MERI HIETALA

*Merri Hellisnt*

Multidisciplinary artist; performance, environmental art, sound art, installation art, curatorial work, tutor, community art

Biography

Meri Hietala is a multidisciplinary artist currently based in North Carelia Finland. She creates performances, site specific installations, happenings and sound art. Their artistic work can be also categorized as environmental and participatory art, she often collaborates in multimedia projects, sharing their sound and body based practice.

Hietala has exhibited in solo and group shows and created public installations, sound art and performance art actions in Europe and Australia since 2007. Inspiration for her are dirt and plants, ash, mushrooms as well as fresh and endangered sounds. She explores inner and outer environments with physical and acoustic methods. Their performances explore fertility, waste, dreams, time, ancestral lineages, collective organisms and skins as borders. 

Hietala founded Energia Akatemia 2018, which organizes international workshops in performance art. Energia Akatemia gathers professionals from various fields to conduct workshops in rural settings. Themes; Body – Sound – Environment and Interdependence – Ecology – Art. Hietala has a Master of Arts degree from Environmental art studies (Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Helsinki 2014) and a pedagogical degree (Häme University of Applied Sciences 2018). She is currently chairperson of KOUTA ry (Kouvola Artists´ association). She is in founding team of artist run Woikka contemporary gallery (Hietala, Hanna Peräkylä, Anniina Salo) in Voikkaa, Kouvola since 2022.

*******

Biografia

Meri Hietala toimii vapaana kuvataiteilijana ja työskentelee monitaiteisesti performanssitaiteen sekä ympäristö-, installaatio- ja äänitaiteen parissa. Hän on pedagogi, galleristi ja kuratoi taidenäyttelyitä sekä poikkitaiteellisia tapahtumia.

Hietala on osallistunut näyttely- ja performanssitaidetoimintaan Suomessa ja ulkomailla vuodesta 2007 alkaen sekä tehnyt taideteoksia ja interventioita julkiseen tilaan. Hietala toimii (performanssi)taiteen kentällä myös työpajojen tuottajana ja ohjaajana, mm. vuonna 2018 aloittamansa projektin Energia Akatemia tiimoilta. Koulutukseltaan Hietala on taiteen maisteri (Aalto-yliopiston taiteiden ja suunnittelun korkeakoulu, 2014) ja pedagogi (HAMK 2018).

Hietala käyttää taiteen tekemisessä välineenä ja materiaaleina kehoaan, löydöksiä ja tallenteita metsästä ja lähiympäristöstä. Paikkasidonnaisuus on työskentelyn ytimessä. Hietala tutkii sisäisiä ja ulkoisia ympäristöjä samoillen sekä käyttäen erilaisia keho- ja äänimetodeja. Aika kiinnostaa häntä performanssitaiteen teossa, etenkin sen määritteleminen suhteessa ihmiskehoon. Aiheina Hietala käsittelee usein ritualistisesti kollektiivisesta alitajunnasta, unista, kumpuavia havaintoja. Hietala tutkii ääntä ympäristössään ilmiönä universaalista fyysisestä kielestä. Etenkin hedelmällisyys, kasvikunnan viettelys ja äiti maa ovat olleet teosten keskiössä viime vuosina. Hietala tekee mielellään yhteisöllisiä teoksia ja monitaiteellisia yhteistyöprojekteja, joissa uudet tekemisen muodot inspiroivat tuntemattomaan heittäytymisen (mm. Ahtautuminen-kehollinen tutkimusmatka vuodesta 2014 alkaen Helsinkiläisen kuvataiteilija Antti Ahosen kanssa, VIPAW Venice International Performance Art Week, Performance Opera, 2017 Venetsia, Italia, #dreamingpod interaktiivinen multimedia teoskokonaisuus, Kouvolan taidemuseo Poikilo, 2020 ja Yhteispuisto 2020-, Kouvola). Hietala asuu ja työskentelee tällä hetkellä Pohjois-Karjalassa. Hän on mukana WOIKKA contemporary gallerian Voikkaalle vuonna 2022 perustaneessa työryhmässä (Meri Hietala, Hanna Peräkylä, Anniina Salo). 

