The Silent People arrives in Kuopio

Kuopio Dance Festival will participate in the 250th anniversary celebrations of the city of Kuopio by bringing Reijo Kela’s iconic art installation The Silent People to the city.

In honor of the anniversary, 250 figures will be set up near Syvänniemi manor, with additional moving parts of the artwork displayed in the Kuopio city center. The installation in Syvänniemi will be unveiled on June 6th, the opening day of the Kuopio Dance Festival, and will remain in place until the arrival of snow.

The Silent People will also come to life in an unprecedented way, as during the first three days of the festival, it will feature performances by Reijo Kela and musician Heikki Laitinen as part of the artwork.

Kela is dancer, choreographer and performance artist, who has frequently performed at the Kuopio Dance Festival festival over the years. Having spent most of his long career as an independent artist, Kela has been awarded the Pro Finlandia medal, the Finland Prize, and the State Award for Public Information, among others.

“It’s amazing to return to Kuopio to perform again. I think the last time I was here was in the late ’90s, in the previous millennium,” he laughs.

In addition to the Syvänniemi performances, The Silent People will spread into the city center on June 13th and 14th. In these moving performances, around 30-50 figures will be seen together with Reijo Kela, Heikki Laitinen, and accordion artist Kimmo Pohjonen. Pohjonen has captivated audiences around the world with his unique compositions, often combining electro-acoustic soundscapes and strong visual elements.

The artwork’s creation is open to participation

The Silent People is a well-known environmental art installation consisting of a thousand figures with peat heads. It has been on display in Suomussalmi since 1994 and has garnered significant international attention. Versions of the artwork have been created in Norway and England, and it has been awarded the Finland award (a significant award of the cultural field in Finland).

The work is being brought to Kuopio at the initiative of Kuopio Dance Festival’s new artistic director, Kenneth Kvarnström.

“The idea of bringing The Silent People to Kuopio was one of the first thoughts I had when I was selected as the artistic director: I wanted to see the piece in some form in Kuopio,” he explains.

According to Kvarnström, one of the reasons for the work’s appeal is its participatory nature. As with the installation in Suomussalmi, residents of Kuopio can contribute to its creation by donating clothes and dressing the figures.

“The entire project offers many opportunities for people to be involved both in making and experiencing the piece. The Silent People can be experienced in many different ways, depending on one’s mood or even the weather,” says Kvarnström.

“I hope that people will find something personal in t he artwork – perhaps a secret or even a sense of silence among the figures.”

A historical lake landscape as the setting

Kuopio Dance Festival coordinates together with the Syvänniemi village association and the Hermanni theatre the collection of clothing and the actual dressing of the figures.

The artwork is funded by the Saastamoinen Foundation. Marja Karttunen from the foundation describes the choice of Syvänniemi for the installation:

“When the foundation was presented with the idea of placing The Silent People in Syvänniemi, we were immediately excited about the opportunity to contribute to Kuopio’s 250th anniversary. At the beginning of 2024, the foundation acquired the old Saastamoinen roll factory site, with plans to develop it into an international residence for art and science. Kela’s artwork fits perfectly into this environment: it sits in the industrial setting overlooking the lake, reminding us of the past while looking confidently towards the future.”

“The placement of the work in this area is a nod toward the future. We hope that volunteers and the audience will enjoy experiencing the iconic work in the historic landscape of Syvänniemi next summer.”

Kuopio Dance Festival festival is also excited about the installation’s location.

“It’s great that we can bring activities to the region outside of Kuopio’s city center through this artwork,” says festival director Salima Peippo.

During the festival, from June 6th to 14th, there will be free bus transportation to the Syvänniemi installation.

More details and precise schedules will be announced closer to the event.