Jani Ruscica's 'Conversation in Pieces' at Kiasma Blends Performance and Artefacts

Between March 4 and September 4, 2016, Kiasma in Helsinki showcased Jani Ruscica's solo exhibition titled 'Conversation in Pieces'. The exhibition included six unnamed objects, which were brought to life by performers on designated dates. Highlights included a music box from a 1976 Soviet animation, a three-meter-tall wind instrument totem inspired by a 1930s Chevrolet advertisement, and marionettes that resembled Dutch paleontologists Adrie and Alfons Kennis. Additionally, the display featured the fictional Parlamonium instrument from Walter Benjamin's 1933 radio broadcast and a self-portrait animated by a ventriloquist. Ruscica's work challenges conventional historical narratives, focusing on interactive connections and the influence of objects on human behavior, reflecting Michel Foucault's idea of the 'government of things'.