“Try to be invisible for a day.”

Exercise given to me at the workshop at the Hollo conference, Theatre Academy, Helsinki, 12th of October

“Take a selfie, manipulate it and post it to FB.”

Exercise given to me at the workshop at the Hollo conference, Theatre Academy, Helsinki, 12th of October

“Make a portrait of yourself and plan how you destroy it.”

Exercise given to me at the workshop at the Hollo conference, Theatre Academy, Helsinki, 12th of October

“Draw your figure on the mirror.”

Exercise given to me at the workshop at the Hollo conference, Theatre Academy, Helsinki, 12th of October

“Prepare many mirrors. Documentate yourself using them.”

Exercise given to me at the workshop at the Hollo conference, Theatre Academy, Helsinki, 12th of October

“Swim at the pool for 1 hr on the hour. Any hour works.”

Exercise given to me at the workshop at the Hollo conference, Theatre Academy, Helsinki, 12th of October

“An Exercise in Asking

Materials:

Pen

Pencil

Paper

Sketch pad

Any recording device (e.g. camera, voice recorder, smartphone, etc)

Formulate a question in your head. You can write it down or just keep it in your mind. If you are in secluded space, you can work with the things around you. If you want, you can also go into nature – anywhere you think is compelling for you. Approaching things around you, living or non-living, that call for your attention. Ask the your question. Write their response(s) on a piece of paper, or record the event using any recording device.

Sort the information you have gathered. You can collect key words, write poetry out of the recordings, or create performance scores. You now have the materials for a possible performance act/event that responds to a question you formulated in the beginning of this task.

It is also possible to mess with the exercise. You can pose a question and not search for answers at all.”

Jay Mar Albaos

From the book “Performance Artists Workbook” by Pilvi Porkola (ed.)

“Dividing”

Take an object or material of your choice, of any quality – soft, solid, fluid, immaterial, processed, built or fabricated. Divide it in half, depending on the material quality or aggregate, by pulling, tearing, cutting, poring, walking, waiting, thinking, drawing, throwing, blowing, burning, etc. Use tools or machinery as needed and ad libitum. Take one half and divide it in halves again, employing the same method as before. Take the resulting quarter and divide it in halves employing the same method as before. Take the resulting quarter and divide it in halves employing the same strategy as before. Continue until you reach a unit that cannot be divided any more with the chosen strategy.”

Florian Feigl

From the book “Performance Artists Workbook”, Pilvi Porkola (Ed.)

“Focus on your peripheral vision and go for a long stroll through the city. Your walk will be guided by subtle cues such as traffic signs, smells, and the movements of other occupants. Follow these signs and do everything the city advises you to do! Document the process. End the walk on a hilltop or sea shore. Repeat the exercise in the wilderness.”

Eero Yli-Vakkuri

From the book “Performance Artists Workbook”, Pilvi Porkola (ed.)

LEARN A LULLABY IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND TEACH IT TO ANOTHER PERSON. REPEAT SO WITH AT LEAST 5 SONGS.