Leena and Kalle Nio: Painting Machine
Painting Machine, a mesmerising performance-installation that combines magic with visual art, is the first collaborative work by Leena Nio (b. 1982), a visual artist renowned for her multilayered paintings, and Kalle Nio (b. 1982), visual artist, magician and theatre director. With the help of magic, their installation is a playful investigation of art making and the sources of creativity.
The exhibition features a live performance, in which the audience can follow the creation of a painting. In the space of 30 minutes, the Painting Machine produces a new visual artwork that is incorporated into the exhibition. Outside the performance hours the Painting Machine is on display in the gallery as an audiovisual painting installation.
Leena and Kalle Nio’s installation investigates artisthood in today’s increasingly automated world. Although the Painting Machine is a mechanical piece of equipment, it is human in its own way. The process of producing a painting with the machine is surprising and uncontrolled, and every machine-made work contains unpredictable details and mistakes – just as human-made works do.
Production: EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art & WHS
Technical design and implementation:
Kalle and Leena Nio
Kalle Jarva
Kristiina Kajaste, Emma Holmberg / Rock Solid Painting
Eric Bouche-Pillon / Cie 14:20
Music and Sound Design:
Samuli Kosminen
(”Drawing” – Composed by Samuli Kosminen & Markus Hohti)
Curator:
Ingrid Orman
Project management:
Arja Miller & Ingrid Orman
With thanks to:
Suomen Kulttuurirahasto
Taiteen edistämiskeskus