please feel free to get in touch [email protected]. |
LUKUHETKI EXHIBITION AT OODI 30.4.-6.5.2023
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The Lukuhetki (The Reading) still life consists of a comfy armchair, a side table, floor lamp, dollhouse, sports equipment, other interior elements and of course piles of books. These objects depict the everyday life of a father, daughter and their dog. Whatever their story, the event’s participants have now elevated an ordinary everyday setting to a new dimension with joyful colors and playful patterns.
The event was free of charge, open to everyone, all ages and no prior registration required. The library's visitors were invited to participate in the art collaboration spontaneously. Lukuhetki was facilitated by visual artist Sanna and her OTO art group. In partnership with the City of Helsinki, Central Library Oodi and Uuden Ajan Palvelut - UAP ry. Read more about the event here at Helmet's pages. (in Finnish only) The piece was on display for a week in Oodi's main lobby (1st floor). Unfortunately Oodi was unable to publish information of the Lukuhetki exhibition due to an ongoing technical issue. Lukuhetki is now looking for a permanent home. Please contact us if you are interested in offering the piece a home or know of someone who is. |
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Description:
Lukuhetki (The Reading) installation piece - community art Created: 29.4.2023, at Central Library Oodi in Helsinki, Finland Size: 250 x 150 x 150 cm Participants: 198 individuals (plus approx.200 onlookers) Facilitation: OTO art group Concept & coordination: Finnish-Australian artist Sanna In partnership with: Central Library Oodi, the City of Helsinki and Uuden Ajan Palvelut - UAP ry Lukuhetki is dedicated to the artist’s brother Ari and joint custody fathers |
FREEDOM MURAL FOR THE ORANGE COMPANY 2022
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The Orange Company (TOC) was inspired by Sanna's inclusive community art project for Me-säätiö (The We Foundation) back in 2017 in Helsinki. TOC commissioned a similar project for their office space in Helsinki. The idea was to get the staff and other members of the public to create a wonderful mural spanning from the moment you enter the building to the lounge area.
Staying true to the Kimppakuvitus-technique, approximately 20 meters and 1.5 floors of wall space was decorated by 45 participants of all ages, the youngest being a one-month old baby and the oldest a 58-year old early retirement pensioner. Once complete, the piece was named Vapaus (Freedom) by one of the participants, 10-year old Frida. |
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ART WORKSHOP TO PROMOTE WORKPLACE HEALTH AT OMNIA 2020
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It was a privilege to be asked to organise and facilitate an afternoon of art and fun for 45 tertiary level teachers from Omnia College in Espoo, for their annual workplace health promotion day. Sinivuokko Koivula and Sanna created a workshop to produce six large collaborative works of art using our Kimppakuvitus improvisational inclusive art technique.
Although the majority of the participants had next to no experience in painting and drawing with paint markers, and collaborative improvisation was completely new to all of them, the end results were very impressive - somewhat even mind-blowing according to everyone involved. At the end of the day each canvas was named collectively and signed. The six pieces (see below) adorn the college's walls in 2020 |
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TAIDEPOLKU - THE BIGGEST SIMULTANEOUS PAINTING EVENT IN FINLAND
Sanna and Sinivuokko at Kirkkoharju School in Kirkkonummi, Finland 3.4.2019
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Construction company SRV Rakennus Oy decided it would be a wonderful idea to bring together the students and teachers of Kirkkoharju Primary and High School as well as Finnsbacka kindergarten in Kirkkonummi, Finland, to create a work of art for their brand new combined learning centre Jokirinne, to be opened in 2021. The project began with an estimated 200-300 participants but quickly expanded to 1 100 participants for the event on Wednesday 3.4.2019!
In groups of 60-100, the participants were given a path to follow, hence the name Taidepolku (art path), from point 1 to point 7 in the old school's gymnasium. At each pitstop, they were given a task (eg. point 2 = putting on aprons, point 7 = grabbing a snack and something to drink). Pitstop 5 was where the actual creative work was done - where participants of all ages were able to paint and draw anything their hearts desired and anywhere on the two massive canvases (each 155 x 500 cm). A layered effect began to grow during the day. The canvases were decorated with shapes and lines created with masking tape prior the workshop. These were then removed at the end of the event revealing white lines that interacted with the patterns created by the students (see the end results below). The two pieces will be hung in the main foyer of the learning centre to welcome people entering the building. SRV, the school & kindergarten principles and our team were positively surprised by the smooth flow of the day - this sort of thing had never been attempted before. It appears to be Finland's largest simultaneous, improvised community art work to date! Thank you to everyone who created this unique piece of history that will decorate a life-span school for generations to come. Read Kirkkonummen Sanomat's article and SRV's stories on the event (in Finnish) |
KIRJAVA - LIBRARY MURAL AT KANNELTALO CULTURAL CENTRE, 2018
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During 15.-19.10.2018 fourteen children from diverse backgrounds spent their autumn school holiday painting a freestyle mural for their community library at the Kanneltalo Cultural Centre in Kannelmäki, Helsinki. This particular project involved not only the Kimppakuvitus technique of painting and snacking whilst listening to music, but a number of other activities including playing hide and seek in the local playgrounds, collecting autumn leaves in the park, playing football and other fun classroom activities.