 

Artistic Statement

“For me the action is exploring the visible and touchable landscapes of mapped trails and reaching beyond these societal tracks. Sniffing the story lines, composing auditive and etheric cosmograms, celebrating the diversity.

My mission is to challenge the structures, imported restricting behavioral manners for all the living hybrids, with time and squeeze  I let this borrowed multi-sensorial temple to sink and introduce possible unions with the eternal patterns, movement and systems.

Be – longing

Another kind of dream state. This applies in various levels when creating sounds and performance. At times these actions can be installed into material communication.

Hearing the unvisible.

Caressing the waters of mother earth

and splashing in search for the collective rhythm in the universes.”

 

 

 

Curriculum Vitae

Member of

Kouta ry (Kouvola Artists Association, member 2015-, chair of the board 2021-23), Kaakon taide (member of board 2021-23), MUU ry (member 2019-), Vadelma ry (member 2013-), Finnish Bio Art Society (member 2012-), Ars Nova ry (member 2023-)

Education

International Professional Teacher Education Degree, Häme University of Applied Sciences, Finland 2018

MA Environmental Arts, Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland 2014

BA Textile arts and design, University of Art and Design, Helsinki, Finland 2009

Studies Art in Public Space, RMIT, Melbourne, Australia 2008

Selected performances

2023

22.7. <<Maan>> puolustusvoimat <<Earth>> Forces with Aino Johansson, Live Art day Perhosniitty, Art Center Antares, Sippola, Finland

11.3. Meri Hietala and Maija Kivi, “9th March Performative Arts Festival”, Metropol Kapp, Tallinn, Estonia

2022

30.10. <<Maan>> puolustusvoimat <<Earth>> Forces with Aino Johansson, Spheres of Care, Huolenpidon piirit, Wauhaus & Aliisa Talja, Vuotalo, Helsinki, Finland

29.10. K.O.E.L.S.E. show, Meri Hietala & Maija Kivi, Abduction of geniuses, Maunulatalo, Helsinki, Finland

27.8. Meri Hietala, R.A.W. (Relational Art Week), Myymälä2, Helsinki, Finland

21.8. Meri Hietala, Makamik fest, Helsinki, Finland

13-14.8. <<Maan>> puolustusvoimat with Aino Johansson, Mustarinda, Elojuhlat, Hyrynsalmi, Finland

5.6. Garden of Dreams, #dreamingpod Maailman ympäristöpäivän istutusseremonia, Yhteispuisto, Kouvola, Finland

25.5. Meri Hietala, performanssi, MHAW (MentalHealthArtWeek) – Kouvolan mielenterveysseura ry, Kouvola, Finland

2021

27.11. Meri Hietala, Kultsi Klubi-kaupunkiluonto Omenapuutalo Lapinlahti, Helsinki

25.9. Special live performance Meri Hietala & Maija Kivi together with K.O.E.L.S.E. at Pori Ars Megastore opening event, Pori, Finland

26.8. Meri Hietala & Aino Johansson, <<Maan>> puolustusvoimien Myötätunnon harjoitteita/
<<Earth>> Forces: Exercises on Evolution of Empathy, Yö Fest: Performance art event 1.1, Yö Gallery, Helsinki, Finland

24-25.7. Meri Hietala & Aino Johansson, <<Maan>> puolustusvoimat – <<Earth>> forces, Jättömaa kylässä, Huhdasjärvi, Jaala, Kouvola, Finland

5.6. Garden of Dreams, planting ceremony, World´s environment day, Kouvola community park, Finland

16.1. solo Meri Hietala: Kuu kasvaa – Kyy nousee, OK 11 gallery, Helsinki, Finland

