Inari Virmakoski FINLAND

Инари Вирмакоски ФИНЛЯНДИЯ

Art studies Visual Artist, Art Academy MAA, Helsinki 1992-1995 The Evening Class of the Art Academy MAA, Helsinki 1991-1992 Visual Arts studies at the Adult Education College of Orivesi 1990-1991 Accademia di Belle Arti , Perugia Italy 1985 Additional art studies Mozambican Finnish Art Seminar and Cultural Exchange Visit to Mozambique, Maputo 1998 The Estetics of the Bogland, Seminar In Ilomantsi, Finland 1998 Finnish Mozambican Art Seminar at Loimaa, Finland 1997 Other studies Specialist Radiographer, Helsinki 1978 Radiographer, Helsinki

Been doing performances since 1994. Have worked several years in Africa/ Concern of our spiritual and ecological environment originates and finds reflection in art work. Have participated several performance festivals in Finland and Baltic Countries, in Africa, Mozambique and Cuba, Havana, Kyoto.

Windritual CLIMATENETS AND BALLOONS . The contents and form of my work originates from my visit to Kyoto, Japan, May 2001. The installation consists of mosquito-nets, which I have hanged around in forests, parks, trees and bridges, in different milieu and neighbourhoods where people move. Mosquito-nets remind me of humble beggar-monks standing outside the Temples of Kyoto. Sometimes I use white and red balloons. The audience participates by releasing the balloons in the air. The colours get wider significance in countries like Poland and Japan where the colours of the national flag are red and white. My intention is to take this work around the Baltic Sea Countries, and so-far I have managed to take it to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland. During the Marrakesh Climate-protocol follow-up meeting last October the installation was taken to Kuopio famous ski-jump hill Puijo. These photographs are taken in Poland, Pietrkow Trybunalski, where I performed in a public park and was assisted by a Japanese artist Anti-Cool (Tomoko Takahashi), May 2002. I performed the same piece in Helsinki and Kuopio again in the meeting of PAND-artists for peace in June 2002.