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LOCALS CREATE AN IMPROVISED MURAL FOR ME-SÄÄTIÖ IN 2017
As one participant said "It's a challenge to begin (painting on the wall), but once you do you can't stop!".
More than 50 people from all walks of life came together over a period of five days to create a unique mural at The We Foundation's (Me-säätiö) newly renovated office space in Helsinki.
Using the Kimppakuvitus technique, a 6.5 x 2.5m meeting room wall was covered in colourful shapes and images where dancing figures met night sky ghosts, and butterflies flapped their wings before the noses of pink fish. The age range of the participants was 1 to 85 years and the piece was completed 8.9.2017.
"This was more fun than at home, or at kindergarten!", four-year-old Nadja exclaimed. The project produced a one-of-a-kind piece in an unexpected business environment. The piece entitled 'Krösti Line' creates a harmonious atmosphere for meetings.
More than 50 people from all walks of life came together over a period of five days to create a unique mural at The We Foundation's (Me-säätiö) newly renovated office space in Helsinki.
Using the Kimppakuvitus technique, a 6.5 x 2.5m meeting room wall was covered in colourful shapes and images where dancing figures met night sky ghosts, and butterflies flapped their wings before the noses of pink fish. The age range of the participants was 1 to 85 years and the piece was completed 8.9.2017.
"This was more fun than at home, or at kindergarten!", four-year-old Nadja exclaimed. The project produced a one-of-a-kind piece in an unexpected business environment. The piece entitled 'Krösti Line' creates a harmonious atmosphere for meetings.
ME-TALO COMMUNITY CENTRE MURAL IN 2016
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The Finnish Me-säätiö (The We Foundation) was founded in 2015, with the objective to diminish social inequality and exclusion of children, youth and families in Finland. The foundation is opening community centers nationwide. Aptly named Me-talo ('our house') the centres provide a friendly and open community space, offering local residents and others a variety of activities ranging from sports to drama and art, or just a place to hang out playing boardgames or attending ethnic cooking classes.
The centre also offers social services and employment assistance for those needing help in a community facing challenges. |
Young participants create graffiti art onto the main wall of the Me-talo community centre during stage 1.
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The foundation felt it was important to involve people of all ages and backgrounds from the neighborhood and what better way than to decorate Me-talo's interiors before the official opening of the centre? The community art project was divided into two parts with the first being a group of young teens painting graffiti art onto two walls within the building. This was followed by Sanna's team of local residents using the collaborative art technique Kimppakuvitus to complete the murals with a layered, decorative effect.
The creative community project at Me-talo began 16.4.2016 and continued till the end of May. On Friday 29.4.2016 the workshop was visited by people from Russia, Norway, Iraq, Yemen, Ecuador, Brazil and Finland, with ages from 4 months to 86 years old. Please feel free to visit the centre - Me-säätiö would love to see you at the Me-talo. Visit Me-säätiö's pages at www.mesaatio.fi |
WARECO FACELIFT 2015
Known for their innovative approach Rakennus Oy Wareco decided to give their construction and renovation sites a cheerful facelift in 2015.
Why have blasé containers and sheds when you can have them in a blaze of shapes and company colours? And what better way than to employ young adults to create a very modern, up to date, fresh feel? An important aspect of Wareco's values is the support of teens and young adults in entering the workforce via creative projects. The Wareco Facelift is just this - it gives young people the opportunity to express themselves creatively, allowing them to take part in reshaping their own urban environment and infrastructure.