2020

27.11. Dear Diego, Meri Hietala & Henri Tuomi, Vadelma Club, Helsinki City Museum, Finland

19.8. Existing, Meri Hietala & Henri Tuomi, Hirvitalo Center of Contemporary Art, Tampere, Finland

17.8. JÄLKI performance (collaboration Meri Hietala, Tuulia Kasonen, Henri Tuomi), Vadelma ry´s group exhibition “Hetkinen…”, Hirvitalo Center of Contemporary Art, Tampere

1.8. Existing, Meri Hietala & Henri Tuomi featuring Light body, Jättömaa Pihalla, Voikkaa, Finland

5.6. Garden of Dreams, planting ceremony, World´s environment day, Kouvola community park. Second phase from the Dreaming Pod installation, Kouvola Artists association´s KOUTA ry´s group exhibition “Myötä”, Kouvola Art Museum Poikilo, Finland

2019

Existing Room video- and live performance, Meri Hietala & Henri Tuomi, Asbestos Art Space, Helsinki

Synty (eng. birth) solo performance in Silmänkääntötemppu-cross art Urban Art festival – kaupunkitaidefestivaali, Kouvola, Finland

Existing Room video- and live performance, Meri Hietala & Henri Tuomi, Kino Iiriksen AaVeet, Lahti

shRoom ritual, solo Performance, Performance evening-curated by Aino Johansson during her solo show Pimeä Valo (Dark Light), Asbestos Art Space, Helsinki

2018

November 30th-December 1st “P.S. Time!” solo performances, Performance Site, Den Haag, Netherlands

September 2nd Ahtautuminen (English “Squeezing”) Meri Hietala & Antti Ahonen, Wasteland festival, Jättömaa menee metsään, Kouvola, Finland

August 23rd Aqua Mana solo performance, Asian wind Finnish wood, Galleria Kookos, Helsinki, Finland

July 5 day International Performance Art Workshop – Body – Sound- environment.  Organized by Energia Akatemia (founder Meri Hietala) in collaboration with Artcenter Antares, Sippola, Finland www.energiaakatemia.com

June Aqua Mana solo performance, Culture moon Pecko, Huhdasjärvi, Finland

March Aqua Mana solo performance, Aller Retour näyttely @ Galleria Lapinlahti, Helsinki, Finland

2017

VIPAW, Venice International Performance Art Week, Group perf and solo Aqua Mana, Venice, Italy

Aqua Mana solo performances Long durationals, PAB Open, Performance Art Bergen, Bergen, Norway

VeinEmoinen/Aqua Mana solo, Taidekeskus Antares, Performance art Day, Sippola, Finland

Ahtautuminen, Meri Hietala & Antti Ahonen, Olohuone 306,4m2 Urban art festival, Turku, Finland

Aqua Mana Solo sound performance, PATO club Ambient initiated by Esa Kotilainen, Taideruukki, Kuusankoski, Finland

Kalervo Palsa demo (invited by working group Katri Kainulainen, Maximilliam Latva, Antti Ahonen, Arttu Kurttila), Mad House, Erkki Pirtola’s Memorial, Suvilahti, Helsinki, Finland

2016

Lihallinen joulukalenteri – Meaty xmas calendar, 1-24.12. Meri Hietala & Antti Ahonen, Reikä Gallery, Helsinki, Finland

Solo performance “A La Toopi”, Oksasenkatu 11 Gallery, opening of Suburbia exhibition by Katri Kainulainen and Antti Ahonen, Helsinki, Finland

Shower Opera collective performance with Maija Saksman, Maippi Ketola, Mariam Haji, Wasteland festival, Kouvola, Finland

“Lowe Dag 27” solo performances as part of Intercessions Open performance event, Scratch Art Space, part of Marrickville Art Trail, Sydney Art Month, Australia

2015

Solo “Xmash Xhams” for LOCO Live performance festival, curated by Katya Petetskaya, Loco Project, Sydney, Australia

Performance “Xhams”, via skype in collaboration with Aamunkoiton Siat; Katri Kainulainen, Ella Tahkolahti, Maximilliam Latva, Antti Ahonen for Porin Juhlaviikot, Pori, Finland

Aqua Mana performance, collaboration with dancer Bonnie Curtis, On the CUSP, Bangarra Studio Dance Theater, Sydney, Australia

