ANTI Festival 2019 in Kuopio Explores Death Through Performance

The 18th edition of ANTI Contemporary Art Festival took place in Kuopio, Finland, from September 10 to 15, 2019, under the theme of death. Artistic directors Johanna Tuukkanen and Gregg Whelan curated a program spanning performance, dance, and theatre. The festival featured works by artists from Europe, Australia, and the United States, including Loren Kronemyer's 'After Erika Eiffel,' a performance celebrating archer Erika Eiffel while critiquing violence culture. The British collective Moth presented 'In the face of Death,' a secular graphic system of death symbols inspired by the 2011 Utøya massacre. Finnish artist J. A. Juvani's 'Tanatologia' installation comprised copies of a modern Book of the Dead, while Lucy Willow's 'The Mourner. Lamentation in dust' combined visual art and performance to explore grief. Maria Lucia Cruz Correia's 'Voice of nature: The Trial' staged a theatrical trial condemning humanity for ecocide. The festival also hosted the Future DiverCities Lab, directed by Christopher Higgins of MAP Consortium, within a shopping center, facilitating workshops and discussions on endings. Tuukkanen noted that the festival engages both local Kuopio residents and international professionals, creating a vibrant mix. The festival's DNA involves working within and challenging the community's perspective. Tuukkanen recommended The Unconfirmity festival in Queenstown, Tasmania, as a similar notable event.