Sanna gathered a small but energetic team of young adults to recreate a more vibrant image for the renovation and construction experts. Mia, Lari and Verna gave their time and imaginative input to produce very pleasing results. The project began on the 1st of May and is planned to continue in 2016. The makeover includes waste containers, storage containers and construction site huts painted with weather proof and spray paints, at Wareco's storage facility in Vantaa. In addition, 11 x 11 metre and 7 x 7 metre tarpaulins were hung over the façade of a centrally located building (undergoing renovations during July 2015) displaying the themes created by the team.
The Wareco Facelift project is a wonderful way to include and employ young people artistically in the building industry. Visit Wareco at www.wareco.fi Here's a photographic account of the process:
Why have blasé containers and sheds when you can have them in a blaze of shapes and company colours? And what better way than to employ young adults to create a very modern, up to date, fresh feel? An important aspect of Wareco's values is the support of teens and young adults in entering the workforce via creative projects. The Wareco Facelift is just this - it gives young people the opportunity to express themselves creatively, allowing them to take part in reshaping their own urban environment and infrastructure.
Sanna gathered a small but energetic team of young adults to recreate a more vibrant image for the renovation and construction experts. Mia, Lari and Verna gave their time and imaginative input to produce very pleasing results. The project began on the 1st of May and is planned to continue in 2016. The makeover includes waste containers, storage containers and construction site huts painted with weather proof and spray paints, at Wareco's storage facility in Vantaa. In addition, 11 x 11 metre and 7 x 7 metre tarpaulins were hung over the façade of a centrally located building (undergoing renovations during July 2015) displaying the themes created by the team.
The Wareco Facelift project is a wonderful way to include and employ young people artistically in the building industry. Visit Wareco at www.wareco.fi Here's a photographic account of the process:
RECREATIONAL DAY FOR LOCAL CHURCH STAFF MEMBERS IN 2015
 Riitta, Eija and Noora with their collaborative piece
Sanna and colleague Sinivuokko Koivula were more than happy to run an all-day art workshop when asked by the local Helsingin Mikaelin seurakunta parish in Itäkeskus during the spring of 2015. The all female staff of 10 people decided it would be nice to spend their well-earned recreational day being creative in a relaxed atmosphere collaborating on works of art. True to the style of Kimppakuvitus the bubbly ladies spent their day chatting, munching on brunch and snacks whilst painting beautiful works of art in small groups. The Kimppakuvitus technique states "Each participant is free to paint or draw whatever comes to mind anywhere on the canvas.", and that's exactly what they did. The counsellors and female priests came up with wonderful paintings infused with a whirlwind of colors and images close to their hearts. The day was enjoyed by all, not short of titillating conversation and bursts of laughter. The final pieces we're hung in the premises of their church. I think it's safe to say the Mikaelin seurakunta recreational day was a success - it's evident in their paintings too - just take a look. For more information on Helsingin Mikaelin seurakunta click here |
MUKANA COMMUNITY ART PROJECT WITH STOA 2014-2015
In close cooperation with the Helsinki City Cultural Centre Stoa, PIRJO & PURJO PRODUCTIONS implemented collaborative art workshops for community target groups such as the elderly, kindergarteners, the youth, alcoholics & addicts, immigrants and the visually impaired. The MUKANA art workshops were conducted during the latter part of 2014.
This multilevel project is part of Stoa's 30th Anniversary celebrations in the Autumn of 2014. Including over 200 local residents the MUKANA project offered a vast variety of people with different ethnic, economic and social backgrounds the opportunity to come together and create works of art collaboratively. The basis of the project was to develop and promote inclusion within the multitude of groups surrounding the cultural centre.
KIMPPAKUVITUS
The MUKANA art workshops utilize a technique, developed by PIRJO & PURJO PRODUCTIONS members Sanna Jalomäki and her colleague/designer Sinivuokko Koivula, named Kimppakuvitus (spontaneous collaborative technique, transl. 'shared illustration'). The technique is based on a few general principles and accommodates for groups of three or more participants working spontaneously with mixed media and improvising content onto a given surface. What is being created onto a canvas is completely up to each individual, as one of the main principles of the technique is the freedom to create anything you desire. Coupled with this, it is very important to understand that the underlying aim of the process is to work together and improve what another has created (as each participant works on all areas of the shared piece), instead of perhaps dominating or controlling its course. Kimppakuvitus triggers a natural synergy and flow in its participants making it a fantastic way to heighten and improve teamwork which brings about a genuine sense of inclusion.
Exhibiting 21 works of art, the MUKANA project brought together the collaborative work of over 200 people into the Stoa Gallery for a premier exhibition during 9.12.2014 - 4.1.2015.