Ahtautuminen, Meri Hietala & Antti Ahonen, into Plastic Bottle Sea, invited by Kaisa Salmi, Kouvola Art Museum, Kouvola, Finland

Ahtautuminen, Meri Hietala & Antti Ahonen, Ars Auttoinen, invited by Komugi Ando, Finland

Ahtautuminen, Meri Hietala & Antti Ahonen, Eskusplosion12H, ESKUS Suvilahti, Helsinki, Finland

Ahtautuminen, Meri Hietala & Antti Ahonen, invited by Komugi Ando, Gallery Katariina, Helsinki, Finland

2014

“Closed violinist” Gallery 3H+K, Porin Juhlaviikot, Pori, Finland

SAHASTRA (Meri Hietala & Hanna Kaisa Vainio), Wasteland Festival, Kouvola, Finland

Reptile collaboration with Ranjit Menon, Jättömaa Wasteland Festival, Kouvola, Finland

BondAge1 performance collaboration with Aino Johansson, Gallery 3H + K, Pori, Finland

“Under the Urban Blanket” audiovisual collaboration with Chika Matsuda, screened @ MicrofilmFestival around Europe (Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin)

SAHASTRA (Meri Hietala & Hanna Kaisa Vainio) tour Barcelona, collaboration with Riders of Lost Current and Vj KSNK: NOOK culture center, NIU, Telenoika and school venues in Barcelona, Spain

Collaboration with Riders of the Lost Current, Ars Lieke iltamat, Kouvola, Finland

2013

SAHASTRA (Meri Hietala & Hanna Kaisa Vainio) tour Helsinki; XL Art Space (with Vj KSNK), Pop Up Art House Diana stage (with Vj KSNK), Hissimusaa (music in the lift)Vallila festival, Mustekala 10th year anniversary, Akkuna Gallery & Tovi Gallery Lasipalatsi, Helsinki, Finland

2012

Camouflage – Living Sculpture painting with Vj James Wright, Racket 20, Experimental Arts, Sounds&Visuals Club @ Miss Libertines, Melbourne, Australia

Dead Ants Trio; Merri Hellisnt & Troy Naumoff & Kevin Lo, Miss Libertines, Melbourne, Australia

2011

Dead Ants Rainbow, sound art, Black Market, Gasometer, Melbourne, Australia

Fire Bird – Living Sculpture painting, Racket 16, Miss Libertines, Melbourne, Australia

Selected exhibitions and installations

2023

1.-30.9. <<Maan>>puolustusvoimat <<Earth>>forces Meri Hietala ja Aino Johansson, Maa-tila art space, Helsinki

1.-30.7. MeTässä Meri Hietala & Tuulia Kasonen, Heinävesi library, Heinävesi, Finland

4.-28.4. Kanssakulkijat, Kouta ry group exhibition, curated by Ria Andrews, Kuusankoskitalo Gallery, Kouvola, Finland

3.4.-1.5. Meri Hietala: Moi Aki Ra Kin, WOIKKA contemporary, Kouvola, Finland

8.-26.3.  MeTässä Meri Hietala & Tuulia Kasonen, Taidekeskus Ahjo, Joensuu, Finland

2022

22.-27.8. Meri Hietala: Echoes on Cycles and Space, Myymälä2 Process wall during R.A.W., Helsinki, Finland

3.3.-30.3.2022 Meri Hietala: Echoes on Cycles and Space, solo exhibition, Galleria Kuja, Helsinki, Finland

2.-30.1.2022 Pientä rajaa! Kouta ry group exhibition, Pato Gallery, Taideruukki, Kouvola, Finland

2021

12.6.-29.8.2021, Meri Hietala & Antti Ahonen, Avantgardevekkula: Polttava tarve, Taidelaitos Haihatus, Joutsa, Finland

3.2.-25.4.2021, Meri Hietala & Antti Ahonen, Matkalla Maan Keskipisteeseen-Central Finland Exhibition, Chapter 3, Saarijärven museo – Saarijärvi Museum, Finland

