isämme kremlin muurissa
Isämme Kremlin muurissa (1995)
The reference for the text of this performance was the life of communist Hertta Kuusinen, a particularly influential Finnish female politician; the relationship between a daughter and her powerful politician father, who lived in the Soviet and was buried in the walls of the Kremlin; the authoritatively structured relationship between ideology and sexuality. The time image of the text, three transparent landscapes, conceptualised the use of history: the use of power that builds an individual’s/Hertta’s as well as a national/Finnish identities in a way so that “ ‘before’ and ‘after’ are not consecutive moments but the two faces of a puissance, a way of power to a bigger power.” (from the performance text, a citation adaptation from Gilles Deleuze)
The performance searched for possibilities of new politics. It was an attempt to repeat differently, an attempt to move away from representation towards desire, from the stagnation of the masses to the movement of the pack. The body-centred actor’s work, focussed on sensations and movement impulses, was the main site of research for the performance, which was based on the notion that the strongest wall of our time is the hardened flesh of ours, and the most dangerous political movement is the movement of the body. “The movements of the pack in a desert are the bodily impulses for the movement. In following them, is the possibility for new politics.” (from the programme of the piece)
From a contemporary standpoint, the contemporary theatre genre—to which the performance belonged—was then seen as difficult and interesting, but the relationship of the performance to reality was reviewed in Helsingin Sanomat’s political pages.
Premiere
In Helsinki, in the Alppi Hall of Kulttuuritalo 30.4.1995.
(The radio play with the same name, adapted from the play, was broadcasted by Finnish Broadcasting Company 6.10.1994).
Working group
- Text:
Tuija Kokkonen - Planning:
Tuija Kokkonen
Juha-Pekka Hotinen - Direction:
Tuija Kokkonen - Performers:
Leea Klemola
Kaija Pakarinen
Marja Silde - Rauno Ahonen
Risto Kaskilahti - Light design:
Sirje Ruohtula - Sound design:
Jari Kauppinen
Mikko Ahonen (YLE) - Costumes:
Tiina Aromaa - Graphic design:
Mika Aalto-Setälä - Photography
Heli Rekula - Photos of the web pages: stills from the video, camera
Teemu Mäki - Producer:
Irmeli Kokko
Production
Suomen Nykyteatterin Museo
Supported by:
- Arts Council of Finland
- Helsinki City Cultural Office
- Theatre Academy
- Finnish Broadcasting Company
Texts on performance
- Marja-Liisa Lappalainen: ”Hertta Kuusinen kulki isänsä tietä. Tuija Kokkosen näytelmä Kulttuuritalolle..” Iltasanomat 27.4.1995.
- Hannu Harju: ”Ideologin tytär muistelee. Isämme Kremlin muurissa yrittää estää ihmistä kuolemasta aatteiden myötä.” Helsingin Sanomat 3.5.1995.
- Soila Lehtonen: ”Hertta ja Otto-Wille modernin museossa.” Aamulehti 3.5.1995.
- Lauri Meri: ”Herttaa postmodernisti.” Ylioppilaslehti 9/1995.
- Mikael Pietikäinen: ”Kuusisia ei löydetty Kremlin muurista. Suku ja ystävät eivät tunnistaneet Otto Willeä ja Herttaa Kuusis-näytelmästä.” Helsingin Sanomat 19.5.1995.
- Mikael Pietikäinen: ” ’Isä rakasti Suomea.’ ” Helsingin Sanomat 19.5.1995.
- Hannu Harju: ”Nye stemmer – re-evaluering af historien i Finland.” Teatret nr.75, 1995.
- Leena-Maija Rossi: “Seeing Red. Ideology, Politics and the Finnish art in the 1990s.” Magazin Sztuki No. 8, 4/95. 207-225. 226-235.
- Kokkonen:
- ”En (enää) tiedä identiteetti. Ruumis poliittisena alueena: 12 kohtaa vallasta, vaikuttumisesta, liikkeestä ja nautinnosta” in Moniääninen 60-luku. Ed. Hanna-Leena Helavuori. Helsinki: Theatre Museum 1996. 104-113.
- ”Ruumis esityksenä eli esityksen äänensävyä kuuntelemassa.” Theatre Journal 3/1995.