In addition to the workshops PIRJO & PURJO PRODUCTIONS facilitated the creation of a central installation piece via a live public participatory painting event during Stoa's Day of Festivities on Sunday 26.10.2014. The 7.5 x 2.3 metre installation piece, created by over a hundred members of the public, entitled Idän taikamatto (The Magic Carpet from the East) was also on display at the MUKANA exhibition. See the MUKANA exhibition at Stoa here.
The MUKANA art project photos below by Petra Kumpulainen.
This multilevel project is part of Stoa's 30th Anniversary celebrations in the Autumn of 2014. Including over 200 local residents the MUKANA project offered a vast variety of people with different ethnic, economic and social backgrounds the opportunity to come together and create works of art collaboratively. The basis of the project was to develop and promote inclusion within the multitude of groups surrounding the cultural centre.
KIMPPAKUVITUS
The MUKANA art workshops utilize a technique, developed by PIRJO & PURJO PRODUCTIONS members Sanna Jalomäki and her colleague/designer Sinivuokko Koivula, named Kimppakuvitus (spontaneous collaborative technique, transl. 'shared illustration'). The technique is based on a few general principles and accommodates for groups of three or more participants working spontaneously with mixed media and improvising content onto a given surface. What is being created onto a canvas is completely up to each individual, as one of the main principles of the technique is the freedom to create anything you desire. Coupled with this, it is very important to understand that the underlying aim of the process is to work together and improve what another has created (as each participant works on all areas of the shared piece), instead of perhaps dominating or controlling its course. Kimppakuvitus triggers a natural synergy and flow in its participants making it a fantastic way to heighten and improve teamwork which brings about a genuine sense of inclusion.
Exhibiting 21 works of art, the MUKANA project brought together the collaborative work of over 200 people into the Stoa Gallery for a premier exhibition during 9.12.2014 - 4.1.2015.
In addition to the workshops PIRJO & PURJO PRODUCTIONS facilitated the creation of a central installation piece via a live public participatory painting event during Stoa's Day of Festivities on Sunday 26.10.2014. The 7.5 x 2.3 metre installation piece, created by over a hundred members of the public, entitled Idän taikamatto (The Magic Carpet from the East) was also on display at the MUKANA exhibition. See the MUKANA exhibition at Stoa here.
The MUKANA art project photos below by Petra Kumpulainen.
MINÄ - UNELMISTA ARKEEN JA TAKAISIN 2014
Photos taken @ Malmi trade school by Petra Kumpulainen 2014
Minä - unelmista arkeen ja takaisin (Myself - from Dreams to Reality and Back) is a youth art project run by Annantalo / the Helsinki City Cultural Centre for children and youth, in the autumn of 2014 and spring 2015.
Sanna and Pirjo & Purjo Productions were invited to facilitate art workshops for the Annantalo project.
The aim of the art workshops for this particular project was to facilitate grouping, enhance team/group spirit and to unify social skills for young adults who may have communicative challenges in today's fragmented and fast paced society - with the important addition of art bringing joy to each individual's daily experience. All in all we ran art workshops for approx. 50 students in two Helsinki schools (Malmin ammattiopisto & Käpylän yläkoulu).
WATTS ON THE WALL 2012 & 2013
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As a result of feeling the urgency of the youth of Finland in regards to mental and emotional stability and the threat of exclusion from society, Sanna was compelled to respond to their needs - resulting in the birth of youth art project/concept
Watts On the Wall (W.O.W). The project was coordinated and run by a small team (Sanna and colleague Sinivuokko Koivula) under their non-profit organization PIRJO & PURJO PRODUCTIONS (PPP-Art ry). High school students, aged 14-21, created collaborative works of art on 100 x 100 cm canvases using the Kimppakuvitus method. Photos of the pieces were displayed on a 10 x 10 metre outdoor screen at Helsinki's prestigious, centrally located Lasipalatsi building for a 1 and 2 week period, at the end of 2012 and 2013 respectively. Exhibiting the works was a crucial element in giving the youth of Helsinki a valuable platform and greatly needed positive attention in the public eye. By the end of 2013 just over 200 teens had participated in the W.O.W collaborative art workshops with uplifting results. Watts On the Wall was financed and supported by the Ministry of Culture and Education as well as several other key partners such as The Helsinki Cultural Centre and The City Youth Centre Happi. The Minister of Culture and Sports Mr. Paavo Arhinmäki was the official guardian of Watts On the Wall 2012. Feel free to ask for the full reports on Watts On the Wall 2012 and 2013 (pdf.). |