2020

19.9.2020-30.3.2021, Meri Hietala & Antti Ahonen, Matkalla Maan Keskipisteeseen-Central Finland Exhibition, Chapter 2, Jyväskylä Art Museum Holvi, Jyväskylä, Finland

February-April, #dreamingpod installation – communal art project and paintings in Kouvola Artists association´s group exhibition titled Myötä, Kouvola Art Museum Poikilo, Kouvola, Finland

2019

1.-21.12. Meri Hietala: Casting the birds, solo exhibition, Asbestos Art Space, Helsinki, Finland

Art Fair Suomi 2019 (AFS 2019), Meri Hietala & Antti Ahonen, DIY Ahtautuminen, Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki, Finland

2018

Hospitality, Productivity, Mystery, Meri Hietala & Antti Ahonen, Third Space Gallery, Helsinki, Finland

VeinEmoinen dot paintings in “Art – Tool”, Group Exhibition, Antares Art center, Sippola, Finland

Culture moon Pecko, environmental art group exhibition, in jury and organizing, also “Stinging Passage” art installation in the exhibition, Huhdasjärvi, Finland

RASi 637 group exhibition, in jury and organizing, Kouta Gallery, Kouvola, Finland

2017

Solo exhibition “VeinEmoinen-Aqua Mana”, Kouta Gallery, Kouvola, Finland

2016

Sound installation “Tearing the muse” for Art Trail, ‘Fractangular Gathering’, Tasmania, Australia

2015

Ahtautuminen exhibition Meri Hietala & Antti Ahonen for group show OK11 – Open Call 1, Gallery Oksasenkatu 11, Helsinki, Finland

2014

Ahtautuminen installation Meri Hietala & Antti Ahonen for T.E.H.D.A.S. Live and Dead Art exhibition in Pori Museum of Art, Pori, Finland

Ahtautuminen exhibition Meri Hietala & Antti Ahonen, Gallery 3H +K, Pori, Finland

REPTILE exhibition with Ranjit Menon, AMF Gallery, Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland

Soiva Metsä collective sound junk installation in forest @Jättömaa Festival, Kouvola, Finland

About Love group exhibition, curated by Aino Johansson, Gallery oYoY, Lahti, Finland

Rendez Vous Cellular exhibition Meri Hietala & Hanna Kaisa Vainio, NOOK Gallery, Barcelona, Spain

2013

Ton+Ton exhibition Meri Hietala & Hanna Kaisa Vainio, Tovi Gallery, Lasipalatsi, Helsinki, Finland

Solo exhibition *POLUTON*, Kasematti IV Gallery, Harakka saari, Helsinki, Finland

2012

Monniponix installation, Meri Hietala & Hanna Kaisa Vainio, Testaushalli – Laboratory Environmental Art group show@AAH, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland

Wooden Sculpture series “Dreamtime creation story” for Mia Mia Aboriginal Art Gallery, Westerfolds Park, Melbourne, Australia

2011

ScanArt 2011 Group Show, 1000 Pound Bend Gallery, Melbourne, Australia

“WeB”, Hikulagi Environmental Sculpture park, Niue, South Pacific Ocean, New Zealand

NoTiced for Meirami collective in Group Show “Belonging”, Bahrain

2010

”Feather Gardens” sculpture for MoreArt, Moreland City Council Public Art Show, Melbourne, Australia

ScanArt 2010 Group Show, 1000 Pound Bend Gallery, Melbourne, Australia

2009

*memorial* Solo Art exhibition, Galleria Aralis, Helsinki, Finland

“Take Away” Group exhibition, Galleria Johan S, Helsinki, Finland

*MeMeMeMe* Solo Art Installation, Esplanadi Park, Helsinki, Finland

”ArtAttacks” Solo exhibition , Imagine Art Residency, Coomba, NSW, Australia

2008

Group exhibition/Xmas Auction, Guildford lane Gallery, Melbourne, Australia

”Page 702” Solo exhibition , Eisenberg´s Gallery, The Victorian Museum Of Contemporary Art, Melbourne, Australia

