REMAKE, REBUILD, RENEW

With Helena Sederholm from Aalto University, School of Art and Design (FI), Tapio Räsänen the Manager of Technical Services of the City of Kuopio (FI) and artist companies Blast Theory (UK), Svop/t (NOR) and Mamalian Diving Reflex (CA).

We are constantly surrounded by change. Our lives are affected by surrounding
economic, social and ecological changes and we have to be prepared to adjust our own lives and actions to them.

Changes in the urban environment of Kuopio have had an impact on the city’s urban culture and the everyday lives of the Kuopio residents. There is a gaping hole in the heart of Kuopio. The purpose is to create a new, better pedestrian area in the city centre, to improve the services available at the market square and modernise the market hall. When you walk through the city, it becomes apparent that these are not the only areas under regeneration. The entire city is scattered with building sites. Old buildings are renovated and some are knocked down to make way for new, more modern buildings, shopping centres and recreational areas. What transformation has the Kuopio harbour undergone in the past 10 years?

The theme of this year’s seminar is our changing environment and the way artists experience the renewing and remaking of their own works. Our guest speakers share their views on change and regeneration and how they think these should be approached. We have invited Tapio Räsänen, the Manager of Technical Services of the City of Kuopio, to represent the city's take on all the changes and regeneration taking place around us and Helena Sederholm, Professor of Art Education from Aalto University, to examine the transformation and renewal of art from the point of view of art history. Renowned artists from groups such as Blast Theory, Svop/t and Mammalian Diving Reflex will talk about the artist’s approach to the theme of remaking. How are works of art revisited as time passes and how does the work of an artist renew itself?

We invite everyone interested in transformation, regeneration and remaking to share your ideas on Kuopio’s urban space and discuss urban planning, transformation and regeneration.