LT
On May 8, SODAS 2123 residency programme participant Teo Ala-Ruona will lead the workshop ‘Psychic Skinning’, which will take place at SODAS 2123 from 10 AM to 4 PM (lunch break included).
The workshop will invite participants to dive into fictional and somatic explorations of their bodies, their physical magic and memories. In the workshop, participants will be asked to write, move and engage in vocal work through a series of writing, breathing and touching practices, imaginative exercises and sounding scores.
Skin is the central focus of the workshop as through it, one opens up to the environment, breathes and senses their surroundings. The workshop’s themes are based on Ala-Ruona’s upcoming work, ‘Parachorale’ (2024), and his long-term practice of ‘somatic fictioning’.
No specific experience is needed to attend, just curiosity to experiment and play with the imagination and the body’s potentiality to reach into fictional states. The workshop includes solo, pair and group work and will be held in English. There will be lunch served at SODAS2123 for the price of €7. You are also welcome to bring your own lunch. Snacks, tea and coffee will be offered.
There is a limited number of participants. If you would like to join the workshop, please register by e-mailing residency@sodas2123.lt
About the artist:
Teo Ala-Ruona is a Helsinki-based performance artist. His work centres on the realm of somatospeculative fictioning. He delves into themes such as techno-trans-masculinity, sexuality, ecology and toxicity, weaving together elements of theoretical discourse, autobiographical text, and intense physical and psychological performance scores. His overarching goal is to challenge conventional language and narratives, especially those addressing pleasure and intimacy within the context of our increasingly toxic Earth.
Teo Ala-Ruona frequently utilises his own body as a canvas for the unfolding of speculative narratives, serving as an experimental ground where fiction can reshape not only his identity but also how the audience perceives him. He is dedicated to harnessing the transgressive and fictitious potential inherent in performance art to expand our understanding of humanity. Finding joy in the weird and the risky on stage, he pushes the boundaries of how the audience comprehends bodily limits and challenges the conventions of normalcy.
Ala-Ruona’s work has recently been shown in Performa Biennial (New York), Vilnius Biennial of Performance Art (Vilnius), Finnish National Gallery Kiasma (Helsinki), Institute of Contemporary Arts (London), The Place (London), Sequences Festival (Reykjavik), Centrale Fies (Dro) and Toaster/Husets Teater (Copenhagen).
This event is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture.
Teo Ala-Ruona residency is organised by the Lithuanian Interdisciplinary Artists’ Association, with curators Aušra Vismantaitė-Silva, Monika Kalinauskaitė and Edvinas Grinkevičius. The activities of the Lithuanian Interdisciplinary Artists’ Association are funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.
SODAS 2123’s activities are supported by the Lithuanian Council for Culture and Vilnius City Municipality.
Photo credits: Martta Jylhä
