STATES OF CONTROL

Khalid Albaih, Mark Boswell, Culturunners, Stephen Duncombe, Yevgeniy Fiks, Kalle Hamm and Dzamil Kamanger, Alevtina Kakhidze, Mikhail Kaluzhsky, Agnieszka Kurant, Rabih Mroué, Emily Newman, Mikhail Tolmachev, Tamir Zadok.

Opening on Thu 17 Aug at 18:00
On view: 17 Aug–01 Oct, 2017 (Tue–Sat*: noon-16:00)
*On Sun 01 Oct the exhibition will be open as well 13:00–16:00
Guided tours every Sat at 14:30
HIAP Gallery Augusta (Suomenlinna B 28/2, Helsinki)

Lado Darakhvelidze: Cooking The New Planet
Opening: Sat 05 Aug at 17:00
On view: 05 Aug – 01 Oct, 2017
OPEN 24 / 7
Alkovi (Helsinginkatu 19, Kallio, Helsinki)

Curated by Creative Association of Curators TOK (Anna Bitkina and Maria Veits), “States of Control” aims at constructing a continuous dialogue between artists and the public of different ages and generations in order to stimulate critical thinking around the topics of information manipulation, the history of propaganda, post-truth and constructing news during times of political unrest. The project proposes and tests different methods of historical analysis, journalistic investigation, and creation of additional media discourses. What are the limits of control when it comes to controlling media and who actually owns information? Is it possible to avoid propaganda at all? Or will the ones in power always impose their vision on the oppressed and rewrite facts and history according to their interests? The initiators of ‘States of Control’ create a safe and censorship free environment where these questions can be discussed and opposing political statements can be accepted and taken under consideration for further analysis.

Fourteen projects and works presented at the exhibition–both existing and commissioned by TOK–raise issues related to the media: the role of art in the state propaganda process both in totalitarian and democratic regimes, power relations between the government and free media, artistic approaches to creating alternative unofficial information channels, the immediate response of artists to current sociopolitical events and those that have happened in the past, a change in ideological paradigms and the reflection of that in official historical discourse.

The exhibition, curated by the Creative Association of Curators TOK and conducted in collaboration with HIAP and URB Festival, is presented at two main venues: Alkovi Gallery and HIAP Gallery Augusta. It consists of a broad variety of works and includes political cartoons and caricatures, prints, combinations of archival and fictional materials, reconstruction of political events, a new performative play, video installations, murals, collages, found materials, collections of books, and other projects.

More information about the project available at http://tok-spb.org/new/en/states-of-control

The exhibition will be accompanied by the performative talk show “I’ve Got the Power!” on media reality, propaganda and post-truth with the participation of experts on media studies, journalists and exhibition artists. Speakers include Maxim Alyukov, Saara Ratilainen, Kalle Hamm, Alevtina Kakhidze, Mikhail Kaluzhsky, Anna Bitkina, and Maria Veits. The show anchorman is Denis Maksimov (Avenir Institute).

The project “States of Control” is a part of the HIAP Connecting Points programme and is supported by Kone Foundation and The Ministry of Education and Culture of Finland. The project is conducted in collaboration with URB Festival 2017.

Programme:

Sat Aug 05, 5-6pm Lado Darakhvelidze: Cooking The New Planet at Alkovi

Tue Aug 08, 7-8pm Play “Like It, Fake It” by Mikhail Kaluzhsky (part of URB17) at HIAP

The Aug 17, 6pm Opening of the exhibition “States of Control” at HIAP
7-8pm Play “Like It, Fake It” by Mikhail Kaluzhsky (part of URB17)

Sat Aug 19, 5-7pm Performative talk show “I’ve Got The Power” at HIAP

Exhibition title image: The color of the exhibition poster corresponds with the color identity of the Windows 3.11 – operational computer system that started in 1993 to use elements of virtual memory which increased information flow and data storage tremendously. This Windows version was the first easily networked OS for the masses. Designed by Mark Kalinin, 2017.