Poste SF Group show , Melbourne Street Art Festival, Famous When Dead Gallery, Melbourne, Australia

2007

Menkka Haukka Anti Fashion Show Tour, Collection ”!McEstae!”, Helsinki & Porvoo, Finland

Permanent public art works

“Creation story, Brolga Dreaming”, wood sculpture cypress pine, 2012, for Mia Mia Aboriginal Art Gallery, Alistair Knox Park, Melbourne, Australia

“WeB”, 2011, Hikulagi Environmental Sculpture park, Niue, South Pacific Ocean, New Zealand

“MissSpell”, wood sculpture, by the Merri Creek, 2012, Ceres Environmental Park, Melbourne, Australia

Residencies and Workshops

2023 Aug-Sept HIAP, Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland

2023 July, Kiviniemi, Kontiolahti, Finland

2023 Jan-Feb Old Mine Residency, Outokumpu, Finland

2022 Dec Gjesteatelieret i Vadsø – Vadsø guest studio, Norway

2022 Kasviaika/Plöntutíð performance art residency, A-i-R Mustarinda, Hyrynsalmi, Finland

2021 A-i-R Mustarinda, Hyrynsalmi, Finland

2019 Open Access Workshop, GRRRANIT SN, Belfort, France

2017-18 A-i-R Antares Art Center –  Taidekeskus Antares, Sippola, Finland

2017 Climate Whirl Workshop, Shift Register, Hyytiälän Metsäasema – Hyytiälä Forestry Field Station, Juupajoki, Finland

2017 Kilpisjärvi Biological Station, Finnish Bio Art Society, Finland

2015 Climate Whirl Workshop, The Art of Measuring the Woods, Hyytiälän Metsäasema – Hyytiälä Forestry Field Station, Juupajoki, Finland

2015 A-i-R Imagine, Coomba, NSW, Australia

2013-17 RASi637, Kouvola, Finland

2012 Kilpisjärvi Biological Station, Finnish Bio Art Society, Finland

2010 Blender Studios, Melbourne, Australia

2009 A-i-R Imagine, Coomba, NSW, Australia

Grants

2023 Kansan Sivistysrahasto, Kymenlaakson rahasto

2022 Finnish Cultural Foundation, Kymenlaakso, project grant

2022 Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Kaakkois-Suomi, project and working grant

2022 Kymi 100-year Foundation

2022 Arts Promotion Centre Finland, corona grant

2021 Arts Promotion Centre Finland, working grant (kuvataiteen näyttöapuraha – visual arts)

2020 Finnish Cultural Foundation, Kymenlaakso, working grant

2020 VISEK, working group Hietala & Tuomi

2019 Kymi 100-year Foundation

2018 Finnish Cultural Foundation, Kymenlaakso, project and working grant

2017 Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Kaakkois-Suomi, working grant

2017 Frame travel grant

2016 Frame travel grant

2014 Arts Promotion Centre Finland, residency grant

Publications

Antimilitaristi 3/2020

Hillo #7, Vadelma ry member zine, editor in chief, 2020

Tiloissa & Ajoissa Performance Art magazine, DIY Performanssi: Ahtautuminen (Hietala & Ahonen), 2020

Ahtautuminen zine Vol 1, Meri Hietala and Antti Ahonen, 2021

Selected music and sound art

Kuupulu band – violin, percussions, mouth harp, 2018-

Klava band – violin, percussions, 2016-

Ruthless Pudding (Meri Hietala & Jarkko Kela), violin, 2017-

Death Ants Trio – violin, 2010-11

On the Records;

Klava; Polku, 2019

A.Takalo 20:21, 2022 (violin)

Compositions;

Aino Johansson Butoh performance, Helsinki Butoh Festival, 2022

“Aqua Mana” sound piece for “micro process”, curated by Irina Mutt, Nau Estruch, Barcelona, Spain, 2015

IG:

https://www.instagram.com/rime_c7/