Maija Hirvanen

Finland, b. 1977.

MA in Visual Culture, Helsinki University of Arts and Design/Pori, 2007.

BA in Performing Arts, Crossing Borders-education, Turku Art Academy, 2003.

Additional education in dance and writing.

First sound art work: Dialogue, 2001

In my work, often taking form at the crossroads of performance, dance, video and writing, sound has played a supportive and crucial part. The waves meeting the ear, the frequencies tuning into the worlds of hissing and traffic lights. In movement work, the senses of gravity and balance are linked to that invisible material of sound that the body embraces. I can be taken off balance and be supported, in many means of the expression, by sound. And my sound can create events.

Depending on the place and context, my interests might be poetic, social, political, visual, conceptual, communicative or linguistic. Often my work, how-ever, draws from different concepts of the human body.

My pieces have been presented since 1999 at different festivals, events and art spaces in Fin-land, several European countries and Russia. Collaboration, dialogic art practices and discussion are central parts of my activities. As a part of my cultural participation, I write articles and critiques on art.

Often I’ve been writing sounds in between words, reading them then out loud as sounds in my performances. How is your dog becomes how is your wofwof when red out. I’ve been also writing sounds that don’t necessarily exist, that are fictional or conceptual in nature. The sound of thoughts is something I’ve been after for a long time, hopefully never catching that wave though. And the sound of speaking, of dialogues…

So for my work, sound is been a conceptual tool, often to do with writing. I’ve made performance pieces, where all other elements like actions, choreography, video, will follow a pre- composed sound track. The duration of sound has guided a precise timing for a performance. I’ve collaborated with studio musicians and sound designers to support a performative concept.

maijahirvanen@yahoo.com