STUDIO: Dream Land | Taidehalli

The Arctic Hysteria exhibition coincides with the opening of Dream Land (Tarja in Wonderland), a video work by the artist duo Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen. The video is a compilation of dreams about Tarja Halonen, President of the Republic. Having advertised for dreams people had had about the President, the artists received more than 70 replies. Some twenty dreams were selected for the final video. They tell about the emotions, wishes and needs people project onto the leader of their community.

In the dreams sent in by Finns, the President of the Republic usually appears in people's homes and everyday situations. Dream Land (Tarja in Wonderland) shows the President singing a tango tune, paying a surprise visit or standing up in the middle of a summit of leaders to do break-time stretching exercises. While most of the dreams are about a nice and quite ordinary Tarja, there is also one nightmare.

The Kalleinens' famous work Complaints Choir showed that serious matters can also be addressed with humour. Dream Land (Tarja in Wonderland) is a similarly hilarious study of the President in the land of dreams. From the dreams of her subjects, the Kalleinens have constructed an unofficial portrait of the nation’s official figurehead. The video is not exclusively concerned with the President, however. The artists are also interested in hierarchies and people's attitudes towards authorities.

From Kunsthalle Helsinki, the work will travel to the art museums of Mikkeli and Rauma and to the Aine Art Museum in Tornio. Also visit http://www.ykon.org/kochta-kalleinen/.