Harrie Liveart awarded year-long workspace residency at HIAP Suomenlinna

“It all started 2008 on the rooftop at the shore of the Pea Island when two minds successfully melted in the warming spring sun. The merging flood of blasting ideas gathered themselves during a year before the flux. Now we are sailing where it brings us…” —Harrie Liveart

HIAP is pleased to announce that Saija Kassinen (b. 1983) and Meri Linna (b. 1982), from Harrie Liveart duo, are sailing their way to Suomenlinna. They have been awarded the 2016–17 Studio Scholarship by the Academy of fine Arts Foundation and will be in residence at HIAP starting from October 1, 2016, as published by the Fine Arts Academy’s website here.

The selection was made by the Board of the Academy of fine Arts Foundation together with HIAP Curator Jenni Nurmenniemi. Jenni emphasises the high quality of the applications and the interest expressed by many applicants to become an active part of HIAP international residency community. According to her, the one-year residency in Suomenlinna can provide the fellows both a peaceful environment for deeply focused artistic work as well as international connections.

The Academy of Fine Arts Foundation Chair Mauri Niemi explains that the foundation wanted to support a newly graduated artist with strong potential for achieving international merits. Mauri points out that Saija and Meri’s work, both independent and collaborative, is of high quality and the workspace stipendium provided by the foundation will allow the artists to further develop Harrie Liveart’s persona over a full year time.

Saija and Meri have both studied at the Academy of Fine Arts. Since 2010 they have been working with performances and installations under their common will named Harrie Liveart. Their works have been presented in festivals such as Mänttä Art Festival in 2015 and most recently at EMAP media Festival, Seoul in 2016. More about their work at Harrie Liveart website here.

Image: Nomadic Nanostate, “The flag: The courtship of the bug,” 2015, by Harrie Liveart. Photo by Harrie Liveart.